2010s

  • 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 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…

  • Christmas Pudding

    This Christmas Pudding brooch is made of felt by Lexys Utopia who is based in Nantwich.  Lexys specialises in making felt jewellery, mainly brooches.  This particular brooch was first used as part of the TubeFlash project I did with Transport for London between 2013 and 2015.  It was the brooch for Monument Tube Station. Since…

  • Mackintosh Square

    This is, for me a small brooch.  I usually go for more statement impactful designs.  But this little brooch has a pleasing design, and it came with matching earrings.  I do like a matching set.  I know these days it is seen as not on trend, but who wants to be a slave to the…

  • Robin

    This cute little robin is by the designer/creator Melanie Tomlinson. Melanie is from Birmingham and trained at the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design.  To create her detailed designs Melanie starts by painting the image in gouache, this acts as the master for the printing process.  The design is then hand printed onto metal and…

  • Circle of Pearls

    This brooch is by the UK designer Jed Green.  Jed’s jewellery is highly individual and distinctive.  Jed uses as her main material inexpensive Borosilicate clear glass tubes, which are widely used in laboratory and medical environments.  Borosilicate glass was first developed in the late 19th century by the German glassmaker Otto Schott, its principal ingredients are…

  • Series of Arches

    This unusual brooch is by the designer Annabet Wyndham, I bought it in 2015 at the Dazzle exhibition at the Oxo Tower. The brooch is made of Sterling silver and painted layered plywood.  Each piece is made separately and the whole brooch is constructed by using tiny solder connectors on the reverse.  Annabet oxidises the…

  • Turquoise Sky

    I bought this brooch in 2018 at the new Designers Exhibition in London.  A wonderful showcase for new work in jewellery, textiles, ceramics and much more.  It is by young Scottish designer Claire Mclean  who comes from the small village of Kilbarchan, 15 miles from Glasgow.  Claire did a two-year jewellery course at the city…

  • Chrysanthemum Flower

    This brooch is large and amazingly three dimensional. It is made by the Japanese design company Monocircus. The company was founded by Kazunori Takeishi and Lim Shing Ee in 2011. Kazunori was born in Fukui, Japan and originally graduated as an architect, while Lim comes from Singapore and studied Art. Their philosophy is to make ‘wearable’…