Not only have they captured the sights of the newest high-end jewellery collections, but they are once again in the spotlight for collectors, who are on browsing for vintage brooches of all styles and designs.
Brooches are playful, phenomenal, pliable accessories worn in numerous cultures. You may know that brooches were famous for a long time and stretch as far back as the Bronze Age. Read on to discover the history of brooches and learn what’s keeping them popular today!
SOME OF THE EARLY LIFE OF BROOCHES
It is amazing to understand that brooches didn’t start out as just ornaments but that it found life as the practical pin to secure pieces of fabric, like under garments. The first documented brooches were created of thorns and a bit of flint, while the pins found were made up of metal dating back to the Bronze Age. However, brooches became more attractive by the Byzantine period, although they were still prominently worn as the closing pin for shawls and wraps, which subsequently progressed into more decorative patterns worn to adorn the clothing of that era.
GRAND TOUR BROOCHES
To display cultural elegance towards the end of the 19th century, the Grand Tour was the standard European holiday for the upper classes. While roving through Florence, Venice, and Rome, travellers procured these tiny jewellery keepsakes of their journey, displaying vintage Roman imagery and vignettes of animals, flowers, and birds.
Grand Tour brooches were chiefly portrayed in two styles: glass tesserae, and pietra dura. In Italian, Pietra dura signifies hard stone, and the process of inlay involves accurate cutting and fixing of semi-precious gemstones such as malachite, aventurine, lapis lazuli, or turquoise to craft sights and themes on a dark background. The micro tangling technique was developed to make landscapes, birds and floral bouquets in miniature form, created from mosaic glass tessera or bars fixed carefully together.
CAMEO BROOCHES
A cameo is a material that is carved with a raised relief. Cameos are commonly made out of coral, shell, hard stone, lava, or glass. They were also a popular memento of the tour. The most appealing cameo brooches from the time portray stories of mythological scenes, legends, or gods and goddesses.
LOVE BROOCHES
Also referred to as ‘Sweetheart Brooches,’ love brooches were often the departing gift given by soldiers to their loved ones, as they marched off to World War I. Around the late-Victorian artistic era, love brooches were designed from silver sheets and were considered a token of affection, with themes and messages from this sentimental era reflecting motifs from the Roman and Grecian periods. As these trinkets were lightweight and were drafted in silver with impressive coatings of yellow and rose gold, these little souvenirs became a treasonable piece to gift or own, for all social classes.
CURRENT BROOCHE STYLES
Whatever style you prefer, brooches are still seen in the current fashion landscape. They are often oversized, complemented with the bright radiance of gemstones, and inspired by natural flowers, insects, and animals.
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BOW BROOCH
Bow brooches are simple yet elegant. Designed with a ribbon knot pattern, these brooches are a superb choice for formal dress decoration. Made either with diamonds or a collage of gemstones and ribbon, the charm of these brooches lies in their minimalistic design and bold appearance.
BIG GEMSTONE BROOCH
Big gemstone brooches have captured the runway in 2020 and with their glamour and bold appearance they’re here to stay. Designed with big sized gemstone either in classic shapes like round, pear or oval, they’re also created with asymmetrically shaped gemstones for flair and individuality.
BIRD BROOCH
Another style that’s capturing the fashion world today is the cute, classic and feminine bird brooches conveying the message of a free spirit. Portraying the sweetness of our feathered friends, these pieces are decorated with sparkling and colourful gemstones.
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TASSEL BROOCH
Tassels create excellent fun when integrated in the brooch design. They are great to style hair and gives flair to a wrap of shawl. Starting with solid centre piece such as a wheel or cone shape they drop down and create movement that gives this piece an impressive beauty.
HEART AND ARROW BROOCH
Hearts are the age-old tradition of portraying love and make an excellent companion as an in-vogue brooch. They have been in fashion for ages and still feature on the style stage. The pieces are designed either purely in metal or with clusters of sparkling gemstones.
FEATHER BROOCH
Even brooches aren’t untouched by the hypnotic feather shape. Usually, these pieces are designed with flowing lines, interesting metals and studded with sparkling and colourful gemstones. They are a perfect choice for evening parties.
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