David Thomas (British, b. 1938), Brooch, 1960s, gold, diamonds

Audio Description

This brooch was made by British jeweler David Thomas in the 1960s. Thomas was born in 1938.

A somewhat ovoid shape, this brooch is a series of straight rods of yellow gold that cross in the center, forming a star-like shape. It is scattered randomly with small, faceted diamonds.

Label Copy

This brooch was made by British jeweler David Thomas in the 1960s. Thomas was born in 1938.

Preferring simpler shapes, David Thomas’s work of the 1960s and 70s was elegant and accessible, not flashy. He likes uncomplicated forms because it is harder to design something simple than something fussy. Thomas’s early work was inspired by natural forms, cellular structures, and sometimes architectural elements.

This brooch falls into a group of jewelry he calls his ‘hedgehog’ designs—pieces made of wires or strips of gold scattered with small diamonds or set with semi-precious stones. Made for Peggy De Salle, who owned a gallery in Michigan, she would often visit Thomas’s studio in London to discuss designs and have several pieces made while she was abroad. She knew exactly what she wanted and who would buy them. Working late into the night, Thomas and his craftsmen always delivered.

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