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.
Digby Antiques (Wiltshire)
Georgian Paste Jewellery
£ 95
Aion Jewellery
Petite Scottish Themed Silver & Enamel Thistle Brooch
£ 68
Aion Jewellery
Fully Hallmarked Silver Gilt Terrier Brooch
£ 125
Aion Jewellery
Edwardian Silver, Marcasite & Carnelian Bar Brooch
£ 85
Matthew Coles Antiques
Ruskin Pottery Brooch
£ 75
Robert Belcher Antiques
Moonstone & Silver Arts & Crafts Period Brooch c.1900
£ 475
Aion Jewellery
Edwardian Silver & Agate Crescent Moon Brooch
£ 95
Aion Jewellery
Art Deco Silver & Derbyshire Blue John Brooch
£ 110
Antiques in Oxford
Marius Hammer Silver & Enamel Brooch
£ 495
Antiques in Oxford
Antique Chinese Gold Spider Brooch Set with Baroque Pearl
£ 1,500
Aion Jewellery
Vintage Danish Silver & Rose Quartz Modernist Brooch
£ 110
£ 395
Fine Large Victorian Scottish Silver & Agate Dirk Brooch / Kilt Pin c.1870
£ 395
Fincraigs Antiques
Aion Jewellery
Art Nouveau Danish Silver & Garnet Cartouche Brooch
£ 75
£ 110
Andrew Cox Antiques
An Attractive Silver & Enamel Charles Horner Brooch
£ 100
The Chelsea Bijouterie
Victorian Natural Untreated Ruby & Diamond Brooch Pendant with Gem Report
£ 3,250
Victorian Natural Untreated Ruby & Diamond Brooch Pendant with Gem Report
£ 3,250
The Chelsea Bijouterie
Verdis Collection
Just Andersen Denmark Silver Brooch
£ 160
Aion Jewellery
Celtic Themed Art Deco Silver & Citrine 'Sword' Brooch
£ 95
Aion Jewellery
Copper & Enamel Arts & Crafts Brooch / Buckle
£ 78
Aion Jewellery
Petite Danish Silver Art Deco Brooch
£ 75
Aion Jewellery
Boxed Victorian Silver & Enamel Horse Portrait Stick Pin
£ 125
Matthew Coles Antiques
Antique Mourning Brooch & Matching Earrings
£ 95
£ 165
Antique 15ct Gold Pearl Lovers Knot Tie Lapel Cravat Stock Pin C1900 High Quality
£ 165
Nates Gems
£ 125
Matthew Coles Antiques
Antique Cameo Brooch with Wirework Frame
£ 75
£ 265
Underwoodhall
Silver Submarine Brooch
£ 149
Underwoodhall
Silver & Enamel RAF Wings Brooch
£ 49
Aion Jewellery
Victorian Art Nouveau 9ct Gold, Opal & Pearl Brooch
£ 325
Aion Jewellery
Edwardian Silver & Amethyst Paste Bar Brooch
£ 75
Matthew Coles Antiques
Antique Brooch Featuring 15ct Gold, Blue Enamel & Pearl
£ 425
Aion Jewellery
Art Deco Silver, Marcasite & Black Onyx Brooch
£ 78
Larkin & Gallow
Antique Silver & Gold Mounted Posy Brooch by John Wakefield
£ 120
£ 325
£ 195
Antique 9ct Rose Gold Wedgewood Cameo Brooch Pin C1930 High Quality Chester Jasperware
£ 195
Nates Gems
£ 195
Aion Jewellery
Danish Silver & Enamel Flower Brooch
£ 135
Aion Jewellery
Vintage Georg Jensen Boat Sail Modernist Silver Brooch
£ 265
Andrew Cox Antiques
Delightful Silver & Enamel Butterfly Brooch
£ 145
Highland Antiques Limited
Scottish antique gold and agate brooch, Edinburgh c.1880
£ 1,250
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.
