Antique Brooches

Many brooches convert well to pendants - a bail can be added to the back or top of the piece to allow it to hang on a chain. This is popular with customers who prefer not to use a brooch fitting. We are happy to discuss conversion possibilities for specific pieces. We generally recommend retaining the original brooch fitting where possible to preserve the piece's integrity, but a well-made conversion is reversible and has minimal impact on the piece.

Victorian mourning brooches were made to commemorate the dead, typically in jet (fossilised wood from Whitby, North Yorkshire), black glass (French jet), or gold and black enamel. Some incorporate hairwork or a portrait miniature of the deceased behind a glass crystal front. They are fascinating historical artefacts reflecting Victorian attitudes to death and grief. Many people find the craftsmanship and symbolism deeply compelling quite apart from their original purpose, and they are entirely appropriate to wear today.

We check every brooch fitting before listing. Original Victorian and Edwardian C-catch fittings - a simple curved wire that loops over a catch - are secure when maintained. Later safety-catch fittings with a locking mechanism offer more security. We note any worn or replaced fittings in the listing. For a particularly valuable brooch worn regularly, a modern lockable fitting can be added discreetly to the reverse without affecting the front appearance.

Diamond and seed pearl is one of the most common Victorian brooch combinations, appearing in cluster, bar, and floral spray designs. Turquoise was enormously popular throughout the mid-Victorian era in cluster and crescent forms. Garnets feature heavily in lower to mid-range Victorian pieces. Jet and black glass characterise mourning brooches. Later Victorian brooches incorporate rubies, sapphires, and emeralds alongside diamonds in more substantial pieces.

Brooches have experienced a strong revival in contemporary styling. They work beautifully pinned to a jacket lapel, the collar of a shirt or blouse, a knitted jumper, or a bag strap. A scatter of smaller Victorian gold and gemstone brooches on a coat is a classic approach. Art Deco bar brooches are striking worn horizontally at the neckline. Single large Edwardian diamond brooches work well as hair clips or worn on a velvet band as a choker.

Our brooch collection includes bar brooches, target (circle) brooches, floral and foliate spray brooches, crescent brooches, and more unusual forms including insect and animal subjects, portrait miniatures, and mourning pieces. Bar and circle brooches are consistently our most popular styles - both were produced in large quantities across the Victorian and Edwardian periods and remain practical, versatile wearers today.