Lauro micromosaic brooch with diamonds

EDITOR'S REVIEW

The burnished shades of autumn are captured in this unique Lauro brooch by mosaic master Roger Thomas for Sicis, a company founded by Italian Maurizio Leo Placuzzi specialising in these miniature artworks. Look very closely and the leaves are made up of thousands of tiny tesserae. These slivers of glass mixed with diamond dust are set in place using a technique known as micromosaic, which originated in Italy during the era of the Grand Tour, a period in the late 18th and 19th century when wealthy Europeans set off on trips around the continent to soak up the art, history and culture. Today, Sicis is reviving the tradition by creating everything from watches and jewellery to huge artworks crafted using this painstaking technique.