BELLE BROOKE USES the word azygous (singular, not of a pair) to describe her signature style. In her case, the term has a particular resonance. What is singular about almost every piece in her various collections-sold under the name Belle Brooke Designs, Inc.-is a design element comprised of different-size tiny tubes whose open ends are flush set, here and there, with precious and semiprecious stones. Worked in either silver or 18k gold, this matrixlike construction is integrated into rings, earrings, pendants, necklaces, and bracelets. The effect resembles both micromosaic work and pave, except that most of the tiny tubes remain open in a bubbly, graphic pattern of negative space. Geometric or curvilinear frames hold the matrix in place, either open-backed, inviting a play of light, or set against black for sheer drama. Brooke's work-a mix of casting and fabrication-is bold and linear, admittedly inspired by art deco styling, yet thoroughly modern. In many pieces a dominant colored stone is paired with a framed section of matrix, as in her Hera necklace, in which triangular gold-and-diamond segments are accented with green chrysoprase cabochons. In another dramatic design, the flat oval top of a massive cast-silver Medallion ring is inset with a channel of cognac diamonds encircling a matrix scattered with pink sapphires.
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