Brooches

Waves

This brooch has been handmade by Stockwell Ceramics, based in the Tamar Valley in Cornwall. Mary Goldberg opened Stockwell Ceramics in 1989, in the beginning making domestic pottery and one-off pieces. But it was not long before Mary moved into making ceramic buttons. From buttons it was an easy step to include jewellery to the…

Red Heart

In 2021 the ‘Brooch of the Month’ was the Elizabeth Taylor Heart by Avon. For 2025 I have another Avon Heart from the 1990s. Avon began producing jewellery in 1967 with an initial collection entitled ‘The Precious Pretenders’. This month’s Red Heart is from the Hearts Afire collection produced in 1996. It is made of…

Stylized Bud

The brooch is by the Chinese born designer Fei Liu who is based in Birmingham. Fei Lui came to the UK 27 years ago as a student to study at the Birmingham School of Jewellery. The school was established in the 1890s and is based in the heart of the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter where it…

Mistletoe

It isn’t easy finding different Christmas themed brooches to write about for The Casket, so I was delighted when I spotted this unusual representation of Mistletoe at an antiques fair in Kent a few years ago. It is by Jess Lelong and is silver with enamel. Lelong Designs was started by Jean Lelong, Jess’s father…

Frog

This jaunty frog is by the American company Hollycraft. It is made of metal and then enamelled. Joseph Chorbagian came to America in 1917 at the age of 17 to seek his fortune. Pooling his resources with his cousin Archie and friend Jack Hazard they established the Hollywood Jewelry Products company in 1938 in New…

Meeting House

This is one of the more unusual brooches in my collection. As a rule, I avoid items which have writing as part of the design, my husband calls them ‘wrote on things’. But there was just something about the history and design of this brooch which caught my eye. It is made in bronze which…

Dorset Bow

This brooch is based on the Dorset Bow from the late Queen Elizabeth II collection. Queen Elizabeth (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) was born on 21st April 1926 and came to the throne on 6th February 1952, reigning for 70 years until her death on 8th September 2022. Queen Elizabeth was a prolific and enthusiastic brooch wearer….

Scattered Triangles

This brooch combines silver and steel and is handmade by Heather McDermott in Scottland. Heather takes her inspiration from the Isle of Skye off the west coast of Scotland. Heather says “The tideline of Skye is a treasure trove of unique objects discarded from the urban environment and reformed by the battering of the sea….

Liner

Carolee Friedman started Carolee in 1972 after training as an architect. The story goes she set up her business on her kitchen table in Connecticut. Interestingly, she created her jewellery not just to buy and wear but also to collect. In the early 1970s collecting costume jewellery was not seen as mainstream. Today, of course,…

Tiger

I bought this brooch at the Athelstan Museum in Malmesbury. It is made of felt and was made by hand in Nepal. He/She is adorable, and I couldn’t resist. My collection has brooches made of a wide variety of materials, but there are not many made from fabric. Felt making is an ancient technique which…