Elizabeth Locke Beaded Necklaces
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.
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Elizabeth Locke Beaded Necklaces
Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Elizabeth Locke Beaded Necklaces
Lapis Lazuli, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century European Art Deco Elizabeth Locke Beaded Necklaces
Lapis Lazuli, 9k Gold, Silver
20th Century Unknown Contemporary Elizabeth Locke Beaded Necklaces
Lapis Lazuli, Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Elizabeth Locke Beaded Necklaces
Lapis Lazuli, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Elizabeth Locke Beaded Necklaces
Lapis Lazuli, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Elizabeth Locke Beaded Necklaces
Lapis Lazuli, Cultured Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Artisan Elizabeth Locke Beaded Necklaces
Lapis Lazuli, 14k Gold, Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Elizabeth Locke Beaded Necklaces
Amethyst, Lapis Lazuli, Quartz, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Elizabeth Locke Beaded Necklaces
Lapis Lazuli
21st Century and Contemporary Elizabeth Locke Beaded Necklaces
Lapis Lazuli, Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Modern Elizabeth Locke Beaded Necklaces
Lapis Lazuli, Quartz, Crystal, Rock Crystal, Gold, 14k Gold
Late 20th Century Unknown Artisan Elizabeth Locke Beaded Necklaces
Lapis Lazuli, Gold, 14k Gold
Late 20th Century Contemporary Elizabeth Locke Beaded Necklaces
Carnelian, Pearl, Yellow Gold, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Elizabeth Locke Beaded Necklaces
Carnelian, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary English Elizabeth Locke Beaded Necklaces
Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, 18k Gold
1990s American Elizabeth Locke Beaded Necklaces
Lapis Lazuli, Gold