How do I wear a antique brooch today?

These pieces function well pinned to lapels, heavy knitwear, scarves, or collars where the fabric has enough weight to support the metal. Many designs featuring a hidden bail can also be suspended from a chain to double as a pendant. Ensuring the safety catch is secure prevents loss during daily wear, particularly with larger statement pieces featuring heavy gems like citrine or aquamarine.

How can I tell a Victorian brooch from an Edwardian one?

Victorian examples tend to feature heavier gold work, closed-back settings in earlier pieces, and robust motifs like thick bar mounts or dark garnet and amethyst clusters. The metal purity often reaches fifteen or eighteen carats in better examples. Edwardian pieces shift towards lighter, airier platinum-topped gold, openwork starbursts, and delicate combinations of peridot and seed pearls reflecting a preference for pastel colour palettes.

What is a pendant brooch?

A pendant brooch is a dual-purpose ornament designed with a concealed or hinged loop at the reverse alongside a traditional pin fastening. This allows the wearer to transition the item from a lapel decoration to a necklace centrepiece. This versatility was particularly favoured by late nineteenth and early twentieth-century jewellers who created intricate multi-gemstone clusters to suit various evening and day attire.

Are seed pearls durable?

Seed pearls are organic gems sensitive to moisture, cosmetics, and acids, requiring gentle care to maintain their lustre over time. Because they are often glued or strung on older threads within intricate clusters, they benefit from avoiding immersion in cleaning liquids. Checking that each tiny pearl remains firm in its setting ensures the piece retains its original decorative integrity.

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Yellow Gold Gemstone Brooch

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A yellow gold gemstone brooch brings together warm gold tones and coloured stones in designs that range from Victorian clusters to Edwardian starbursts.