Elizabeth
Locke

Elizabeth Locke grew up in Virginia, the daughter of an English professor who spent royalty money taking the family to ancient ruins each summer. Those early encounters with micromosaics — miniature scenes assembled from tiny enamelled glass tiles, sold to Grand Tour travellers in the 18th and 19th centuries — never left her. She eventually earned a graduate degree in Italian literature in Florence, then spent years running a business in Italy, then contributed to Town & Country, then made a trip to Bangkok that led to a gemology degree and an entirely different life.

Elizabeth Locke Jewels launched in 1988. The pieces are made in 19-karat gold — a slightly lower karat than the industry standard, chosen specifically for its warmer, softer tone against the skin. Every stone is selected personally by Elizabeth. The intaglios are sourced from Venetian artisans using techniques unchanged for centuries. The ancient coins, some dating back two thousand years, are set to be worn rather than preserved behind glass.

Her personal collection of over a hundred micromosaics became a traveling exhibition at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. She calls her life's vocation "the continual treasure hunt." At Cayen, we find that entirely appropriate.