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  • Stylized Doorknocker

    I bought this brooch near 10 years ago from a dealer in America.  When I first saw the brooch it was in a bad way, bent, stones missing and a broken clasp.  So why did I buy a brooch in such a bad state?  It is what is known as a ‘Book Piece’, which means…

  • Dorset Bow

    This brooch is based on the Dorset Bow from the late Queen Elizabeth II collection.  Queen Elizabeth (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) was born on 21st April 1926 and came to the throne on 6th February 1952, reigning for 70 years until her death on 8th September 2022. Queen Elizabeth was a prolific and enthusiastic brooch wearer….

  • Tiger

    I bought this brooch at the Athelstan Museum in Malmesbury. It is made of felt and was made by hand in Nepal.  He/She is adorable, and I couldn’t resist.  My collection has brooches made of a wide variety of materials, but there are not many made from fabric.  Felt making is an ancient technique which…

  • Heart

    This is a small heart shaped brooch to celebrate Valentines.  Was it given as a love token?  I don’t know.  But I like to imagine a young man presenting the brooch to his sweetheart on St Valentine’s day. It is not valuable, the stones are just glass and are mounted in brass.  But care has…

  • Mackintosh Square

    This is, for me a small brooch.  I usually go for more statement impactful designs.  But this little brooch has a pleasing design, and it came with matching earrings.  I do like a matching set.  I know these days it is seen as not on trend, but who wants to be a slave to the…

  • Medieval Heart

    Now before we go any further, this month’s brooch is not Medieval.  However fabulous it would be to have a genuine 15th century piece of jewellery in my collection I’m afraid my budget does not stretch that far.  My brooch is a copy of a brooch from the Fishpool Hoard and was given to me…

  • Zulu Shield

    This brooch is made of gold and oxidised silver and in the form of a Zulu shield.  The design was registered by M J Goldsmid of Birmingham on 4th September 1883.  The British Museum has a Zulu shield brooch in its collection by the London jeweller John Brogden c1880.   In ‘Jewellery in the Age of…

  • USSR Building

    This brooch is made of glass (the red background) with an overlay of chrome.  On the back there is a rather poor-quality pin, reminiscent of a safety pin.  The brooch was probably made as a souvenir from the Paris Expo in 1937. The Paris Expo was held between 25th May to 25th November 1937, just…

  • Star

    This brooch is made of cut steel and is seen as a precursor to marcasite.  Cut steel jewellery was popular during the 18th and 19th centuries and originated in Woodstock in Oxfordshire in the early 1700s where they specialised in making chatelaines.  A chatelaine is hung from the waist, made up of a series of…

  • Cupid

    This little brooch is from the 1930s.  It is not a valuable brooch, it is made of ‘white metal’, the term given to items not made of silver and decorated with enamel and marcasites.  The enamel is not of particular quality.  I think it is probably British, but it has no markings so I can’t…