Brooches

  • 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…

  • Penny Farthing

    This novelty brooch depicting a Penny Farthing is by Zentall.  Robert Zentall set up Robert Zentall Inc. in 1952 with his wife Betty.  Robert was born in 1905 in Germany and his wife Betty was born in Hungary in 1915.  Betty’s brother Etienne Aigner was the luxury bag designer and founder of Aigner, which can…

  • Sail Boat

    This silver brooch is smaller than my usual brooches.  But the reason I have it in my collection is the simplicity of the design which conveys perfectly the image and idea of a sail boat.  In the design there are just two shapes, one smooth (the sail) and one textured (the boat hull), together they…

  • Cat Face

    This colourful brooch is made of hundreds of tiny seed glass beads.  It is made by the talented craftswoman Yana Tselinsky who comes from Ramat Gan, (near Tel Aviv) in Israel.  Yana explains she started crafting when she was taught to knit at three years old.  Over the years she has added to her crafting…