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.
Woodbridge Antiques
Victorian Silver Enamel Brooch by Anton Michelsen
£ 195
£ 2,650
Digby Antiques (Wiltshire)
18ct Gold & Enamel Burgee Stick Pin
£ 225
£ 2,250
Antique 0.85ct Sapphire & Seed Pearl 15ct Yellow Gold Pendant / Brooch c.1900
£ 2,250
AC Silver
£ 1,695
Larkin & Gallow
Antique, Gold, Heart Shaped Stick Lapel Pin Brooch
£ 80
Rarebits
Vintage Catherine Popesco Brooch
£ 53
£ 1,150
Woodbridge Antiques
Antique Moonstone Set Star Brooch Pendant Tests 14ct Gold
£ 795
Woodbridge Antiques
Vintage Norwegian Silver & Green Enamel Filigree Brooch
£ 125
£ 5,450
Woodbridge Antiques
Victorian 9ct Rose Gold Horseshoe Stick Pin Chester 1891
£ 125
Larkin & Gallow
Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Silver Sword Brooch Kilt Pin
£ 140
Woodbridge Antiques
Art Nouveau Peridot & Pearl Bowl Detail Brooch Tests 18ct
£ 225
Doubloon
Gold Pearl Fern Brooch
£ 165
Woodbridge Antiques
Vintage Silver Georg Jensen Mobius Brooch by Viviana Torun
£ 325
Doubloon
Diamond Brooch c.1925
£ 1,875
Digby Antiques (Wiltshire)
Marius Hammer Silver Enamel Brooch
£ 85
Henley Street Antiques
Art Deco Gold Coloured Dragonfly Brooch - Neiger Brothers
£ 175
The Chelsea Bijouterie
Vintage Cropp & Farr Mistletoe Pearl Brooch 9ct Gold London 1972 Floral Fresh Water Pearl Brooch
£ 250
Vintage Cropp & Farr Mistletoe Pearl Brooch 9ct Gold London 1972 Floral Fresh Water Pearl Brooch
£ 250
The Chelsea Bijouterie
Booth Antiques
Gorgeous Art Nouveau Silver & Enamel Scarab Brooch
£ 95
£ 4,500
Antique Victorian Large 18ct Gold Cameo Brooch Pendant Locket c.1860
£ 4,500
Artisan Antiques
Woodbridge Antiques
Swedish Antique Silver & Guilloche Enamel Circular Brooch
£ 110
Woodbridge Antiques
Edwardian Opal Set Bar Brooch Stamped 9ct
£ 135
Doubloon
Edwardian Gold & Ruby Brooch
£ 135
Doubloon
Edwardian Opal & Garnet Brooch
£ 195
Those Were The Days
Costume Jewellery Brooches (Job Lot of 10)
£ 75
Booth Antiques
Fine Edwardian Gold & Seed Pearl Horseshoe Stickpin
£ 110
£ 1,755
Woodbridge Antiques
Beautiful Art Nouveau Moonstone Set Brooch Marked 925 Silver
£ 95
The Chelsea Bijouterie
Georg Jensen Fawn Brooch Arno Malinowski Vintage Silver 1933-44 Deer Flowers 256
£ 390
Georg Jensen Fawn Brooch Arno Malinowski Vintage Silver 1933-44 Deer Flowers 256
£ 390
The Chelsea Bijouterie
Digby Antiques (Wiltshire)
Silver Enamel Butterfly Brooch
£ 135
£ 1,535
Digby Antiques (Wiltshire)
Silver Enamel Butterfly Brooch
£ 195
£ 875
Antique 15ct Yellow Gold & Enamel, Worcestershire Regiment Bar Brooch c.1915
£ 875
AC Silver
£ 4,450
WhatSheWants
Vintage Hroar Prydz Norway Sterling Silver & Guilloche Enamel Butterfly Brooch / Pin c.1940
£ 115
Vintage Hroar Prydz Norway Sterling Silver & Guilloche Enamel Butterfly Brooch / Pin c.1940
£ 115
WhatSheWants
Rarebits
Vintage Gold Cameo Brooch
£ 68
£ 1,535
Antique Victorian Diamond & Enamel, Platinum & 18ct White Gold Hunting Bar Brooch
£ 1,535
AC Silver
WhatSheWants
Vintage 1950s Ivar T Holth Norway Sterling Silver Guilloche Enamel Butterfly Brooch / Pin
£ 110
Vintage 1950s Ivar T Holth Norway Sterling Silver Guilloche Enamel Butterfly Brooch / Pin
£ 110
WhatSheWants
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.