Antique Brooches
What are Antique Brooches?
Brooches are ornamental jewelry worn by women and are attached to women’s clothing. The name actually comes from “broche”, a French word that basically means to pierce or an object that is meant to pierce. On the other hand, antique brooches do not only serve as fashionable touches to how you look. They are usually part of a treasured collection or heirloom passed on from one generation to the next.
Brooches have the effect of adding extra details and accents to the usual look of a woman’s dress. These pieces of ornamental jewelry have been around for quite a while. Royalty have been known to wear them on their wardrobes. Some of the really luxurious antique brooches have been passed on for generations and have been around since the monarchial eras. There are also people who make a hobby out of collecting rare pieces.
Types of Antique Brooches
Brooches are varied in both design and form, including the antique and rare ones. The antique ones can be found in Victorian styles. The ones that were once owned by royalty are more often than not made of pure gold or silver. You can also find shawl clips and costume pins with some adorned with precious stones.
The ornaments you can find on these brooches also vary. Some have ivory, corals, beads, and others garnished with precious stones. These pieces of jewelry also come in a variety of shapes. Some look like royal crests, shields, coat of arms, hearts, leaves, butterflies, and stars. There are ruby crescent brooches, gold spider shaped ones, lilies, coral beads, Mizpah brooches, garnet sword, gold and diamond studded brooches, and Edwardian brooches.
Materials Used in Construction
Brooches, especially the antique ones, will have a variety of materials used to construct them. This is also one way you can classify brooches, but you can also classify them by style as well. Coral brooches are quite common during the Victorian era. Many of the brooches that come from this age are made out of this material.
Another interesting collectible coming from the from the Victorian and Georgian era are human hair locket brooches. The hair usually comes from a loved one or from someone who is dearly departed. The hair is usually made into intricate patterns and is studded with precious ornaments.
Jet brooches, as the name implies, are jet black in color. They are carved into cabochons, beads, geometric patterns and then made into brooches. These brooches became popular at the death of Prince Albert to signify one’s condolences.
Another popular kind of brooch coming from the same era is the ivory brooch. Of course, elephants are now protected so you will be quite lucky to find or own one of this said ornamental jewelry. If you happen to get a hold on one, make sure to get it certified by your jeweler as a genuine antique. This will ensure that none of the few elephants remaining today were killed just to make this piece of jewelry.
Pinchbeck is a cheap substitute for gold. It has almost the same type of brilliance as gold and its color didn’t fade. However, since there are new sources of gold via the advancement in technology, pinchbeck became rare. Thus they now have become collectible items.
Where to Purchase Them
Identifying fake antique brooches is a huge concern. The important thing is to be able to find a reputable dealer of genuine antiques. It may take some digging in order to figure out which dealer is unscrupulous and which ones are genuine. You should do your homework and study the different brooches that came out in their given eras.
Attaching a Brooch
Antique brooches may have a long pin that you can use to attach it to a woman’s clothing. This used to be part of the design of these brooches and served to add to the elegant effect. It is also interesting that some jewelers have become uninformed as to how to use the long pin. Here is a tip you can try in order to put it on yourself.
It will be a lot easier to attach the brooch if you stick the entire length of the long pin all the way through the fabric. This way, you can have an idea where the hook is supposed to be positioned. You can mark the place where the hook should be or just put a finger over it. Now you can tell where to attach the hook through the visible tip of the pin.
Cleaning Antique Brooches
Caring for and cleaning these antique collectibles are important issues to consider. Some of the materials that will come in handy include baking soda, peroxide toothpaste, soft brush, plastic containers, soft cloth, denture cleaning pills, pliers, and a solder. You can ask advice from your jeweler on how to care for or even clean your collectible brooches. Be sure to follow cleaning instructions properly. In case a piece requires some intricate repair then you should let a professional do the restoration work for you.