Dorrie Nossiter brooch showing almandine garnets and opals in floral cluster design, c.1920s
Angled view of 1920s Dorrie Nossiter garnet and opal brooch showing organic detailing and curved form
Close-up of hand-wrought gilt silver scrollwork and gemstone setting in Arts & Crafts brooch by Dorrie Nossiter
Front view of Dorrie Nossiter brooch showing almandine garnets and opals in floral cluster design, c.1920s

Garnet & Opal Brooch by Dorrie Nossiter | Arts & Crafts c.1920s

POA

A vivid bouquet of almandine garnets and glowing opals bursts from this lyrical brooch by Dorrie Nossiter, made in England in the 1920s and crafted in gilt silver.

At approximately 8cm by 4.5cm, the piece captures the romantic essence of the Arts & Crafts movement with its scrolling tendrils, organic composition, and richly coloured stones.

Nossiter’s work is more closely aligned with Arts & Crafts ideals than with the sharper lines of Art Deco, despite being made during the same era.

Her style is intuitive and expressive - less about symmetry, more about movement and feeling.

This brooch embodies her distinctive approach: hand-wrought, joyful, and entirely individual.

Famously flamboyant, Dorrie Nossiter was also part of a turning point in design history.

The Arts & Crafts movement gave women like her an unprecedented platform - one in which their work could stand equally beside that of their male counterparts.

This brooch is more than decorative: it’s a piece of that legacy.

Excellent antique condition. All stones appear original and securely set. Pin fitting functions smoothly and holds firmly.

Available exclusively at ELTONS, Grays Antique Market, Mayfair, London.

 

 


Pieces by Dorrie Nossiter rarely come to market - especially on this scale and with such a vivid, expressive gemstone palette. This brooch is a quintessential example of her lyrical, hand-wrought style, bridging the romanticism of the Arts & Crafts movement with a deeply personal design language. It would make a prized addition to any collection of British studio jewellery, Arts & Crafts design, or 20th-century women makers.