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.
Robert Belcher Antiques
A Victorian Scottish Silver and Agate Specimen Brooch Circa 1890
£ 195
A Victorian Scottish Silver and Agate Specimen Brooch Circa 1890
£ 195
Robert Belcher Antiques
Robert Belcher Antiques
A 1930s Silver and Black Enamel Fairy Brooch
£ 275
Andrew Cox Antiques
Charming Edwardian Silver & Turquoise Bug Brooch
£ 135
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
Norwegian 19th Century 925 Silver Gilt Enamel Viking Ship Brooch Gustav Gaudernack
£ 5,000
Norwegian 19th Century 925 Silver Gilt Enamel Viking Ship Brooch Gustav Gaudernack
£ 5,000
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
Historic David Anderson Silver & Enamel Royal Presentation Bar Crown Brooch
£ 2,500
Historic David Anderson Silver & Enamel Royal Presentation Bar Crown Brooch
£ 2,500
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
£ 2,550
Antique 1.10ct Pink Tourmaline & Seed Pearl, 15ct Yellow Gold Pendant / Brooch c.1890
£ 2,550
AC Silver
Farm and Fancy
Victorian Kilt Pin/brooch
£ 295
Jo Brayshaw
9ct & Opal Stock Pin. C1900.
£ 135
Aion Jewellery
Shetland Silver Seagull Brooch
£ 68
Aion Jewellery
Edwardian Gold & Seed Pearl Horseshoe Stickpin
£ 110
Jeff Sims Antiques
Vintage Scottish Silver Celtic Themed Brooch
£ 55
Doubloon
Diamond & Pearl Brooch
£ 425
Doubloon
Garnet & Pearl Garland Brooch
£ 165
Aion Jewellery
Victorian Scottish Silver & Agate Target Brooch
£ 85
Aion Jewellery
Petite Danish Silver & Enamel Butterfly Heart Brooch
£ 65
Aion Jewellery
Danish Silver & Marcasite Golfing Pendant Brooch
£ 58
Aion Jewellery
Charles Horner Edwardian Silver & Citrine Thistle Brooch
£ 68
Aion Jewellery
Victorian Silver & Agate Heart Brooch
£ 75
Aion Jewellery
Edwardian Silver & Amethyst Sweetheart Brooch
£ 68
£ 3,950
Antique Mother of Pearl, 0.65ct Diamond & Peridot, 12ct Yellow Gold Turtle Brooch c.1880
£ 3,950
AC Silver
Aion Jewellery
Danish Carl M Cohr Silver Acorn Brooch
£ 85
Aion Jewellery
Unusual German Silver Jockey Whip Brooch
£ 75
Aion Jewellery
Edwardian Silver & Paste Swallow Brooch
£ 125
Aion Jewellery
Charles Horner Enamel & Silver Art Nouveau Brooch
£ 145
Aion Jewellery
Large Silver & Enamel Butterfly Brooch
£ 125
Aion Jewellery
Edwardian Silver Gilt Dragonfly Bar Brooch
£ 110
Digby Antiques (Wiltshire)
Scandinavian Silver & Enamel Brooch
£ 145
Artisan Antiques
Antique French 18ct Gold Cameo Brooch Agate Victorian c.1880
£ 1,650
Andrew Cox Antiques
Stylish Charles Horner Silver & Amethyst Brooch
£ 110
Andrew Cox Antiques
Gorgeous Charles Horner Silver Thistle Brooch
£ 110
£ 2,950
Art Deco 9.10ct Aquamarine & 0.24ct Diamond, 15ct Yellow Gold Brooch c.1925
£ 2,950
AC Silver
Larkin & Gallow
Danish Anton Michelsen Silver Brooch by Gertrud Engel
£ 125
Larkin & Gallow
Silver David Andersen 'Twin Leaf' Enamel Brooch
£ 125
Aion Jewellery
Victorian 9ct Gold & Seed Pearl Swallow Brooch
£ 145
Aion Jewellery
Large Hallmarked Silver & Marcasite Orchid Brooch
£ 85
Aion Jewellery
Victorian Silver, Chalcedony and Coral Brooch
£ 95
Aion Jewellery
9ct Gold & Chrysoprase Charles Horner Stick Pin
£ 155
£ 1,595
£ 1,995
Aion Classique
Faux Tortoiseshell & Rhinestone Hair Barette
£ 35
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.