Elizabeth Gage’s Kiss Pin at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London
Elizabeth Gage has been a major figure in British jewellery since the 1970s. She is admired for her distinctive interpretations of a wide range of historical and cultural styles, and for her ability to create jewellery which is both glamorous and subtle, and which remains highly wearable despite its bold scale.
She studied at the Sir John Cass College in the 1960s, and in 1968 designed a collection for Cartier, New York. In 1972 she won the De Beers International Diamond Award with her ‘Agincourt’ ring design. Her business expanded rapidly during the 1980s and by 1989, when she was awarded the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement, she employed twenty-five full-time staff.
This pin, which features as part of the Victoria & Albert Museum’s permanent jewellery collection, is described by Elizabeth as one of her ‘classic kiss style pins’ on account of the diagonal cross at its heart, shows Elizabeth Gage’s love of unusual, irregular and colourful stones, and illustrates her particular ability to create modern jewels infused with echoes of past centuries.
For more information on this piece, on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum visit: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1160715/pin-gage-elizabeth/