Brooches

  • 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…

  • Lemon Sprig

    This brooch is by one of the legendary designers of the 20th century and I have wanted to add to my collection for a long time.  Elsa Schiaparelli was born in Rome in 1890, her mother was an aristocrat, her father was a scholar, her brother was an astronomer and one of her cousins was…

  • Feather

    This brooch is silver gilt by Gerald Benney, one of the most influential British silversmiths during the second half of the 20th century.   The feather brooch has been hand-embossed with a technique known as ‘Benney Bark’, whereby the surface has been gently hammered with a silversmithing hammer which has been chiselled to create ridges and…

  • 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…