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Pin Up: A Few Fantastic Brooches

I had a conversation with a friend recently about brooches, otherwise known as pins. With all the cardigans being worn lately, and Michelle Obama putting them on the radar in the past year or so, there’s a lot more interest in brooches recently. Here’s a collection of different styles I’ve pulled from across the Internet. If your wardrobe is feeling a little tired, these could really brighten things up! You can even wear more than one, if you can’t decide…

Handmade

Here’s a hand-made charm piece on Etsy:

Charm Brooch from Montgomery Crystal Co on Etsy, $125 Retail

Flora and Fauna

Nature-inspired pieces from designers like Silver Seasons, Catherine Weitzman, and Alexis Bittar at The Clay Pot:

Alexis Bittar Large Lucite Begonia Pin, $416 Retail

Or how about this Miriam Haskell Shell Pin from Avelle (the new Bag, Borrow, or Steal). Bonus: if you don’t want to buy it, you can just borrow it for a while through their site:

Miriam Haskell Shell Pin From Avelle, $300 Retail, Now $195, or $17/Week

Vintage

I found a great site with an incredible collection of vintage and antique brooches at Fabulous Facets. They have a lot of amazing brooches, so check out the whole collection (the images also don’t do them justice). It was hard to narrow it down, but here are some of my hand-picked favorites:

This bird’s plumage is very graceful. (Note: It’s hard to tell scale of any of these online, so read the details on their site carefully)

Enamel and Rhinestone Bird Brooch from 1930's or 40's, $47 Retail

This Victorian pin is a classic versatile example (great price, too):

Brass Brooch, c. 1890, $28 Retail

I’m loving the hot pink cabochon stones in this bow:

Pink Cabochon Bow, c. 1950's, $63 Retail

To complete an animal menagerie, I think this fish by Boucher is incredible:

Boucher Fish Brooch, c. 1943, $389 Retail

You could pretend this is your own family crest, circa 18th century:

Sterling 18th Century European Family Crest, $47 Retail

And finally, this Kenneth Jay Lane costume piece from approximately 1980, but the colors and shape feel very current:

Kenneth Jay Lane Maltese Cross, c. 1980, $365 Retail

Sweet

This site, Pugster, has a few fun, inexpensive options. This green leaf brooch is feminine with a cool color combo:

Green Leaf Brooch from Pugster.com, $31.49 Retail

Here’s a brooch from Dahlia, a seller on Amazon.com. It features a freshwater pearl as the centerpiece of the design, so each brooch will vary a bit based on the pearl:

Freshwater Pearl, Silver, and Crystal Brooch from Amazon.com, $195 Retail

Critters

If you’re into genuine gems, A La Vieille Russe features some incredible finds. Especially for animals and insects. You can find almost anything with fur, feathers, or tails, such as rabbits, turtles, foxes, or flamingos.

This butterfly makes me weak in the knees:

Diamond, Sapphire, and Ruby Butterfly Brooch from alvr.com

Classic

And finally, aside from a circle pin, it’s hard to get more classic than this crescent pin from circa 1890:

Large Antique Diamond Crescent Brooch From alvr.com, 21 Carats of Diamonds!

Find any great brooches lately? Comment and let us know!

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