Vintage Luckenbooth by Ola Gorie, Orkney
A small Scottish 9ct gold luckenbooth (heart brooch) by Ola Gorie, hallmarked Edinburgh, 1980
A small Scottish 9ct gold luckenbooth (heart brooch) by Ola Gorie, hallmarked Edinburgh, 1980
A small Scottish 9ct gold luckenbooth (heart brooch) by Ola Gorie, hallmarked Edinburgh, 1980
This vintage luckenbooth is formed of two interlocking hearts surmounted by a crown. The reverse has a hinged pin and safety clasp and shows hallmarks for Edinburgh, 9ct gold [375], 1980 and the maker Ola Gorie.
Ola Gorie is an award winning Scottish jeweller from Orkney. In 1999, she was awarded an MBE in recognition of her services to the jewellery industry - https://www.olagoriejewellery.com/.
Scottish heart brooches are often referred to as luckenbooths, with the name coming from the locked booths that housed the goldsmithing quarter in Edinburgh next to St Giles Kirk. The hearts are often capped with crowns, such as this example, and many were known to have acted as betrothal and wedding gifts particularly during the eighteenth century. They were also occasionally called witches brooches as they were believed to offer protection against witchcraft.
Dimensions:
Height 2.5cm
Width 2.2cm
Weight 3g