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.
The Chelsea Bijouterie
Victorian Shell Cameo 3" Large Brooch Nike Goddess of Victory 9ct Gold Scroll Shell Brooch
£ 560
Victorian Shell Cameo 3" Large Brooch Nike Goddess of Victory 9ct Gold Scroll Shell Brooch
£ 560
The Chelsea Bijouterie
Rarebits
Edwardian Silver Amethyst Brooch
£ 42
£ 450
The Chelsea Bijouterie
Georg Jensen Fawn Brooch Arno Malinowski Vintage Silver 1933-44 Deer Kneeling in Flowers 256
£ 430
Georg Jensen Fawn Brooch Arno Malinowski Vintage Silver 1933-44 Deer Kneeling in Flowers 256
£ 430
The Chelsea Bijouterie
The Chelsea Bijouterie
Georg Jensen Robin Heart Brooch Arno Malinowski Vintage 1930s/1940s Sterling Silver Bird 239
£ 490
Georg Jensen Robin Heart Brooch Arno Malinowski Vintage 1930s/1940s Sterling Silver Bird 239
£ 490
The Chelsea Bijouterie
£ 165
Doubloon
Gold, Amethyst & Pearl Brooch
£ 165
Sunnyside Antiques
Memento Mori Slide
£ 4,450
£ 165
Doubloon
Victorian Silver Bicycle Brooch
£ 100
Doubloon
Gold & Pearl Moose Stickpin
£ 175
Antiques in Oxford
Georg Jensen Silver Knotbrooch by Vivianna Torun
£ 560
Doubloon
Edwardian Gold & Pearl Brooch
£ 265
Doubloon
Edwardian Gold & Pearl Brooch
£ 275
SW15Collectables
Antique Gold and Diamond Portrait Pendant
£ 980
£ 100
The Chelsea Bijouterie
Vintage Christian Dior Crystal & Black Enamel Gold Tone Swirl Bar Brooch 1980s
£ 190
Vintage Christian Dior Crystal & Black Enamel Gold Tone Swirl Bar Brooch 1980s
£ 190
The Chelsea Bijouterie
£ 245
£ 110
£ 1,495
£ 265
Antiques in Oxford
Art Nouveau Gold Brooch in Form of Insect
£ 345
Antiques in Oxford
Late Georgian or Very Early Victorian Gold Pearl and Emerald Brooch
£ 375
£ 3,950
£ 3,950
Antique 3.10ct Moonstone, Ruby, Emerald, Diamond & Pearl, 12ct Yellow Gold Insect Brooch
£ 3,950
AC Silver
£ 1,595
£ 4,950
Booth Antiques
Edwardian Silver Enamelled Dress Buttons & Brooch
£ 95
Those Were The Days
Costume Jewellery Brooches (Job Lot of 10)
£ 75
Doubloon
Gold and Pearl Brooch
£ 485
£ 295
Doubloon
Gold Pearl And Turquoise Brooch
£ 295
£ 350
£ 3,950
Antiques in Oxford
Very Rare Georg Jensen Brooch with Amber and Chrysoprase
£ 3,900
Antiques in Oxford
Edwardian 15ct Gold Necklace and Brooch with Pearls
£ 1,250
£ 6,950
Antique Art Deco 1.02ct Emerald and 11.88ct Diamond Platinum Brooch Circa 1925
£ 6,950
AC Silver
AC Silver
Antique 1.55ct Sapphire & 2.20ct Diamond, 10ct Yellow Gold Sweetheart Brooch / Pendant c.1910
£ 8,950
Antique 1.55ct Sapphire & 2.20ct Diamond, 10ct Yellow Gold Sweetheart Brooch / Pendant c.1910
£ 8,950
AC Silver
£ 4,950
£ 58
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.
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.
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.