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.
£ 2,950
Antique 3.91ct Garnet and 0.95ct Diamond 10k Yellow Gold Brooch Circa 1870
£ 2,950
AC Silver
Aion Jewellery
Silver Gilt Filigree Brooch by Marius Hammer
£ 110
Aion Jewellery
Victorian 9ct Gold Pool of Light Rock Crystal Brooch
£ 315
£ 345
£ 175
£ 3,450
£ 9,950
Antique 1.95ct Sapphire 6.05ct Diamond and Silver Pendant/brooch Circa 1885
£ 9,950
AC Silver
£ 825
Aion Jewellery
Art Deco Austrian Silver, Enamel & Peridot Bar Brooch
£ 78
Aion Jewellery
Austrian Silver Gilt & Turquoise Antique Choker Buckle
£ 125
Aion Jewellery
Rose Quartz, Marcasite & Silver Brooch
£ 78
Aion Jewellery
Edwardian Hallmarked 9ct Gold and Turquoise Bar Brooch
£ 135
Aion Jewellery
Danish Silver Gilt Bear Tie Pin / Bar Brooch
£ 55
£ 275
£ 145
£ 365
£ 6,950
£ 245
AC Silver
4.45ct Thai Ruby 1.90ct Zambian Emerald & 3.85ct Diamond Platinum & White Gold Spray Brooch c.1935
£ 7,950
4.45ct Thai Ruby 1.90ct Zambian Emerald & 3.85ct Diamond Platinum & White Gold Spray Brooch c.1935
£ 7,950
AC Silver
Underwoodhall
Victorian White Metal Brooch
£ 125
£ 135
Aion Jewellery
Unusual Edwardian Silver Elephant Stick Pin
£ 95
Aion Jewellery
Celtic Design Scottish Silver & Chrysoprase Brooch
£ 48
Aion Jewellery
Swedish Silver & Marcasite Foliar Brooch
£ 48
The Red House Antiques
Antique Platinum & Diamond Pheasant Brooch
£ 980
£ 4,950
£ 4,950
£ 70
£ 65
Antiques in Oxford
Antique Arthur Johnson Smith Silver Butterfly Brooch - Chester
£ 295
£ 165
Digby Antiques (Wiltshire)
Mexican Silver & Amethyst Brooch - by Beto
£ 185
Andrew Cox Antiques
Stylish Norwegian Silver & Enamel Brooch
£ 110
Aion Jewellery
Stuart Nye Dogwood Sterling Silver Brooch
£ 78
Aion Jewellery
Victorian Filigree Silver Butterfly Brooch
£ 65
£ 965
Antique 18ct Gold Turquoise Diamond Etruscan Brooch Pin - High Quality c.1860
£ 965
Nates Gems
Penrose Antiques Ltd
Modernist Tigers Eye Silver Gilt Metamorphic Pendant Brooch
£ 125
£ 225
Antique 8ct Gold Celtic Knot Tie Lapel Cravat Stock Pin German High Quality Large c.1920
£ 225
Nates Gems
£ 175
£ 5,950
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.
