The Brooch Is Back!

Across gender, personal style, and occasion, brooches are making a significant comeback. The brooch was first introduced as a functional clip as early as the Bronze Age and has been designed and worn in countless incarnations ever since, but today, the statement brooch is a highlight of the wardrobes of royalty, politicians, and red-carpet celebrities—notably, Lady Gaga donned a dramatic, giant gold brooch of a dove holding an olive branch during the 46th Presidential Inauguration.

Lot 31 | A 14K yellow gold and diamond pendant/brooch | Estimate: $800-1,200

Though figures like Sarah Jessica Parker and Nick Jonas are among the celebrities to bring back the brooch in full force over the past couple years, brooches don’t have to be reserved for red-carpet occasions. Whether designed in sleek, simple silver or gold, or studded with jewels, brooches are excellent statement pieces for work, play, and everyday outings.

Historically, brooches have most commonly been pinned to the left lapel of a coat or blazer. Today’s sartorial freedoms, however, allow for much more creative placements, including in clusters, along a pocket, in a hairstyle, as well as affixed to accessories like hats, bags, and scarves, making these eye-catching pieces a most useful addition to any jewelry collection.

Lot 32 | A 14K rose gold and diamond pendant/brooch | Estimate: $1,000-1,500

Some brooches are considered “convertibles”—they can also be worn as double clips, earrings, or necklaces. Worn singly or in pairs, these clips are often designed to attach to a bracelet, necklace, hair clip, or other accessory. The double-clip-brooch was first introduced by Cartier in 1927, and their versatility ensured their popularity well into the 1950s. Freeman's August 17 Luxe: Summer Jewels auction features several convertible brooches, including two elegant 14-karat gold and diamond pendant/brooches (Lots 31 and 32) that can just as easily be strung onto a necklace chain as pinned onto a lapel.

Lot 48 | A 14K yellow gold, coral, and turquoise brooch | Estimate: $2,500-3,500

Lot 100 | A diamond, cultured pearl, and gold brooch with matching earrings | Estimate: $1,200-1,500

Gold, manipulated in various ways, is a quintessential brooch choice; the brooches in Luxe: Summer Jewels also highlight the timeless interplay of gold with other elements, as in the bright, cheerful Seaman Schepps 14-karat gold, coral, and turquoise brooch that places the elegant beauty of gemstones front and center (Lot 48). Other selections—like a brooch designed as a cluster of grapes (Lot 100)—use elements like cultured pearls and diamonds against white and yellow gold details.

Lot 73 | A diamond, yellow diamond, and platinum rose brooch | Estimate: $8,000-12,000

Lot 74 | An 18K white gold and diamond brooch | Estimate: $4,000-6,000

With additional inspiration from the garden, two brooches from Freeman’s August 17 sale stand out in particular: a diamond, yellow diamond, and platinum rose brooch (Lot 73), and an 18-karat white gold and diamond brooch (Lot 74). Studded all over with intricately set small diamonds, these brooches are both designed as roses, perfect as a romantic addition to any outfit—and a testament to the eye-catching, timeless nature of the statement brooch.

View the rest of our August 17 Luxe: Summer Jewels auction.

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