Daughter's love fuels hunt for 'mother' brooches

Nicky Donoghue's collection of 'mother' brooches. Photo / Babiche Martens

Nicky Donoghue's beautiful collection of brooches serves as a constant reminder of her mum.

Amazingly, none of the brooches featured on the cover of this week's Viva belonged to collector Nicky Donoghue's mother. Yet they serve as a connection to her mum, who died when Nicky was 25.

"I often wonder what she would have thought of them. I have young daughters of my own now and I get so much pleasure out of the joy they get from the collection. We keep the brooches near the front door where visitors and friends can see them. The children always ask people to choose a favourite and it's amazing how people respond to such a quirky collection."

Donoghue, who works for local modern jewellery company Zoe & Morgan, appreciates the craftsmanship of each piece.

"I started collecting the brooches about four years ago. I was living in Britain at the time and kept finding them on eBay. I just couldn't resist quietly adding one or two a month.

"Some of them are from the turn of the last century, Victorian, Edwardian and some pure costume 50s and 60s.

"I love all the different styles of writing the word 'mother', the script, the settings, the materials ...

"But most of all I think it's the idea that at one time each of these brooches were purchased and gifted to a mother with love and sentiment and now, as they are floating about on Trade Me or eBay, that sentiment has gone and they are just someone's unwanted junk. I feel like I am saving them and hopefully keeping that sentiment alive with my enjoyment of the collection. Together they form a work of art which is a tribute to mothers and the gifts that they received, perhaps on a Mother's Day many years ago."

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