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.
Aion Jewellery
German Laurin-mark Art Deco Silver & Citrine Brooch
£ 135
Aion Jewellery
Edwardian 9ct Gold & Ruby Stick Pin
£ 135
Aion Jewellery
Art Nouveau 9ct Gold Garnet & Seed Pearl Bar Brooch
£ 145
Andrew Cox Antiques
A Gorgeous Victorian 9ct Gold Brooch
£ 165
Highland Antiques Limited
Victorian Scottish Antique Silver “Mary” Brooch - Inverness c.1875
£ 245
Victorian Scottish Antique Silver “Mary” Brooch - Inverness c.1875
£ 245
Highland Antiques Limited
Highland Antiques Limited
Victorian Scottish Antique Silver “Mary” Brooch - Inverness c.1866
£ 245
Victorian Scottish Antique Silver “Mary” Brooch - Inverness c.1866
£ 245
Highland Antiques Limited
£ 2,500
Antique French Cameo Brooch Agate Hardstone 18ct Gold Victorian - c.1880
£ 2,500
Artisan Antiques
£ 3,500
Antique Victorian Garnet & Diamond Star Cabochon Brooch / Pendant 14K Gold c.1870
£ 3,500
Artisan Antiques
£ 2,950
Antique Victorian Garnet Cabochon & Diamond Brooch / Pendant 14K Gold c.1880
£ 2,950
Artisan Antiques
£ 750
Antique Victorian Sapphire & Diamond Brooch with Foliate Motif 9K Gold c.1880
£ 750
Artisan Antiques
Aion Jewellery
Rare Gundorph Albertus (for Georg Jensen) Silver Brooch
£ 175
Aion Jewellery
Hermann Siersbol Modernist Danish Silver Floral Brooch
£ 75
Aion Jewellery
Edwardian Boxed Set of Enamelled Dress Buttons & Brooch
£ 135
Aion Jewellery
Late Victorian Silver & Amethyst Cabochon Brooch
£ 110
£ 2,650
Very Rare & Poignant HMS Hood Sweetheart Brooch in 18ct Gold & Enamel c.1930
£ 2,650
Wick Antiques Ltd
Larkin & Gallow
Antique Silver 'Butterfly Catcher' Brooch 1899
£ 95
Aion Jewellery
Georgian 14ct Gold & Pearl Memento Mori Brooch
£ 295
Aion Jewellery
Austro / Hungarian Silver, Pearl & Amethyst Brooch
£ 155
£ 1,050
Matthew Coles Antiques
Silver Wirework & Gemstone Pendant / Brooch
£ 25
Andrew Cox Antiques
A Gorgeous Silver Gilt & Enamel Butterfly Brooch
£ 145
Matthew Coles Antiques
English Setter Dog Brooch Kenart
£ 79
Matthew Coles Antiques
English Pointer Dog Brooch
£ 79
Andrew Cox Antiques
Delightful Silver Gilt Turquoise & Pearl Brooch
£ 125
The Chelsea Bijouterie
Large Victorian Shell Cameo Brooch – Vermeil Scroll Mount, Nike Goddess of Victory
£ 390
Large Victorian Shell Cameo Brooch – Vermeil Scroll Mount, Nike Goddess of Victory
£ 390
The Chelsea Bijouterie
£ 95
Aion Jewellery
Vintage Silver Celtic Themed Scottish Brooch
£ 58
Aion Jewellery
Petite Bernard Instone Silver & Enamel Brooch
£ 95
Aion Jewellery
Charles Horner Silver Double Thistle Brooch
£ 115
Aion Jewellery
Austrian Silver Hunting Scene Brooch
£ 125
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
Victorian Italian Grand Tour Micromosaic Gold Brooch Colosseum Rome c.1870
£ 5,000
Victorian Italian Grand Tour Micromosaic Gold Brooch Colosseum Rome c.1870
£ 5,000
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
Underwoodhall
Japanese Shakudo Butterfly Brooch
£ 29
Highland Antiques Limited
Scottish Victorian Antique Silver, Agate & Citrine Brooch c.1860
£ 695
Scottish Victorian Antique Silver, Agate & Citrine Brooch c.1860
£ 695
Highland Antiques Limited
Highland Antiques Limited
Scottish Large Antique Silver Agate Pebble Brooch c.1860
£ 695
£ 95
Andrew Cox Antiques
Lovely Silver Gilt & Enamel Loving Bird Brooch
£ 110
Aion Jewellery
Victorian Silver & Enamel Pansy Sweetheart Brooch
£ 135
Verdis Collection
Vintage Silver & Enamel Christmas Tree Brooch
£ 48
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
Georgian Carnelian Agate Brooch in 9ct Gold c.1830
£ 2,800
£ 215
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.
