Patricia Locke vintage costume jewelry

Fish brooch. Metal alloy, rhinestones. 6.7 cm. 1970s. Patricia Locke vintage costume jewelry

Patricia Locke vintage costume jewelry
American self-taught jewelry designer Patricia Agnes Locke (January 17, 1949 – February 19, 2015) began creating jewelry in 1971. Handcrafted with rich imagery and fine craftsmanship, her statement jewelry (originally made on commission) have become highly sought after. By 1980 she had successfully exhibited and sold her artisan jewelry through art galleries, boutiques and retailers.
Inspired by travels, ancient culture and architecture, her designs included asymmetrical geometry, marriage of metals, combination of natural stones and glass. Traditionally, she used 24 K gold, sterling silver, bronze, pewter, multicolor Austrian crystals and natural stones. She marked her jewelry pieces with “P. Locke USA”, or “Patricia Locke”, and a copyright sign.
Noteworthy, Chicago-based jeweler Locke founded her first jewelry company in Odessa, Texas. Incorporated in 1985, Patricia Locke, Ltd. (alternatively known as Patricia A Locke Incorporated) ceased to exist in 1989. She continued making jewelry in collaboration with other artists, until her death in 2015. She was 66.