2010s

  • Robot

    This is another of Tom McDowell’s quirky designs.  The decoration on this brooch is made from disused watch parts, and if you look closely you can see the cogs and even a hand. Want to know whether someone is a Robot or not?  According to scientists there is a test. Set them the task of…

  • Oriental Mask

    I first saw this brooch on my ‘The Met’ calendar which William gives me each Christmas.  Each day of the year the calendar shows a different object from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.  I love having something new and interesting to look at each day.  I was so captivated by the mask…

  • Map of Amsterdam

    This brooch is designed by Roelinde Boot an artist and designer from the Netherlands.  Roelinde graduated from the School for Goldsmiths in Schoonhoven, a city south of Amsterdam.  Her main source of inspiration is the rich heritage and imaginary of land and city maps.  The contours and patterns of roads, rivers and canals are used…

  • Poodle

    This strutting pink poodle is designed by Louisa Camille for Erstwilder.  Louisa Camille is based in Melbourne, Australia, so this pink madam has travelled over 10,500 miles to join my collection.  When you buy a piece of Erstwilder jewellery it comes in a distinctive round box with a pink lid.  Erstwilder brooches are made of…

  • Lollipop Sticks

    This unusual brooch is by Belgian designer An Alleweireldt who is now based in London.  An takes her inspiration from working with the possibilities and restrictions of daily materials.  She finds new ways to combine these everyday materials with precious metals and gem stones. She has used rubber flooring tiles, vinyl records and string.  But…

  • Shakespeare Quote

    William Shakespeare was born and died on 23rd April and 2016 is his 400th anniversary. The 23rd April is also St George’s day, the patron saint of England. This month’s brooch is made by the small crafting company Scibbelicious located in Wales started by an English teacher. They are based in an old converted barn…

  • Geisha Girl & Domino

    The Geisha Girl is by the Spanish design company Ceraselle, based in Seville.  She is made out of ceramic.  My husband bought her for me as a Christmas present from the Victoria and Albert museum in London.  It was one of the pieces inspired by the museum’s refurbished Toshiba Gallery of Japanese Art, which reopened…

  • Map of London

    This brooch is made of powder coated steel and the little red dot is in fact a magnet which you can move around to show where you are at any given point in time.  The brooch is designed by Garudio Studiage in Peckham, London, a creative collective set up by Chris Ratcliffe, Laura Cave, Anna…

  • Trio of Owls

    Each of these three owls is carved from a single tagua nut, a seed from a palm that grows in South American rainforests.  The tagua nut is known as vegetable ivory and is seen as an environmentally sound alternative to animal ivory.  Once the seed has been dried it can be dyed or left in…

  • Three Cubes

    This brooch is by modern British designer Jo McAllister who first made jewellery at an evening class in 1988, having previously worked in picture editing for newspapers and magazines.  Her evening classes led to a degree and in 2003 she graduated from the London Metropolitan University with a Masters. Her work is inspired by landscapes…