Metalware Archives - Antique Brooches

Brass Brooches

Antique Brooches — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 07:27:12 +0000

Brass brooches can be bought relatively cheaply although designer brooches can fetch far more than the actual worth of the metal. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc and can vary in color. One of the attractions of brass is its resemblance to gold at a fraction of the price. Unlike gold, brass can tarnish.

Below are some examples and price guides of brass brooches including a Chanel brooch and a George Washington commemorative brooch made around 1800.

Yves Saint Laurent Saint Laurent pin brooch badge SAINT LAURENT monogram YSL logo rhinestone gold

Brand: Yves Saint Laurent
Type: Pin brooch
Gender: Women
Material: Brass
Color: Gold
Stone: Rhinestone
Size (HxWxD): 5.2cm x 3.2cm x 5.00mm / 2.04 x 1.25 x 0.19
Condition: Used (very good)
Overall: Deterioration

Sold for US$455 at Bidhaus in 2023

Chanel CC Brooch

Condition Quality: Good

Color: Gold

Material: Brass

Width: 2 in.

Sold for US$1,000 at Pacific Global Auction in 2023

c. 1800, George Washington Commemorative Raised Bust Portrait Brooch, White Glass within a Fancy Gilt Brass Frame

Sold for US$1,400 at Early American History Auctions in 2023

One Carved Miniature Brooch with Red Jewels

carved miniature brooch, carving is placed under glass, 25 round faceted red glass jewels, 1-5/8 x 1-3/8 in., brass, straight bar pin, trombone clasp, 14.7 grams

Sold for US$300 at Brunk Auctions in 2023

Austrian antique Art Nouveau gilt brass brooch or buckle with rhinestones.

Sold for US$40 at Antika Gallery in 2023

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Cloisonne Brooches

Antique Brooches — Wed, 10 May 2023 08:02:19 +0000

Cloisonne Brooches. Cloisonné is a way of enamelling an object, whereby fine wires are used to delineate the decorative areas (cloisons in French, hence cloisonné) into which enamel paste is applied before the object is fired and polished. Reference: Victoria and Albert Museum. Cloisonne techniques date back to the ancient world and first developed in the Near East.

Below are some examples and price guides of cloisonne brooches including a brooch by Wiener Werkstätte and an Anglo Saxon brooch.

Wiener Werkstätte
Cloisonné brooch, circa 1910
Brass and enamel, depicting stylised foliate pattern.
3.6 cm diameter
Stamped ‘WW’ monogram.

Sold for £892.50 inc. premium at Bonham’s in 2023

William Harper Two-Color Gold, Silver, Baroque Freshwater Pearl and Cloisonné Enamel ‘Firebird’ Brooch
The large pear-shaped brooch of yellow and rose gold set with one baroque pearl and cloisonné orange, yellow, green and blue translucent and opaque enamel of varied geometric patterns, edged by textured gold cock’s comb and spiral terminal, engraved silver back with spiral gold closure, hand engraved and signed H. William Harper, 1994, “The Firebird,” ap. 122 grams gross.

Sold for $8,190 (includes buyer’s premium) at Doyle in 2021

JAPONISM CLOISONNE ENAMELED BIRD BROOCH, in 9 ct. gold. Depicting a crane bird and floral design, in japonism style with cloisonne enamel. In the manner of Falize. Diam. 2.7 cm. 7.5 grams.

Sold for £110 at Etrusca Auctions in 2023

Late Anglo-Saxon Gilt Cloisonne Brooch with Starburst

11th century A.D. A gilt bronze disc brooch with seven radiating knops to the rim; pin-lug and clasp to the reverse; each lug with inset blue enamel; main body divided into a central starburst with seven D-shaped cells, all filled with blue enamel, white enamel spot to the central field.

Sold for £340 at TimeLine Auctions Ltd in 2022

ENGLISH ARTS & CRAFTS BROOCH, DATED 1917 white metal and cloisonne enamel, applied wire makers marks verso CES/ 1917 (5cm diameter)

Sold for £240 at Lyon & Turnbull in 2022

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Bronze Brooches

Antique Brooches — Wed, 14 Dec 2022 11:00:28 +0000

Bronze brooches are some of the earliest brooches found. The Romans and Vikings would use them to pin garments. Bronze is ideal for enameling and engraving and many jewelry makers have created miniature works of art in the form of brooches throughout history.

Below are some examples and price guides of bronze brooches including a bronze penannular brooch and a Claude Lalanne brooch in the form of an apple.

A BRONZE PENANNULAR BROOCH, 18TH CENTURY
Of open circular form decorated with an engraved star, 75mm diameter, engraved ownership initials SI to the reverse

Sold for £1,657.50 inc. premium at Bonhams in 2022

CLAUDE LALANNE (1925-2019)
‘Pomme-Bouche’ brooch, Arthus-Bertrand edition, circa 1990
Patinated bronze / patinated bronze
4 x 4 cm / 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 in
Monogrammed CL, signed LALANNE and bearing the mark from the publisher AB PARIS on the reverse

Sold for €4,032 at Christie’s in 2022

Dorothy Dehner
American, 1901-1994
Untitled Brooch, 1977
Signed, dated and inscribed Helena from Dorothy/1977
Bronze with metal pin and fastener
1 3/4 x 2 1/2 x 1/4 inches (4.4 x 6.3 x 0.6 cm)

Sold for $2,520 (includes buyer’s premium) at Doyle in 2022

Viking Age Tortoise Brooch Pair

9th-12th century A.D. A matched pair of bronze tortoise brooches, each a domed and slightly keeled body with stepped flange rim, dense pattern of low-relief moulded detail including facing figures with pellet eyes; transverse mounting bar and catch to the reverse with loop for attachment of a swag of beads; chain loop to one and short chain to the other.

Sold for £1,000 at TimeLine Auctions Ltd. in 2022

Francois-Xavier Lalanne “Mouton” Bronze Brooch

Artist/Designer; Manufacturer: Francois-Xavier Lalanne (1927-2008); Arthus Bertrand
Marking(s); notes: signed, marking(s)
Country of origin; materials: French; bronze, enamel
Dimensions (H, W, D): 1″h, 1.25″w

Sold for US$900 at Palm Beach Modern Auctions in 2022

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Filigree Brooches

Antique Brooches — Fri, 02 Sep 2022 06:46:28 +0000

Filigree Brooches. Filigree is a form of intricate metalwork used in jewelry and other small forms of metalwork.

In jewelry, it is usually of gold and silver, made with tiny beads or twisted threads, or both in combination, soldered together or to the surface of an object of the same metal and arranged in artistic motifs. It often suggests lace and remains popular in Indian and other Asian metalwork. It was popular as well in Italian, French and Portuguese metalwork from 1660 to the late 19th century. It should not be confused with ajoure jewelry work, the ajoure technique consisting of drilling holes in objects made of sheet metal. Reference: Wikipedia.

Below are some examples and price guides of filigree brooches including an antique platinum, emerald and diamond brooch and a carnelian intaglio.

AN ANTIQUE PLATINUM, EMERALD AND DIAMOND BROOCH, CIRCA 1915
Centering a gold collet-set square-cut emerald weighing approximately 1.35 carats, accented by European and rose-cut diamonds in a filigree mount, length 2 in.

Sold for US$3,187.50 at Bonhams in 2022

Gold, Colored Diamond and Diamond Filigree Bar Brooch
One yellowish brown old European-cut diamond ap. 3.75 cts., 2 orangy brown old-mine and old European-cut diamonds ap. 3.40 cts., 47 old European and single-cut diamonds ap. 1.30 cts., one small diamond missing, ap. 5.5 dwts.

Sold for $6,300 (includes buyer’s premium) at Doyle in 2022

Vintage Filigree Silver & Turquoise Beaded Brooch. Measures approx. – 2 1/8″ long. Weight – 13 grams.

Sold for US$100 at Antiques & Art International in 2022

Vintage Art Deco Brooch with Old European Cut Diamonds. This wonderful brooch features 7.00cts carats of diamonds spread across a lattice of delicate platinum. The outline of the design is somewhat of an oval shape and inside are intricate filigree diamond frames that form a beautiful border. Further inside are symmetrical diamond outlines done in milgrain detail holding a section of old cut diamonds. In the center of this brooch you will find a beautiful Old-European Cut diamond of about 1.50ct in weight. Perfect brooch to be worn on a shawl or belt. Measures: 3.25inches in length and 1.75inches in width. Single pin closure.

Sold for US$6,700 at Bidhaus in 2022

Carnelian intaglio brooch (Spilla intaglio in corniola)1860

Depicting the profile of Mercurius with his winged helmet and traveler’s cloak within a flower filigree border.

Sold for 5,040 EUR at Sotheby’s in 2021

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Platinum and Opal Brooches

Antique Brooches — Fri, 11 May 2018 12:17:32 +0000

Price guide to antique and vintage platinum and opal brooches. Opal was rare and very valuable in antiquity. In Europe it was a gem prized by royalty. Until the opening of vast deposits in Australia in the 19th century the only known source was Červenica beyond the Roman frontier in Slovakia. Reference: Wikipedia

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Platinum Diamond Brooches

Antique Brooches — Fri, 11 May 2018 11:29:15 +0000

Price guide to antique and vintage platinum and diamond brooches.Archaeologists have discovered traces of platinum in the gold used in ancient Egyptian burials as early as 1200 BC. However, the extent of early Egyptians’ knowledge of the metal is unclear. It is quite possible they did not recognize there was platinum in their gold.

The metal was used by pre-Columbian Americans near modern-day Esmeraldas, Ecuador to produce artifacts of a white gold-platinum alloy. They employed a relatively sophisticated system of powder metallurgy. The platinum used in such objects was not the pure element, but rather a naturally occurring mixture of the platinum group metals, with small amounts of palladium, rhodium, and iridium. Reference: Wikipedia

Below are some examples of platinum and diamond brooches including a diamond brooch circa 1910 and a diamond brooch designed as a stylized scroll.

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Gold & Diamond Brooch, Mechanical Estate 14K

Antique Brooches — Tue, 20 Jun 2017 10:26:17 +0000

Gold & Diamond Brooch

A gold & diamond brooch with mechanical movement at the back. Measures approx. 2″ long. With approx 1.10 cts of high quality round diamonds. The back part of this lovely brooch moves back and forth. This is from the estate of a Palm Beach gentleman. Total weight 25.1 grams.

Sold for $1,500 at Auction Gallery of Boca Raton, LLC

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