Elizabeth Gage Brooch

Jewelry designer and goldsmith Elizabeth Gage has been creating luxurious gold statement jewelry for more than half a century, attracting attention from enthusiastic lovers of personal adornment all over the world. For their boldness and sophistication, Gage’s ornate necklaces, rings and other accessories have earned her a place among the most influential gold jewelry designers of our day.

Gage’s love of creating beautiful things started at an early age. Born in England in 1937, Gage would often create her own toys to play with. She frequently made houses for her dolls and clothing for them to wear, working with her hands and developing skills that would become integral to the flourishing career she would have one day.

Gage went on to study design and goldsmithing at the Chelsea School of Art and Sir John Cass College. She began designing under her own name in 1965 and received her first major commission from Cartier. The New York branch of the prestigious French luxury house invited Gage in 1968 to create a collection for their new catalog, where her eye-catching statement jewelry made a huge splash. (A year later, designer Aldo Cipullo would create his transformational Love bracelet for the brand after Tiffany & Co. reportedly passed on his now-iconic cuff.)

Gage’s cocktail rings, clip-on earrings and pendants — with their baroque ornamentation and intricate raised carvings — look to historical eras and design movements. Gage is internationally acclaimed as a leader in her field and she is a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in recognition of her contributions to art and design. She was awarded the De Beers International Diamond Award in 1972, and the Queen's Award for Export Achievement in 1989. In 2008, Retail Jeweller awarded her their Lifetime Achievement Award.

Gage’s collections have been exhibited in notable museums including the New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut. Famed Hollywood actress Lauren Bacall famously fell in love with Gage’s work, striking up a personal friendship with the designer and ultimately ordering more than 20 pieces of jewelry from her over the actress’s lifetime.

Today, Gage continues to design pieces that are crafted by her expert goldsmiths, which she sells at her boutique in Belgravia, London.

Find authentic Elizabeth Gage earrings, brooches and other jewelry on 1stDibs.

Vintage brooches, which refer to decorative jewelry traditionally pinned to garments and used to fasten pieces of clothing together where needed, have seen increasing popularity in recent years.

While jewelry trends come and go, brooches are indeed back on the radar thanks to fashion houses like Gucci, Versace, Dior and Saint Laurent, all of which feature fun pinnable designs in their current collections. Whether a dazzlingly naturalistic Art Nouveau dragonfly, a whimsical David Webb animal, a gem-studded bloom or a streamlined abstract design, these jewels add color and sparkle to your look and a spring to your step. 

Given their long history, brooches have expectedly taken on a variety of different shapes and forms over time, with jewelers turning to assorted methods of ornamentation for these accessories, including enameling and the integration of pearls and gemstones. Cameo brooches that originated during the Victorian age are characterized by a shell carved in raised relief that feature portraits of a woman’s profile, while 19th-century micromosaic brooches, comprising innumerable individually placed glass fragments, sometimes feature miniature depictions of a pastoral scene in daily Roman life.

At one time, brooches were symbols of wealth, made primarily from the finest metals and showcasing exquisite precious gemstones. Today, these jewels are inclusive and universal, and you don’t have to travel very far to find an admirer of brooches. They can be richly geometric in form, such as the ornate diamond pins dating from the Art Deco era, or designer-specific, such as the celebrated naturalistic works created by Tiffany & Co., the milk glass and gold confections crafted by Trifari or handmade vintage Chanel brooches of silk or laminated sheer fabric. Chanel, of course, has never abandoned this style, producing gorgeously baroque CC examples since the 1980s.

Brooches are versatile and adaptable. These decorative accessories can be worn in your hair, on hats, scarves and on the lower point of V-neck clothing. Pin a dazzling brooch to the lapel of your blazer-and-tee combo or add a cluster of smaller pins to your overcoat. And while brooches have their place in “mourning jewelry,” in that a mourning brooch is representative of your connection to a lost loved one, they’re widely seen as romantic and symbolic of love, so much so that a hardcore brooch enthusiast might advocate for brooches to be worn over the heart.

Today, find a wide variety of antique and vintage brooches for sale on 1stDibs, including gold brooches, sapphire brooches and more.