A new exhibition at The Orkney Museum celebrates the islands' jewellery tradition, from archaeological influences to contemporary designs.
'From Broch to Brooches: Tracing Orkney's Timeless Craft' explores how jewellery makers have drawn on the islands' archaeology, social history, and natural beauty to create pieces that connect past and present.
The exhibition shows the influence of archaeological sites like Skara Brae and the Ring of Brodgar, as well as finds such as Viking hoards, with designs incorporating ancient symbols, runes and motifs. It also reveals how jewellery has marked moments of identity and belonging in island life, from traditional brooches to commemorative pieces celebrating local events.
The natural world features strongly, with pieces inspired by wild seas, seabirds and the ever-changing Orkney light. Local materials, organic forms and elemental textures reflect the landscape that surrounds the makers.
The exhibition traces this tradition from the 1960s, when Ola Gorie began creating jewellery inspired by Norse and Pictish archaeology. Malcolm Gray's founding of Ortak in 1967 marked a shift towards wider commercial reach, while Sheila Fleet's work from the 1990s brought bold innovation alongside cultural resonance.
More recent makers including Karen Duncan, Celina Rupp, Alison Moore, Marion Miller, Aurora, and Fluke Jewellery continue to shape Orkney's jewellery identity, each bringing their own voice to the tradition.
The exhibition has been developed in collaboration with Creative Orkney, the islands' craft and creative industries network. The launch event takes place on Saturday 15 November from 3pm to 4pm at The Orkney Museum, Broad Street, Kirkwall, with members of the public welcome to come along.
From Broch to Brooches runs until Wednesday 24 December at The Orkney Museum, Broad Street, Kirkwall. The museum is open Monday to Saturday, 10.30am to 5pm (closed 12.30pm to 1.30pm), with free admission.