Elizabeth Locke Mabe Pearl Gold Drop Ear Clips
About the Item
- Creator:
- Metal:
- Weight:23.5 g
- Dimensions:Width: 0.75 in (19.05 mm)Length: 2.5 in (63.5 mm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1980s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU14810706442
Elizabeth Locke
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: New York, NY
- Return Policy
More From This Seller
View AllVintage 1970s American Dangle Earrings
18k Gold
1990s American Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Yellow Diamond, 18k Gold
Vintage 1970s Greek Clip-on Earrings
18k Gold
Vintage 1980s Unknown Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s American Clip-on Earrings
Jade, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s Greek Classical Greek Clip-on Earrings
Citrine, Sapphire, 22k Gold
You May Also Like
21st Century and Contemporary English Contemporary Clip-on Earrings
Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold
2010s European Contemporary Drop Earrings
Pearl, 18k Gold
Vintage 1960s American Clip-on Earrings
Cultured Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Pearl, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Platinum
2010s Thai Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Drop Earrings
Pearl, Cultured Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold