How can you tell if a brooch is vintage?

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.

How do you identify vintage brooches?

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.

Vintage French Brooches

French Pins

Paste Jewelry Brooches

Brooch Clip

French Cut Diamond Brooch

18k Gold French Brooch

Long Brooch

Chanel Vintage Brooch

French Made In France Brooch

Category

1950s French Vintage French Brooches

Materials

White Diamond, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold

Yellow Gold Sputnik Pin Brooch Clip with Diamond Sapphire Ruby, French, 1950s

$5,700

Louis Rousselet Flower Brooch

By Louis Rousselet

Located in New York, NY

Louis Rousselet pate de verre and faux pearl signature flower brooch of gilt metal stem and opaline

Category

1930s French Vintage French Brooches

Materials

Gilt Metal

Louis Rousselet Flower Brooch

$475

Dior Golden Metal Feather Brooch

By Christian Dior

Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR

Dior - (Made in France) Golden metal brooch representing a feather. Additional information

Category

1980s French Vintage French Brooches

Dior Golden Metal Feather Brooch

$813

Dominique Aurientis Sun Brooch

Located in New York, NY

Gilt bronze abstract sun brooch by Dominique Aurientis, Paris 1980s. 2.25" Excellent condition.

Category

1980s French Vintage French Brooches

Dominique Aurientis Sun Brooch

$650

Chanel Early Lion Brooch

By Robert Goossens for Chanel

Located in New York, NY

Classic Chanel Lion motif quatrefoil shaped brooch composed of pearls and grey crystal rondelles

Category

1950s French Vintage French Brooches

Materials

Gilt Metal

Chanel Early Lion Brooch

$12,750

John Galliano Heart Vintage Brooch signed

By John Galliano

Located in Warminster, GB

A lovely large eye catching vintage crystal studded heart brooch by John Galliano. John Galliano

Category

1990s French Vintage French Brooches

John Galliano Heart Vintage Brooch signed

$775

Early Chanel Lion Brooch

Located in Riverdale, NY

. Made by Atelier Goossens for Chanel. 1950's France. Another exact example of this brooch is exhibited

Category

1950s French Vintage French Brooches

Materials

Gilt Metal

Early Chanel Lion Brooch

$12,750

Chanel Golden Metal Brooch, 1995

By Chanel

Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR

Chanel - (Made in France) Golden metal brooch. 1995 Cruise Collection. Additional information

Category

1990s French Vintage French Brooches

Chanel Golden Metal Brooch, 1995

$1,436

Vintage Yves Saint Laurent brooch

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Paris, FR

Beautiful vintage Yves Saint Laurent golden brooch Condition: very good Made in France Material

Category

Late 20th Century French Vintage French Brooches

Materials

Gold Plate

Vintage Yves Saint Laurent brooch

$353

Drama Pendant Brooch Holding Charms

Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR

Theater - Golden metal pendant brooch holding charms. Additional information: Condition: Good

Category

1950s French Vintage French Brooches

Drama Pendant Brooch Holding Charms

$813

Classic Chanel Bar Brooch

By Chanel

Located in Riverdale, NY

this brooch. Simply iconic and timeless like its creator. Executed by Goossens workshop in Paris. 3.5

Category

1950s French Vintage French Brooches

Classic Chanel Bar Brooch

$1,995

Vintage French 18K Platinum Diamond Emerald Leaf Brooch 13cttw G Vs

Located in Winter Springs, FL

French made brooch done in 18K yellow gold and platinum circa 1960’s set with approximately 8cttw

Category

1960s Contemporary Vintage French Brooches

Materials

Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, Platinum

Vintage French 18K Platinum Diamond Emerald Leaf Brooch 13cttw G Vs

$15,500

Hermès Cloisonne Carriage Sleigh Brooch

By Hermès

Located in West Hollywood, CA

This Hermès Cloisonne Carriage Sleigh Brooch is a perfect accessory for the holiday season. Comes

Category

Late 20th Century French Vintage French Brooches

Materials

Base Metal

Hermès Cloisonne Carriage Sleigh Brooch

$499

Vintage Bejeweled Pearl Brooch

Located in Nice, FR

Vintage gorgeous brooch featuring glass faux pearls and aurora borealis crystals in a gold toned

Category

20th Century French Vintage French Brooches

Vintage Bejeweled Pearl Brooch

$215 Sale Price

40% Off

GUY LAROCHE Vintage Jewelled Brooch

By Guy Laroche

Located in Nice, FR

GUY LAROCHE vintage silver tone brooch embellished with blue an clear crystals. Embossed GUY

Category

20th Century French Vintage French Brooches

GUY LAROCHE Vintage Jewelled Brooch

$957

Brooch by CLAIR DEVÈ PARIS, fake pearls and resin made in the 1980s France

By Claire Deve

Located in Stuttgart, DE

A decorativ Brooch by CLAIR DEVÈ PARIS, fake pearls made from resin in the 1980s. Measurement

Category

1950s French Art Deco Vintage French Brooches

Materials

Other

Brooch by CLAIR DEVÈ PARIS, fake pearls and resin made in the 1980s France

$778

Chanel Gold Tone Diamond Quilted Brooch

By Chanel

Located in Paris, FR

Chanel brooch featuring a diamond-quilted with iconic interlocking "CC" signature on, a safety bar

Category

1980s French Vintage French Brooches

Chanel Gold Tone Diamond Quilted Brooch

$1,292

Edouard Rambaud Gilded Metal Sun Brooch

By Edouard Rambaud

Located in Atlanta, GA

A stunning sun brooch created by French designer Edouard Rambaud, Paris. The piece features a

Category

1980s French Modern Vintage French Brooches

Materials

Gilt Metal

Edouard Rambaud Gilded Metal Sun Brooch

$275

Christian Lacroix heart brooch

By Christian Lacroix

Located in Palm Beach, FL

Heart of Christian Lacroix CL logo made with strass on the middle. Stamp on the back.

Category

1990s French Vintage French Brooches

Christian Lacroix heart brooch

$890

French Art Deco Lapis Diamond Enamel Platinum 18K Vintage Buddha Jabot Brooch

Located in Philadelphia, PA

Designed as a jabot style bar brooch featuring a carved lapis terminal Depicting a stylized Buddha

Category

1930s Art Deco Vintage French Brooches

Materials

Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, Gold, 18k Gold, Platinum, Enamel

French Art Deco Lapis Diamond Enamel Platinum 18K Vintage Buddha Jabot Brooch

$3,950

Christian Dior Perfume Bottle Pin Brooch

By Christian Dior

Located in Paris, FR

Christian Dior Gold-tone perfume bottle pin brooch featuring a front “Dune” design, a back pin and

$875

Chanel Openwork Golden Metal Brooch, 1990s

By Chanel

Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR

CHANEL - (Made in France) Openwork golden metal rounded brooch. 2005 Collection. Additional

Category

1990s French Vintage French Brooches

Chanel Openwork Golden Metal Brooch, 1990s

$1,436

18kt White Gold French Victorian Style Cameo Brooch with Large Diamonds

Located in Antwerp, BE

In an openwork 18K white gold cadre, a meticulously carved hard stone cameo within this French

Category

20th Century Victorian Vintage French Brooches

Materials

Diamond, White Gold

18kt White Gold French Victorian Style Cameo Brooch with Large Diamonds

$10,532

Cartier French 1960 s Diamond Enamel 18K Gold Vintage Tropical Fish Brooch

By Cartier

Located in Philadelphia, PA

closure With hinged bar safety Stamped with French hallmarks for 18 karat gold Numbered and fully signed

Category

1960s Modern Vintage French Brooches

Materials

Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Enamel

Cartier French 1960 s Diamond Enamel 18K Gold Vintage Tropical Fish Brooch

$14,800

Chanel Vintage Gripoix 1980 Brooch Paris

By Chanel

Located in Palm Beach, FL

Chanel vintage brooch 1980 Made in France stamped on the back. Nice stars made with strass with one

Category

1980s French Vintage French Brooches

Chanel Vintage Gripoix 1980 Brooch Paris

$4,830

Chanel Byzantine Crest Brooch

By Maison Gripoix for Chanel

Located in New York, NY

Chanel byzantine style crest brooch by Maison Gripoix. Poured glass emerald and ruby oval and heart

Category

1980s French Byzantine Vintage French Brooches

Materials

Gilt Metal, Gold Plate, Bronze, Enamel

Chanel Byzantine Crest Brooch

$5,250

18k Gold Diamonds Retro Brooch

Located in Lake Worth, FL

Vintage 18K Gold Diamonds Brooch French Retro style elegant artistic statement brooch from the

Category

1950s French Retro Vintage French Brooches

Materials

Diamond, 18k Gold

18k Gold Diamonds Retro Brooch

$3,800

Massive Countess Cis Floral Brooch

By Countess Cis Zoltowska

Located in New York, NY

Incredible and rare Massive Countess Cis Floral Brooch from the 1950's France. Enormous rasberry

Category

1950s French Vintage French Brooches

Materials

Gilt Metal

Materials

Bronze, Gilt Metal

Unusual Maison Gripoix Starfish Brooch

$1,850

CHANEL BROOCH, green and red Gripoix glass, rhinestons, signed 1970/80, France

By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel

Located in Stuttgart, DE

Early CHANEL BROOCH ( Made in France) signed 1970/80's made by Maison Gripoix Paris, with green and

Category

1970s Vintage French Brooches

Materials

Crystal, Gold Plate

CHANEL BROOCH, green and red Gripoix glass, rhinestons, signed 1970/80, France

$7,061

Christian Dior by Mitchel Maer Festoon Brooch

By Christian Dior

Located in Warminster, GB

A lovely brooch by Mitchel Maer for Christian Dior, made in the mid 1950’s. This brooch is a lovely

Category

1950s French Vintage French Brooches

Christian Dior by Mitchel Maer Festoon Brooch

$775

Christian Lacroix Gold Peanut Textured Brooch

By Christian Lacroix

Located in New York, NY

Christian Lacroix Gold Peanut Textured Brooch

Category

1980s French Vintage French Brooches

Materials

Gold Plate

Christian Lacroix Gold Peanut Textured Brooch

$600

Chanel Pearly Glass Paste Camellia Brooch

By Chanel

Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR

Chanel - (Made in France) Pearly glass paste camellia brooch. Additional information: Condition

Category

1990s French Vintage French Brooches

Chanel Pearly Glass Paste Camellia Brooch

$2,752

Van Cleef Arpels Sapphire Gold Brooch

By Van Cleef Arpels

Located in New York, NY

Van Cleef & Arpels Sapphire Gold Brooch This elegant leaf-shaped brooch by Van Cleef & Arpels is a

Category

20th Century French Retro Vintage French Brooches

Materials

Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold

Van Cleef Arpels Sapphire Gold Brooch

$12,000

Vintage Chanel Coral Camellia Brooch

By Chanel

Located in Palm Springs, CA

emerald green "pate de verre" by Gripoix. The emblematic brooch exudes French craftsmanship and

Category

Late 20th Century French Artisan Vintage French Brooches

Vintage Chanel Coral Camellia Brooch

$6,200

Van Cleef Arpels Diamond Dog Brooch

By Van Cleef Arpels

Located in New York, NY

This charming Van Cleef & Arpels Diamond Dog Brooch features an endearing depiction of a Saint

Category

20th Century French Retro Vintage French Brooches

Materials

Diamond, 18k Gold

Van Cleef Arpels Diamond Dog Brooch

$70,000

Chanel Golden Metal CC Brooch, 1990s

By Chanel

Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR

Chanel - (Made in France) Golden metal cc brooch. 2cc5 Collection from the early 1990s. Additional

Category

20th Century French Vintage French Brooches

Chanel Golden Metal CC Brooch, 1990s

$1,436

CHRISTIAN DIOR Vintage Jewelled Brooch

By Christian Dior

Located in Nice, FR

Category

20th Century French Vintage French Brooches

CHRISTIAN DIOR Vintage Jewelled Brooch

$418

Giant Chanel Moghul Snowflake Brooch

By Chanel

Located in New York, NY

Large important Chanel Maison Gripoix Moghul snowflake brooch. Composed of small poured glass

Category

1980s French Vintage French Brooches

Materials

Bronze

Giant Chanel Moghul Snowflake Brooch

$6,750

Claude Montana 1980s Bouquet Brooch

By Claude Montana

Located in Scottsdale, AZ

Make a statement and add this brooch to your collection! Circa 1980s, this Claude Montana brooch

Category

1980s French Vintage French Brooches

Claude Montana 1980s Bouquet Brooch

$875

Chanel Beaten Golden Metal Brooch, 1995

By Chanel

Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR

Chanel - (Made in France) Beaten golden metal brooch. 1995 Fall-Winter Collection. Additional

Category

1990s French Vintage French Brooches

Chanel Beaten Golden Metal Brooch, 1995

$873

Antique Diamond and Turquoise Brooch

Located in Poitiers, FR

Brooch in 18 carat yellow gold, eagle head hallmark. In the form of a crossed ribbon with 4

Category

1960s French Retro Vintage French Brooches

Materials

Diamond, Turquoise, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Gold, Yellow Gold

Antique Diamond and Turquoise Brooch

$2,513

Chanel Goossens Byzantine Cruciform Brooch

By Maison Goossens for Chanel

Located in New York, NY

Important Maison Goossens for Chanel filigree byzantine cross brooch. Of gilt cruciform filigrees

Category

1960s French Vintage French Brooches

Materials

Bronze

Chanel Goossens Byzantine Cruciform Brooch

$4,950

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Vintage French Brooches For Sale on 1stDibs

On 1stDibs, there are many options to choose from in our inventory of vintage french brooches. Frequently made of Gold, 18k Gold and Yellow Gold, these items were constructed with great care. Our collection is diverse and broad-ranging, and pieces in stock date back to the 20th Century while others were produced as recently as the 20th Century. There are many different pieces in our collection of vintage french brooches to choose from, but Retro and Contemporary vintage french brooches are of considerable interest. There have been many well-made iterations of these items over the years, but those made by Cartier, Boucheron and Hammerman Brothers are often thought to be among the most beautiful. Many pieces in our collection are stylish for most occasions, but Diamond versions, from our inventory of 27, can add a particularly distinctive touch to your look, day or night. A selection of round cut, french cut and rose cut can be found today on these pages. If you’re browsing the variety of vintage french brooches for sale, you’ll find that many are available today for women, but there are still pieces to choose from for men.

How Much are Vintage French Brooches?

Prices for vintage french brooches start at $177 and top out at $75,000 with these brooches, on average, selling for $3,065.

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 Gucci, Versace, Dior 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 French Brooches

How can you tell if a brooch is vintage?
1 Answer
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.
How do you identify vintage brooches?
1 Answer
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.

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This Gem-Encrusted Boucheron Brooch Is a Symbol of Mid-Century Glamour and Clever Design

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