New to vintage jewelry?

If you are new to vintage jewellery, where do you start?

Treat yourself to a vintage brooch to begin with – they’re so pretty and can be worn in a variety of ways:

• Brighten up old jackets and coats with a brooch which suits the occasion – daytime wear looks fab with kitsch 1940s vintage reverse carved Lucite brooches, while a sparkling 1960s vintage rhinestone brooch will get people talking for all the right reasons when pinned to your jacket.

• • Vintage 60s rhinestone glass paste brooch

  • Tartan and tweed makes another return this season, and what better way to cleverly kook up your outfit and pin together your cape/ scarf than with a fantastic Scottish agate brooch.  For those on a tight budget look out for Miracle jewellery, who make superb Scottish style jewellery using glass instead of real agates.  If you want the real thing then prices start at around £70 for a standard vintage Scottish agate brooch, with the finer antique brooches going selling in the £100s.
    

    Antique Victorian Scottish agate brooch

An antique Victorian circa 1880s ivy brooch, made from Vulcanite

• If you’re loving the Gothic trends at the moment then why not decorate yourself with genuine  jewellery from the Victorian era – much of it looks as brilliant today as it did when it was first made.  Modern plastic cameo jewellery compliments the look, though if you’ve not already done so then you should treat yourself to a real handmade one-of-a-kind cameo! Seriously, once you own your first proper cameo, and see what jaw-dropping beautiful works of art they really are, you’ll never go back to cheap high street one’s.
  

  Vintage hand carved shell cameo brooch

Remember, vintage brooches don’t always belong on the lapel or shoulder.  Try pinning them onto purses and handbags for a touch of 1950s starlet glamour.  A vintage brooch look stunning when holding your scarf, cardigan or cape in place, while all types of hat can be utterly transformed with a cute brooch You can also buy brooch ‘transformers’, handy little removable gadgets which clip onto your brooch pin and turn then into a pendant without damaging them.  If you’re a dab hand at crafts, you can wrap wire around vintage rhinestone brooches and tie them to plain hair slides, turning them into fabulous hair clips and tiaras.

Vintage 1970s huge snake rhinestone glass brooch

This adorable vintage circa 1940s brooch is perfect for everyday wear, and is made from reverse carved Lucite (a type of plastic).

This stunning old art deco brooch dates from around the 1930s, and though it looks old and well loved it still oozes glamour (and makes a fab talking point too).

This lovely brooch is perfect for adding a truly Gothic edge to lace, and dates from the 19th Century Victorian era. It’s made from hand carved Whitby Jet – a highly sought after gemstone. Whitby Jet items never go out of style and can be very dramatic, though they can also hurt those purse strings as it demand a high prices due to its rarity. Why not do what the Victorian fashionistas did (yes, they existed back then too) and buy imitation Whitby Jet, made from black glass (a.k.a French Jet). It’s much cheaper, and looks just as gorgeous.

A 19th Century Victorian French Jet (ie black glass) brooch – a cheaper alternative to Whitby Jet.

Vintage 1970s glass micro mosaic brooches are so cute and lots of fun. Most depict kitsch flowers and are perfect for everyday wear.