Archive for vintage brooch
The penannular brooch
Posted by: | CommentsThe word Penannular means almost annular or almost a full circle. Penannular brooches are round but have a gap so that they are not quite a full circle. Brooches are the most commonly seen form of penannular jewellery but you can also find penannular rings and earrings. Interestingly penannular jewellery has been used since very ancient times examples were found in Tutankhamun’s tomb . The penannular brooch is thought to originate from the Celtic iron age and continued to be popular though to the middle ages.
Penannular brooch
Penannular brooches were originally used to fasten cloaks but in the modern era they could equally be used to fasten a cardigan or just worn as a decorative brooch.
How the Penannular brooch works.
The penannular brooch has a long pin attached with one end free. You push both sides of the cloak or cardigan through the long pin and then rotated the circle so that the pin lies across the brooch at right angles to the opening. The resulting pressure holds the fabric in place. I show this here :
closed brooch
Penannular brooches are normally found with Celtic decoration, animal heads and celtic knots. Most of these vintage brooches are made of silver and most of the ones we see today are of Scottish origin and date from sometime during the last 100 years.
AntiquesAvenue usually has a few of these intresting brooches available in the silver brooches section
Gold hand with jewellery vintage brooch
Posted by: | CommentsIs this the most wonderful old vintage brooch you have ever seen. This gold hand has a laces cuff, a real charm bracelet style bracelet ( complete with diamond ring) and it holding an inscribed calling card. Hand jewellery is quite collectable. This brooch has full nine carat gold hallmarks and can be dated to the Edwardian era. This a genuine one off antique vintage brooches are available at http://www.antiquesavene.co.uk/
Tussie Mussie Vitnage Brooch to hold flowers
Posted by: | CommentsHave you ever seen a Tussie-Mussie? These are very special form of vintage brooch made to hold a small posy or sprig of flowers. Originally Tussie-Mussie was the name given to the posy of flowers its self but during the Victorian era brooches were developed which pinned the flowers to the clothing and protected the clothing from staining at the same time. The Tussie-Mussie brooch also hides the flower stems.
Vintage Tussie-Mussie brooches are very collectable now. AntiquesAvenue has one available at the moment :
Here is a Vintage Tussie Mussie Brooch, a brooch meant to hold a posy of real flowers. This Tussie Mussie is in the shape of a flower basket with the basket top being open for you to pin your own fresh flower posy into.
Vintage Tussie Mussies are now quite rare and collectable. This brooch is made of silver toned filigree metal, the silver tone is a little faded and I have priced this accordingly. This Tussie Mussie brooch probably dates from the 1930s – there is a trombone type clasp on the back
Here’s another tussie mussie brooch is probably from the 1950s and with the stag and acorn decoration were most likely meant to hold something like a sprig of heather onto a tweed jacket.
AntiquesAvenue likes to stock vintage Tussie Musie brooches but I find it difficult to get stocks of these . please use this search to see if I currently have any in stock Tussie Mussies
Vintage brooches fresh selection
Posted by: | CommentsBusy adding loads of Vintage Brooches to my Vintage Jewellery shop at the moment. As regular readers know antique and vintage brooches are one of my favourite forms of vintage jewellery, their shapes, forms, colours and materials are probably more varied than any other piece of jewellery.
Pinchbeck brooch
The brooches I have at the moment are mainly from the 1950s and before and include dragons, peacocks , Czechoslovakian pieces and of course lots of flowers. Adding this week and next is vintage costume jewellery brooches . There are glass and poured glass brooches, filigree with colourful glass stones and some bright enamels too. Here are a few group photos to feast your eyes on:
Here is where to find vintage brooches on antiquesavenue:
Antique and Vintage Brooches
Posted by: | CommentsThere’s a lot of fresh antique and vintage brooches on antiquesavenue this week. From Victorian through to the 1950s, there has to be a brooch for every taste. Here is a quick tour of these brooches
Victorian Amethyst Brooch
Victorian Amethyst Brooch
Here’s a genuine Victorian brooch set with a real amethyst and with a glass covered locket panel at the back containing a lock of hair. This brooch is made of gold toned metal and it also has a hinged loop so that it can be worn on a chain as a pendant.
This Victorian brooch measures about 5.5 cms long. At some stage during its life this brooch has been repaired and there are signs of this. Now the brooch is solid and wearable but offered at a bargain price due to the repairs
A very unusual Victorian cameo brooch. This cameo is carved from agate and I believe the gentleman in the picture is Napoleon. Agate cameos are much rarer than shell cameos partially because it is much harder to carve. Finding a cameo brooch where you can name the subject is also quite rare making this a very good piece of antique jewellery.
Art Nouveau Cameo Brooch
Art Nouveau Cameo Brooch
Here is a super and really rare cameo carved from Queen Conch giving a beautiful pale pink and white colour. The cameo depicts an art nouveau lady and an owl with its wings open . This is the first time I have seen this cameo. The cameo is set into a gold toned frame, in total the brooch measures about 5.2 cms long and about 4.4 cms wide.
Over the years this brooch has suffered a little with the frame being a bit wobbly ( there is one of 4 pins missing at the back) and the catch has been repaired at some point. The cameo its self has faired much better, the line you can see in the revers is from the original shell and does not go through to the design. There are two short tiny stress lines but the cameo really is sound in itself.
1950s moon glow Lucite Brooches
Moon glow Lucite brooches
A stunning pair of vintage brooches made of pink moon glow Lucite and dating from the 1950s. The brooches have moon glow Lucite beads and also matching pink aurora borealis beads. Each brooch has multiple tassels hanging down. These brooches measure up to 7 cms long and will make a real statement when worn especially if you wear both together.
Victorian silver Brooches
Posted by: | CommentsVictorian Silver Brooches.
Over a year ago I wrote a little about how special Victorian brooches are as they are wearable as well as being antique. Today I am going to take a look at a few Victorian silver brooches. Silver brooches were very popular during the Victorian ear, silver was cheap compared with gold and much more workable that other metals available at the time. The range of silver brooches the Victorians made was huge , the included name brooches, Mizpah brooches, mourning brooches, Scottish brooches, Sentimental or Sweetheart brooches. A few more are religious silver brooches, good luck and friendship brooches and commemorative for large events such as Royal Jubilees.
Victorian silver brooches can be purchased from around £25 to about £140 . It is unusual for silver brooches of the Victorian era to be by named designers and also rare for them to be set with precious jewels and so although some exceptional brooches can be found they are rarely priced over this level unless set with a particularly well carved cameo (for example).
Here are a few collectable Victorian silver brooches for you to look at:
Antique Brooch hand painted porcelain bird of paradise
A genuine antique brooch set with a porcelain plaque which has been hand painted with a bird of paradise. This brooch is set into a silver frame ( tested not hallmarked) and has an attached safety chain. I have checked the painting under a magnifying glass and can confirm that the picture is hand painted .
Antique brooch Victorian name Fanny
This antique brooch dates from the Victorian era when name brooches like this were popular. Made of silver “Fanny” is entwined with leaves/ This is an unusually large antique name brooch being 6.4 cms long. As with most brooches of the Victorian era, this fastens with a simple C catch
Where do you find Victorian silver brooches?
As with any sort of vintage or antique jewellery , I suggest you have a look over at www.antiquesavenue.co.uk for your Victorian Brooch. eBay is another source of antique brooches but please do make sure that you check what you are buying and the seller to ensure that you have the genuine item and are not being sold a much newer copy. If you have the time you can take a wander around your local antique fair or antique center too.
How to care for victorian silver brooches
Silver is quite robust, after all your Victorian brooch is over a 100 years old and it will still be around in a hundred years time if you take good care of it. Check the condition of the hinge and catch before wearing the brooch. The catches were a simple C shape which comes undone much more easily than today’s safety catches. Possible a safety chain has been added to the brooch, if not you could consider adding one if it is done with care.
I suggest that you keep your silver reasonably clean without over polishing it. A light and careful clean after wearing will help to keep the salts from your fingers fro attacking the silver. Use a soft dry cloth to polish the silver rather than harsh chemicals. Perhaps a occasional wash under the tap if you have spilt perfume or make up onto the brooch but never use a washing up liquid with lemon in it as citrus attacks silver.
Dont just throw your Victorian silver brooches into a jewellery box with all your other pieces of jewellery as they can easily damage each other . You could wrap each brooch individually in a piece of Acid free tissue paper or pin them to cushions to display them.
Still time to buy Vintage Brooches for Christmas
Posted by: | CommentsHave you bought all your Christmas gifts yet? There is still time to buy vintage brooches and have them delivered ready for the big day . The last posting day for airmail to the USA to ensure Christmas arrival is Fridays this week ( 11 December) . Orders travelling within the UK can be ordered up until December 22nd and will be dispatched up to December 23rd by Special Delivery during tha last few days.
Here are a few lovely brooches you could buy for a lucky lady in your life:
Antique brooch banded agate Victorian Jewellery
Antique Brooch dating from the mid to later 1800s when Queen Victorian popularised all things Scottish. This antique brooch is made of gold toned metal and set with a central banded agate panel in a decorative surround. This antique brooch measures about 5.4 cms wide
Antique brooch Diamond pearl turquoise snowflake brooch pendant
A superb antique brooch in the shape of a snowflake. This brooch is made of 18 carat gold ( tested not hallmarked) and set centrally with a real diamond. Pearls radiate along the arms of the snowflake and there is a turquoise on alternate points. This brooch has a hook on the back so that it could be worn on a chain as a pendant.
Material:Gold , Diamond, Pearl, Turquoise Size:Just over 3 cms diameter Age: Victorian Condition: Excellent
antique brooch rock crystal in silver mount
This antique brooch really sparkles. It is made from a faceted rock crystal gemstone set into a silver mount. The stone has been cut to show off its beauty and clarity.
Measuring about 4 cms wide this antique Victorian brooch is in excellent condition.
Antique brooch silver and paste
A superb antique brooch made from silver and set with clear paste stones and a central faux citrine. Paste stones are an early type of imitation gemstone – these are set into the silver with their backs covered and sparkle wonderfully under artificial light. This antique brooch dates from the Victorian era and measures about 3.5 cms long.
The hinge and general construction of the brooch indicate the Victorian date however the original catch has been replaced with a modern one which makes the brooch much safer to wear
Still time to buy Vintage Brooches for Christmas
Posted by: | CommentsHave you bought all your Christmas gifts yet? There is still time to buy vintage brooches and have them delivered ready for the big day . The last posting day for airmail to the USA to ensure Christmas arrival is Fridays this week ( 11 December) . Orders travelling within the UK can be ordered up until December 22nd and will be dispatched up to December 23rd by Special Delivery during tha last few days.
Here are a few lovely brooches you could buy for a lucky lady in your life:
Antique brooch banded agate Victorian Jewellery
Antique Brooch dating from the mid to later 1800s when Queen Victorian popularised all things Scottish. This antique brooch is made of gold toned metal and set with a central banded agate panel in a decorative surround. This antique brooch measures about 5.4 cms wide
Antique brooch Diamond pearl turquoise snowflake brooch pendant
A superb antique brooch in the shape of a snowflake. This brooch is made of 18 carat gold ( tested not hallmarked) and set centrally with a real diamond. Pearls radiate along the arms of the snowflake and there is a turquoise on alternate points. This brooch has a hook on the back so that it could be worn on a chain as a pendant.
Material:Gold , Diamond, Pearl, Turquoise Size:Just over 3 cms diameter Age: Victorian Condition: Excellent
antique brooch rock crystal in silver mount
This antique brooch really sparkles. It is made from a faceted rock crystal gemstone set into a silver mount. The stone has been cut to show off its beauty and clarity.
Measuring about 4 cms wide this antique Victorian brooch is in excellent condition.
Antique brooch silver and paste
A superb antique brooch made from silver and set with clear paste stones and a central faux citrine. Paste stones are an early type of imitation gemstone – these are set into the silver with their backs covered and sparkle wonderfully under artificial light. This antique brooch dates from the Victorian era and measures about 3.5 cms long.
The hinge and general construction of the brooch indicate the Victorian date however the original catch has been replaced with a modern one which makes the brooch much safer to wear
