Kevin Coates was born in Surrey in 1950 and from an early age concentrated on both art and music. He became an accomplished instrumentalist giving regular concerts, later with his wife Nel Romano, with whom he formed the Duo Vinaccia in 1974.

His training as a goldsmith began at the Central School of Arts and Crafts and continued at the Royal College of Art. In 1979 he was awarded a doctorate of philosophy for his study of the use of mathematics and sacred geometry in musical instrument design, a work since published by Oxford University Press.

Kevin Coates is a Liveryman of the Goldsmiths' Company and a Fellow of the Royal College of Art.

His jewellery and table-pieces are in private and public collections throughout the world. Notable recent commissions are the Amity Cup for the Goldsmiths' Company, the Carrington Cup for the Victoria and Albert Museum, a large centrepiece for Leeds Castle, a rose-water dish for Lord Nelson of Stafford, a paperweight for the Prince of Wales and the St Chad Cup for Lichfield Cathedral. Exhibitions in the United Kingdom include one-man exhibitions at Goldsmiths' Hall and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Broadcasts have included a "Conversation Piece" (BBC Radio 4) with Sue MacGregor.