Lifeline Brooch
Our brooch was included as part of a feature on the significance of gemstones and recycling precious materials.
The story behind Shimell and Madden’s Lifeline brooch, created for Annette Austin, again demonstrates theemotional power of stones.
Each of the gemstones in the brooch told a tale of my life and travels –
Annette Austin
“I have been trying to simplify my life – selling, giving away or throwing out, and this included going through my jewellery box,” Austin tells BBC Culture. “Having given away all the unwanted pieces, I was left with a number of gemstones in old-fashioned settings, each of which told a tale of my life and travels. Shimell and Madden reset the stones in a single brooch which I now wear regularly. They include a garnet – my birthstone – from a ring given to me on my 16th birthday and an amethyst found by a great uncle when fossicking [gem hunting] in the Outback, and presented to me when I was 21.”
