Florentine Fleur de Lys by Michele Roberts

The official symbol of the city of Florence, Italy, as well as the Medici family, is a very fancy fleur de lys with enhanced growth at top and bottom – the stamens and pistils are separated from the petals of the flower. These extra Renaissance Italian curves grant a richness, complexity, and delicacy seldom seen in the more spare, classically-shaped Fleur de Lys. Think of this fleur de lys as a “Medici military badge”.

By stripping the bold colors from the design, leaving just basic gold and white, the design is quietened and made more elegant, relying on light refraction, texture, and depth for its meaning. The background is a diagonal lattice work of gold and pearls, and a latticed border of pure gold surrounds the diagonal lattice work.

This motif is entirely worked in raised traditional Goldwork, using several types of English and Japanese gold, with numerous techniques employed.