Brooches

  • Night and Day

    Why am I displaying two similar brooches?  Unusually for me I bought these two brooches within days of each other.  The one on the left I bought at auction in Yorkshire, UK and the one on the right from a dealer online based in Westchester New York, USA.  And only this year I saw another…

  • Heart

    This rather magnificent heart is by the designer Christian Lacroix.  It is made of gilt metal with semi-precious stone and glass beads and was made in France.  Christian Marie Marc Lacroix was born in Arles in Southern France on 16 May 1951, he was an only child.  In 1969 Christian moved to Montpelier to study art…

  • Liquorice Allsorts

    This brooch is made of felt; I don’t know who designed or made the brooch.  I bought it from  an American dealer but given its clear association with Basset’s Allsorts I wonder whether it was originally made in the UK.   I love the bright colours and 3 dimensions to the design. Felt making is an…

  • Christmas Wreath

    This brooch is by the Christopher Radko company based in New York in America.   It is unusual for Chrisotpher Radko as their primary business is that of Christmas decorations.    In 1984 the 14 foot high Radko family Christmas tree came crashing down, smashing over 1,000 vintage glass baubles.  Christopher was so upset he set about…

  • Flower Spray

    This brooch is by the Scottish silversmith Mary Thew who is known for her use of free-flowing silver wire and cabochon semi-precious gemstones.  My brooch is made of silver, you can clearly see the trails of silver wire running through the piece.  There is chalcedony, a type of quartz and jade all polished as cabochons….

  • Snake

    This brooch is long, measuring 15 cm, to emphasize the sinewy nature of snakes. The brooch is by James Arpad using the ‘pave’ technique. James’s father Steven Arpad developed using this technique of setting Swarovski flat-backed rhinestones, sometimes referred to as ‘crystals’ on to fashion, accessories and jewellery.  It is said that Steven Arpad decorated…

  • Knitting Needles

    These four small handmade brooches are a departure from my more usual Brooch of the Month offerings.   They were made by my friend Marghanita Green who is an enthusiastic and talented crafter, whenever you receive a card from Marghanita it will be handmade and personalised.  She is also the wife of the artist and illustrator…

  • Red Square

    This brooch is by the German designer Petra Waszak.  Sadly, I have not been able to find much about Petra as a person.  As well as being an artist and designer Petra is a psychologist and interested in understanding what is happening within an artist’s brain.  The very basic and fundamental questions when an artist…

  • Stylized Doorknocker

    I bought this brooch near 10 years ago from a dealer in America.  When I first saw the brooch it was in a bad way, bent, stones missing and a broken clasp.  So why did I buy a brooch in such a bad state?  It is what is known as a ‘Book Piece’, which means…

  • Cellar Spider

    This large creepy crawly spider is by Trovelore a women-led and owned studio based in Delhi India.  They specialise in creating miniature works of art and in particular brooches.  Their pieces are hand embroidered using traditional techniques to ensure these skills are passed on to the next generations.  Glass beads, sequins and fine wire are…