Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Venetian-glass intaglios, ancient Greek and Roman coins, antique porcelain buttons and other treasures that Elizabeth Locke collects from around the world all inspire and are incorporated into her earrings, necklaces and other handmade designs.
The Virginia-based jeweler began her journey as a collector after she’d already launched her namesake jewelry line, and her assemblage of micromosaics, which are essentially miniature plaques composed of enameled-glass tesserae, were the subject of the 2020–21 exhibition “A Return to the Grand Tour: Micromosaic Jewels from the Collection of Elizabeth Locke” at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
“They’re very hard to find, and you never know where you’ll see them,” Locke explains of micromosaics, the magnificent, miniature works for which she’s had to navigate lesser-known antique shops and auctions and build relationships with private dealers in Europe.
All of Locke’s imaginative jewelry pieces see an integration of rare and eclectic materials, the kind that might’ve been amassed during a 19th-century Grand Tour of Europe, when these coming-of-age journeys had long been popular (mostly for wealthy European men). Working in a neoclassical style, Locke references history with a modern approach for her moonstone earrings, gold-link bracelets, Venetian-glass pendants and other distinctive accessories. As she told W magazine, “Jewelry is designed for the era in which it is worn.”
In 1988, as an editor for Town & Country, Locke traveled to Bangkok to write about making jewelry. Unexpectedly, she found her niche. Upon her return home, Locke enrolled in the Gemological Institute of America and began sketching ideas. By 1990, her tourmaline ring — crafted with the goldsmiths she had met in Bangkok and who she would continue to collaborate with over the following decades — landed the cover of W.
Locke’s handmade, 19-karat-gold designs give one-of-a-kind antiquities new meaning in the 21st century. Not one to follow trends, Locke prefers designs that express a unique vision. “I know what I can do and I know what I feel comfortable doing, and I stick to it,” she has said.
Find a collection of Elizabeth Locke’s jewelry on 1stDibs.
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Diamond, Pearl, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Unknown Retro Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
1980s American Vintage Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Citrine, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s American Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Diamond, Moonstone, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s Vintage Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Blue Sapphire, Cultured Pearl, Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Moonstone, Gold
20th Century American Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Cultured Pearl, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Labradorite, Black Pearl, Blue Sapphire
1990s Elizabeth Locke Brooches
21st Century and Contemporary Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Amethyst, Aquamarine, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise, Moonstone, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Elizabeth Locke Brooches
18k Gold
2010s Unknown Modern Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Pearl, Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Retro Vintage Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold
1880s Unknown Victorian Antique Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, Yellow Gold, Silver
1960s American Retro Vintage Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Blue Sapphire, Cultured Pearl, Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1840s British Victorian Antique Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Diamond, Garnet, Yellow Gold, Silver, Gold, 14k Gold
Late 20th Century American Artisan Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Diamond, Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
20th Century American Modern Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
1860s British Victorian Antique Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Diamond, Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver
1870s Austrian Neoclassical Antique Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Agate, Diamond, White Diamond, Pearl, Natural Pearl, Fire Agate, Gold, Y...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Quartz, Pearl, Yellow Gold, Gold
20th Century Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Amethyst, 18k Gold
Early 2000s American Contemporary Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Carnelian, Gold
1990s American Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Pearl, Tourmaline, Rhodolite, Garnet, Iolite, Yellow Gold, Gold, 18k Gold
1980s Contemporary Vintage Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Moonstone, Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Contemporary Vintage Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Amethyst, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Contemporary Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Amethyst, Pearl, Quartz, Rock Crystal, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Contemporary Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Moonstone, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Contemporary Elizabeth Locke Brooches
Moonstone, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold