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Vintage Butterfly Brooch

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Amazing Enamel Pearl Diamond Butterfly and Flower Brooch Pendant
Located in Agoura Hills, CA
The 18K yellow gold pendant / brooch features a frosted rock crystal flower with a butterfly in the
Category

Mid-20th Century American Vintage Butterfly Brooch

Materials

Cultured Pearl, Diamond, Quartz, 18k Gold

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Vintage Butterfly Brooch For Sale on 1stDibs

You are likely to find exactly the vintage butterfly brooch you’re looking for on 1stDibs, as there is a broad range for sale. Every item for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using Gold, 18k Gold and Yellow Gold. You can easily find a 663 antique edition and 2 modern creations to choose from as well. If you’re looking for a vintage butterfly brooch from a specific time period, our collection is diverse and broad-ranging, and you’ll find at least one that dates back to the 20th Century while another version may have been produced as recently as the 21st Century. Creating a vintage butterfly brooch has been a part of the legacy of many jewelers, but those produced by Van Cleef Arpels, Tiffany Co. and Yves Saint Laurent are consistently popular. While most can agree that any vintage butterfly brooch from our collection can easily elevate most outfits, but the choice of a Diamond version from the 196 available is guaranteed to add a special touch to your ensemble. A round cut version of this piece has appeal, but there are also mixed cut and brilliant cut versions for sale. When shopping for a vintage butterfly brooch, you’ll find that there are less available pieces for unisex or men today than there are for women.

How Much is a Vintage Butterfly Brooch?

Prices for a vintage butterfly brooch can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, these accessories begin at $55 and can go as high as $95,000, while this accessory, on average, fetches $2,179.

Finding the Right Brooches for You

Vintage brooches, which refer to decorative jewelry traditionally pinned to garments and used to fasten pieces of clothing together where needed, have seen increasing popularity in recent years.

While jewelry trends come and go, brooches are indeed back on the radar thanks to fashion houses like GucciVersaceDior and Saint Laurent, all of which feature fun pinnable designs in their current collections. Whether a dazzlingly naturalistic Art Nouveau dragonfly, a whimsical David Webb animal, a gem-studded bloom or a streamlined abstract design, these jewels add color and sparkle to your look and a spring to your step. 

Given their long history, brooches have expectedly taken on a variety of different shapes and forms over time, with jewelers turning to assorted methods of ornamentation for these accessories, including enameling and the integration of pearls and gemstones. Cameo brooches that originated during the Victorian age are characterized by a shell carved in raised relief that feature portraits of a woman’s profile, while 19th-century micromosaic brooches, comprising innumerable individually placed glass fragments, sometimes feature miniature depictions of a pastoral scene in daily Roman life.

At one time, brooches were symbols of wealth, made primarily from the finest metals and showcasing exquisite precious gemstones. Today, these jewels are inclusive and universal, and you don’t have to travel very far to find an admirer of brooches. They can be richly geometric in form, such as the ornate diamond pins dating from the Art Deco era, or designer-specific, such as the celebrated naturalistic works created by Tiffany Co., the milk glass and gold confections crafted by Trifari or handmade vintage Chanel brooches of silk or laminated sheer fabric. Chanel, of course, has never abandoned this style, producing gorgeously baroque CC examples since the 1980s.

Brooches are versatile and adaptable. These decorative accessories can be worn in your hair, on hats, scarves and on the lower point of V-neck clothing. Pin a dazzling brooch to the lapel of your blazer-and-tee combo or add a cluster of smaller pins to your overcoat. And while brooches have their place in “mourning jewelry,” in that a mourning brooch is representative of your connection to a lost loved one, they’re widely seen as romantic and symbolic of love, so much so that a hardcore brooch enthusiast might advocate for brooches to be worn over the heart.

Today, find a wide variety of antique and vintage brooches for sale on 1stDibs, including gold brooches, sapphire brooches and more.

Questions About Vintage Butterfly Brooch
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 17, 2023
    To tell if a brooch is vintage, take a look at its fastener. Pieces made during the first half of the 20th century often had a long thin fastener that you push to open or close. This style of hardware is commonly known as a trombone clasp. Locking safety clasps emerged during the 1930s, and jewelers used them throughout the rest of the 20th century. You can also check brooches for a date stamp or research the maker's mark to determine who produced it. Then, consult trusted online resources to determine the age. Alternatively, you can have a certified appraiser or professional jeweler examine the piece. On 1stDibs, find a variety of brooches from some of the world's top sellers.
  • 1stDibs ExpertAugust 20, 2024
    To identify vintage brooches, look for the maker's marks. You can usually find them on the backs of brooches. Take a photo of the marking on your brooch, and then conduct a reverse image search to learn who the maker is. If you're unsuccessful, research the marks using trusted online resources or consult a certified appraiser or knowledgeable antiques dealer. Shop a diverse assortment of vintage brooches on 1stDibs.