Flowers, leaves and details of plants are an integral part of Dorrie’s designs. The types of leaves used in Dorrie’s jewellery is much more varied than has been fully appreciated in the literature but one consistent characteristic that separates Dorrie’s use of leaves is that they are closer to looking like the original leaf or tendril stylistically than many of the designers she followed or contemporaries. Where others use the stylistic forms of leaves Dorrie’s are more likely to be realistic in form. Please note that the only way I can rightly say this is by using the vague ‘more likely’ as the broad spread of arts and crafts designers and their individual use of flower and plant forms vary widely. However as many authors stress it is often the only means we have to begin to identify pieces as belonging to a particular designers without any other documentary evidence or provenance.

Left spiral form from a Sweetpea and right spiral form on an earring.
Left vine leaf and vine leaf form on an earring
Left spiral form from gourd and spiral form on a pendant (Photograph of pendant courtesy of S. Middleton)