Brooch

A beautiful brooch can be an elegant addition to a business, evening or everyday look. This is a favorite female jewelry, the history of which dates back many hundreds of years. About everything related to this amazing accessory, our article will tell.

A brooch is a piece of jewelry that pins on clothes. Translated from French, the name of the jewelry sounds like a "long needle."

Initially, the brooch was used as an item holding together different parts of clothing. Back in the Bronze Age there was a semblance of a modern accessory. Then the brooch was made from plants, bones or fangs of animals.

The first analogues of modern jewelry appeared around the X century. Then they were used for fastening on the shoulders of a cloak or cape instead of a fastener. In addition, a jewelry made of gold or silver, decorated with precious stones, was an indicator of the status and good material wealth of the owner.

In the XVII century, the brooch served not only as an ornament, but also as a kind of means for transmitting information. A certain pattern, color, position of the brooch could tell others a lot. Over time, the original meaning returned to the decoration and the brooch was again used exclusively as part of the addition to the outfit.

In the 20th century, brooches experienced a real rebirth. Now, in the wardrobe of almost every woman, one or more of such jewelry has appeared for a certain outfit or occasion. In many respects this was facilitated by world-famous designers who included expensive and beautiful accessories in their collections.

A brooch is one of the few unique jewelry that suits everyone without exception. Largely due to the huge variety of designs, shapes and sizes.

A neat, elegant brooch makes any look light and sophisticated. In addition, this is an independent decoration, and a fashionable clasp for a scarf, stole, cape.

The brooch is decorated with hats and berets, lapels of jackets and coats, ties and collars. She is indispensable in the wardrobe of women of fashion of any age.

There are so many varieties of this decoration that they can be conditionally divided into several large groups according to various characteristics.

The name speaks for itself. An elegant pin can serve as an independent decoration or additionally decorated with stones, beads, chains or pendants. It goes well with a variety of wardrobe items. Ideal for a casual look.

A universal item that can be used both as a brooch-clip (usually attached to the lapel of a jacket) and as a hair clip.

A thin safety needle that punctures clothes acts as a retainer. This brooch is particularly light and sophisticated. It is not for nothing that this model is one of the most beloved among designers of leading jewelry companies. This accessory is used not only for decorating clothes. He is often pinned to a hat.

The most used type of fastening when the needle attached to the brooch is fixed in a special loop.

They are a part for interior decoration.

Brooches differ in design, material from which they are made, size and other characteristics.

The oldest decoration, which is a circle of metal with two holes. A bent pin was threaded through them to fasten clothes. Such a decoration spoiled things, so soon the pin was replaced with a spike.

There were various modifications to this decoration. The Hungarian brooch was made of wire and looked like a pin.

And the Greek version was two or four metal circles interconnected by a special needle.

This jewelry is named after a woman who first proposed to decorate a dress with a bow with a pendant attached to it. Until this moment, pendants on clothes were sewn. This work was very painstaking and laborious. Now the bow with the pendant could easily be thrown to another dress or removed from the suit.

The common name for jewelry carved on stone. A brooch with a convex pattern is called a cameo, and with a recessed one, it is called intalia.

Decoration made on a dark background (brown, black, burgundy, blue). The drawing itself is done in contrast, light - snow-white, cream, ivory. Most often, a cameo depicts an elegant female profile with clearly defined lines of the neck, head, hairstyle. It can be an antique character or a portrait of a famous contemporary. Among other options, it can be noted floral ornament, angels, everyday and everyday scenes.

For the manufacture of cameos, onyx, agate, jasper, quartz, mother of pearl, shell and other materials are used. Precious metals, pearls and other stones are used to frame the contour.

It is cut out of glass or stone, and small pearls or metal frames are also used for its decoration.

The Order is considered not only a distinctive sign and decoration of a ceremonial military uniform, today it is also a decorative part of a wardrobe. The accessory is decorated with multi-colored stones, satin ribbons, pendants, pearls.

It is a large jewelry made of precious and semiprecious stones or other materials, which can also be used as a pendant for a chain or ribbon.

An elegant accessory made from lush ruffles of cambric, lace or other beautiful material, complemented by a delicate cameo or adornment made of stone or a placer of gems.

The brooch can be solid or openwork:

• Openwork brooch is made of metal, plastic, bone or other material. Metal jewelry is made by stamping or sawing.

• A smooth brooch is a solid, large, beautiful stone (onyx or agate). Around the main stone can be located smaller and contrasting in color pebbles.

• A completely opposite picture is a mosaic brooch. It is made of many small pieces of special glass - smalt. Fragments of smalt form a solid pattern or are arranged in a chaotic manner. The surface of the decoration is polished.

Enamel brooch is a gold, silver or copper base coated with enamel. According to the enamel coating technique, brooches are divided into several groups:

• from painted enamel. Such a coating is a painting in drawings;
• from cloisonne enamel;
• from chiseled enamel.

Brooches that serve as a clamp. Such models are used to fasten a scarf or stole.

By the method of fastening are divided into:

• clamp ring;
• clip-on clip;
• clamp of three rings.

Handcrafted jewelry occupies a separate place in the general variety of brooches. Author's models are made from a variety of materials, including improvised tools. It can be wire, beads, textiles, clay, wood, plastic.

A brooch can often be found among wedding decorations. This is a special accessory for the bride, which is attached to the dress, wrap, hairstyle. It can be a small brooch that will decorate wedding invitations for guests. And finally, this elegant addition to the suit of the groom - a boutonniere brooch.

A brooch is not only a detail of a modern woman’s jewelry, it is also an indispensable part of the image of a successful, business man.

Very stylish and elegant accessory. Elegant decoration pulls the corners of the shirt collar closer to the tie. The image is becoming more respectable and stylish. It can be a pin, barrette or clip.

The most common men's accessory. It performs an aesthetic and practical function by holding the tie in a perfectly upright position.

Depending on the material used to create the brooch, there are:

1. Jewelry made of precious metals. These are designer jewelry or products designed for the mass buyer. They can be supplemented with enamel or stone inserts, for example, topazes, rubies, garnets and other gems.
2. Bijouterie. For its manufacture, brass or some other alloys are used. A huge selection of jewelry allows you to choose an inexpensive, but very stylish and beautiful accessory with Swarovski crystals, with cubic zirconias, with glass beads and other decorative inserts.
3. Other decorations. For their manufacture, polymer clay, wood, bone, textiles, leather, plastic and other materials are used.

Children's and adult jewelry differ both in the material from which they are made, and in the ornaments and patterns used.

Among other interesting varieties of jewelry can be noted nominal and mirror brooches.

Each decoration is made in a certain stylistic direction. It can be a classic, antique or modern style, ethnic, modern and other directions.

Jewelry, designed in this style, reminiscent of things from the grandmother's chest: a little worn stones, old lace, tarnished metal. Silk, satin, chiffon, lace fabric, rhinestones, pearls are suitable for the manufacture of such brooches. This original decoration will be a great addition to the summer look.

Art Nouveau accessories most often are sophisticated compositions of metal, enamel and multi-colored stones.Often complemented by neat pendants with a pearl or other small pebble.

Classical models include jewelry in the form of a bouquet of flowers, orders, pins, cameos. They are organically combined with different clothes and look appropriate in any situation.

Brooches are made in the form of a variety of objects. It can be familiar flowers, animals, birds, elements of architecture, abstraction, elements of marine and space themes.

Here are just a few of the most popular and commonly used options:

• Flower brooch. One of the most feminine and tender options. It is made of all kinds of materials and worn with any wardrobe items. The most favorite flowers for decoration are rose, royal lily, lilies of the valley, orchid, camellia, tulip, violet. Decoration can be made in the form of a single flower or a small bouquet, be plain or multicolor.

• Brooch-insect. This group includes accessories depicting a bug, a fly, a dragonfly, a butterfly, a spider, a ladybug, a bee. Such jewelry always looks bright, stylish and attracts general attention with its unusualness. Most often, such brooches are made from a scattering of multi-colored precious and semiprecious stones, gold and silver.

• Brooches in the form of animals and birds. Representatives of the fauna at any time remain favorite motives for creating all kinds of jewelry. Luxurious peacock, proud rooster, miniature hummingbird, beautiful fox, graceful flamingo, whale, frog, crane, swallow, kitten and many, many other animals and birds are some of the most popular options for creating various brooches.

• Bow. Looks harmoniously on a blouse, dress, coat, turtleneck, jacket and other clothes.

• The crown is a symbol of royal power, luxury and wealth. Great for decorating a festive, evening or formal dress.

• Heart, angel, lips, star are associated with romance, passion or tenderness. This decoration will be a great gift for your girlfriend on the occasion of a memorable date or a special occasion.

Other interesting options include brooches in the form of the sun, a month, letters, fruits, mythical characters and fantasy figures.

In size and shape, the brooches can be large, small or medium in size, round, triangular, square, diamond-shaped, and also made in other forms. The choice of a suitable option depends on personal preferences, the chosen outfit, occasion and other reasons.

Such a unique decoration as a brooch is made using several different techniques, many of which are fundamentally different from each other.

This jewelry making technique appeared in the 14th century in France. Soutache is a dense silk cord with which women's dresses were previously decorated. Due to its flexibility and soft, beautiful shine, the soutache has become very widespread in the field of creating various jewelry, including brooches.

This is the technique of manually weaving lace using a shuttle or a needle. The lace fabric is very thin, light. Often lace is additionally decorated with small beads or rhinestones.

This technique, insanely popular today, originated in Japan. It is based on the principle of converting a flat object into a voluminous one. Most often, in the kanzashi technique, flowers are made of dense shiny silk. Each petal of the future creation is twisted with tweezers and glued to the base. And so, petal by petal, a volumetric composition appears.

Another Japanese technique for creating jewelry. Previously, lush, voluminous floral arrangements were created from shreds of old kimonos. Today, instead of a kimono, you can use any other suitable fabric.

A bright personality never goes out of fashion, so do-it-yourself jewelry is especially popular.. For example, an embroidered brooch. As a basis, a dense material is taken, for example, leather or drape, on which an embroidered picture is sewn. As additional decorations, braid, satin ribbon, lace, beads, feathers and other decor are used.

Among the main fashion trends of the new season, there are several:

1. Do-it-yourself jewelry is in fashion. This means that hand-made jewelry made in any style and design is still relevant.
2. No less popular are vintage jewelry. Brooches from the "grandmother's chest", cameos, frills and other antique accessories do not go out of fashion today.
3. As for certain items used to create jewelry, bows, butterflies, crowns, flowers remain relevant. It should be large and catchy jewelry, made in tone with the main clothes.

A wide variety of materials of natural and synthetic origin are used to create brooches. Decorations are made of leather, fabric, fur, plastic, silk, velvet, glass, felt, cold porcelain. It can even be wooden. Homemade jewelry (jewelry) is often made of chiffon, beads, rhinestones, beautiful buttons, oblique inlay, sequins, Thomas and other materials.

A huge variety of brooches makes it easy to choose a suitable jewelry of any color and shade: black, white, red, blue, green, silver, gold, purple, coral. There are more original shades, and multi-color jewelry. Universal models are more often made of gold or silver. Such accessories are ideally combined with any clothes.

Black or white brooches are also considered universal. Jewelry with colored stones should be selected to match the color of clothing or other accessories.

Before choosing and buying a brooch, you should first decide how and with what it will be worn.

If you plan to purchase a practical, versatile jewelry that would suit different looks, it is better to opt for gold and silver models with or without a transparent stone. Elegant, concise design, neat shape and small size - such an accessory will always be in place.

If a brooch with a stone is selected, it is good if it will be combined in color with other accessories and clothes.

Multi-colored brooches look great with plain clothes, otherwise the image runs the risk of being too colorful and artsy.

Modern fashion allows you to wear a brooch in a variety of ways, there are no clearly defined rules. However, there are a few simple recommendations that you should follow to make the look look as harmonious and stylish as possible.

The brooch can be worn:

• on the left or right shoulder;
• on the chest;
• on the sleeves;
• on the straps of dresses or T-shirts;
• on the belt;
• on the hip;
• on the hair;
• on a hat or on a hat;
• on the neck;
• on a scarf, scarf, stole;
• on the hands;
• on a fur collar;
• on outer clothing (on a fur coat, coat, jacket, cloak);
• on a purse;
• on a chain as a pendant.

The brooch can be combined with a jacket or worn on a sweater, decorate it with an evening dress or pin to a T-shirt.

To whom it is more convenient. Someone prefers on the left, someone on the right, someone in the middle, above-below, to the left-to the right - the modern fashion gives the opportunity for a variety of experiments with choosing a place for this decoration. The main thing is that the resulting image looks very natural.

A correctly chosen place for attaching a brooch will not only decorate the created image, but will also help emphasize the dignity of a female figure. For example, a piece of jewelry worn around the waist or hips will draw the attention of others to a slender, feminine figure. A brooch on the sleeve will draw attention to graceful hands, and fixed on the neck will draw attention to the beautiful oval of the face.

Elegant stylish gold brooch decorated with a large stone and several chains.Such an accessory is ideal for any outfit, for example, a strict emerald-colored dress. A wide golden bracelet complements the look.

The sparkling lizard with emerald eyes looks great with an evening gown of a deep purple hue. Graceful chain earrings were used as an accompanying decoration.

A cameo will be a great addition to your everyday and business look. For example, to a snow-white blouse decorated with a funny print and sand-colored skirt. Any look immediately becomes more feminine and romantic.