Antique jewelry glossary

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Brooch

See our: brooches.

A brooch is an ornamental clasp having an attached pin for affixing it to a garment, hat, hood, turban or sleeve, as a fastener or as a decorative piece. The body of the brooch may be of many forms, e.g. a disc, ring, penannular ring, heart, flower, bow-knot, or any fantasy shape. The brooch evolved originally from the fibula of safety-pin form, and that term is sometimes loosely applied to any form of ancient brooch. A modern brooch usually has at the back a pin and a catch (sometimes a form of safety-catch to prevent its being lost).

Brooches have been made of many sizes and have been decorated with enamelling, engraving, gemstones, etc., and sometimes embellished with a suspended pearl, tassel, small pendant, etc. Formerly worn by men and women, they are now only for women.

From: An Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry, autor: Harold Newman, publishers: Thames and Hudson