Compared to most items of jewellery which are purely ornamental, the humble brooch was first created thousands of years ago as a practical item to hold a person’s clothes together. Since that time it has been designed into an endless array of forms and materials, some more novel than others. Although brooches today have largely lost their practical purpose, they remain small statements worn on our chest which can add a splash of colour or character to the wearer. Antique and Vintage brooches remind us of a time when these small pieces of jewellery were crucial to our everyday wear. As such one finds not only fun novelty pieces, but extremely fine examples in gold and silver. Often these better-quality items will be accented with diamonds or pearls which showed off the skill of the maker.
As items which can be worn and admired on a daily basis, antique and vintage brooches are a great addition to any jewellery collection. At LoveAntiques we have a fine selection of quality Antique and Vintage brooches.
£ 1,625
£ 575
£ 425
£ 475
£ 475
Robert Belcher Antiques
Art Deco 1920s Stirling Silver and Marcasite Snake Brooch
£ 495
£ 245
£ 1,750
Antique 18ct Gold Huge Pearl Buckle Brooch Pin C1880 French Heavy 15g Amazing
£ 1,750
Nates Gems
Antiques in Oxford
Vintage Silver and Enamel Butterfly Brooch J Atkins
£ 195
£ 205
Digby Antiques (Wiltshire)
Silver & Enamel Brooch George VI Coronation
£ 55
Highland Antiques Limited
Victorian Antique Gold and Agate Scottish Brooch. c.1880
£ 1,195
Andrew Cox Antiques
An Attractive Silver and Amazonite Bar Brooch
£ 115
£ 4,950
Antique 1.10ct Diamond and 6.50ct Peridot 14k Yellow Gold Brooch Circa 1910
£ 4,950
AC Silver
£ 3,950
Aion Jewellery
Boxed Victorian 14ct Gold & Diamond Stick Pin
£ 165
Aion Jewellery
Victorian Silver & Pearl Hallmarked Bow Brooch
£ 85
Andrew Cox Antiques
An Unusual Silver Nautical Themed Edwardian Brooch
£ 115
Penrose Antiques Ltd
Henkel & Grosse 1980s Silvertone Rhinstone and Pearl Brooch
£ 85
Robert Belcher Antiques
A Large Chinese Silver Filigree and Enamel Butterfly Brooch C 1930
£ 365
A Large Chinese Silver Filigree and Enamel Butterfly Brooch C 1930
£ 365
Robert Belcher Antiques
£ 2,950
Digby Antiques (Wiltshire)
Silver & Enamel Butterfly
£ 220
Ferentz Antiques
9ct Gold Squirrel Brooch. Garnet & Cultured Pearl
£ 850
Antique Crown/Coronet Brooch Diamond & Pearls with Cross 15K Gold - c.1890
£ 850
Artisan Antiques
£ 2,500
Antique French Ruby, Emerald, Diamond Pearl Crown Coronet Brooch 18K Gold c.1900
£ 2,500
Artisan Antiques
Antiques in Oxford
Antique John Atkins & Son Sterling Silver Butterfly Brooch
£ 250
Antiques in Oxford
Antique Ruby and Pearl Starburst Gold Brooch.
£ 925
Antiques in Oxford
Antique Gold Snake Mourning Brooch with Heart Drop
£ 1,550
Antiques in Oxford
Rare Early Chrysoprase & Moonstone Brooch by Georg Jensen
£ 950
Antiques in Oxford
Antique Cannetille Work Pearl and Turquoise Gold Brooch
£ 1,350
£ 2,750
Retro Sapphire 14k Yellow Gold Clip on Earrings and Brooch Set Leaf Design Circa 1950s
£ 2,750
Artsubject
£ 8,950
Vintage 3.02ct Zimbabwe Emerald and 6.88ct Diamond 14k White Gold Brooch Circa 1965
£ 8,950
AC Silver
Aion Jewellery
George V Hallmarked Silver & Amethyst Stag Brooch
£ 78
Aion Jewellery
French Art Deco Silver, Pearl & Marcasite Duette Clip
£ 95
Aion Jewellery
Art Nouveau Silver & Carnelian Brooch
£ 78
AC Silver
Antique Victorian 3.40ct Garnet 4.00ct Sodalite and Pearl 18k Yellow Gold Pendant/brooch Circa 1870
£ 2,950
Antique Victorian 3.40ct Garnet 4.00ct Sodalite and Pearl 18k Yellow Gold Pendant/brooch Circa 1870
£ 2,950
AC Silver
£ 3,390
Vintage Bespoke Exquisite 18k White Gold Brooch with Fire Opal & Old Cut Natural Diamonds
£ 3,390
Artsubject
Larkin & Gallow
Vintage Danish Silver Brooch by Michelsen
£ 120
Aion Jewellery
Victorian Silver & Banded Agate Stick Pin
£ 68
£ 4,950
Antique & Rare Vintage Brooches FAQs
When were brooches invented?
As a practical way to hold your clothes together brooches have been around since at least the Bronze Age and possibly earlier. Prominently on display, such items quickly became a way to impart social wealth and stature through the choice of materials and design. Often Bronze, Silver or Gold was used as the main material as well as precious and semi-precious stones. As fashions changed so too did the look and style of the brooches. Today we no longer need such items for very practical purposes, but still enjoy them for their aesthetic appeal.
How do I know if my brooch is vintage?
When examining the authenticity of vintage brooches, you’ll want to look at the small details for clues of manufacturing date. Closely examining the clasps and hinges of antique and vintage brooches will help identify what specific period in time they were most popular in. If they were by a quality maker or made of solid Silver or Gold then there may be hallmarks present as well. Different eras have different styles of jewellery and stone cuts.
Are vintage brooches worth anything?
Vintage brooches can be valuable if either they were made of precious metal and stones or if they were made by famous designers. Indeed even vintage costume jewellery by the big name Couturiers such as Dior or Yves Saint Laurent can be worth considerable sums now. Because makers do not have to hallmark smaller pieces of gold or silver jewellery below 8 grams it is common for there to be no marks so it is worth taking your brooch to a jeweller to get checked. While most vintage costume jewellery was cheaper when new and remains cheap today, much still has a value for people who just enjoy wearing these fun designs from the past.
