Antique Brooches

The talk in the jewelry world these past few years is all about vintage and antique style. There's good reason for that, too; vintage jewelry designers had an eye for class and classic style. They made gorgeous pieces that remain heirloom quality and merit passing down through generations.

Antique brooches are no exception to that rule. In fact, many times it is the antique brooch that is the source of inspiration for new brooch designs. Antique brooch makers had it all figured out – and their pieces are still highly sought after today. Many styles of antique brooches are even replicated to capture that classy old-time charm that we just can't find anew.

Antique as it applies to anything simply means 'old'; what qualifies a piece as antique is somewhat subjective and debatable. It's safe to say that for a brooch or jewelry piece to be considered antique it has to be at least twenty years old, older by some standards.

Antique jewelry often follows periods of style. For example, an antique art deco brooch is one that would have been made from the mid-1920's to the 1930's. The art deco style started in Paris. It followed the Art Nouveau period of the late 1800's and early 1900's, and later grew into the Art Moderne movement. An art deco brooch would be characterized by clean geometric lines and angles, with few curves.

Many companies emerged through their crafting of antique costume brooches. Many of these names are still sought today in antique jewelry markets. The best of them crafted all types of brooches in varying motifs, depending on the demand of the day. A few styles that held favor and are loved again now are

• antique diamond pearl brooch
• vintage antique mosaic brooch
• antique turquoise brooch
• vintage bluebird brooch

Often in the jewelry world the terms 'vintage' and 'antique' are used interchangeably; so if a seller lists a bluebird brooch as a an antique or vintage bluebird brooch, it pretty much means the same thing – an old piece.

There is exception to the rule, however, now that antique brooches have taken off. Jewelry dealers will often list a piece of jewelry as antique (or vintage) when it is not really old, it is just designed based on antique pieces. If a listing doesn't clarify, feel free to ask if that antique or vintage bluebird brooch is really an antique, or if it was just made to look like one. Either way, the look is sure to please, but if you want a true antique, you have to ask.

Antique jewelry styles, including antique brooch styles, continue to thrive in the jewelry marketplace. These timeless classics just can't go away; with so much to offer jewelry wearers today, why should they?