Brooch
Brooches are frequently decorated with enamel or with gemstones and may be solely for ornament or serve a practical function as a clothes fastener.
They were necessary as clothes fasteners, but also often highly decorative, and important markers of social status for both men and women, from the Bronze Age onwards.
The newer techniques of casting, metal bar-twisting and wire making were the basis for many new objects, including the fibula.
[2] In Europe, Celtic craftsmen were creating fibulae decorated in red enamel and coral inlay, as early as 400 BC.
During the 5th and 6th centuries, five Germanic tribes migrated to and occupied four different areas of Europe and England after the collapse of the Roman Empire.
Because the tribes were closely linked by their origins, and their jewellery techniques were strikingly similar, the work of these people was first referred to as Barbarian art.
[5] Brooches dating from this period were developed from a combination of Late Roman and new Germanic art forms, designs and technology.
The precious stone most often used in brooches was the almandine, a burgundy variety of garnet, found in Europe and India.
[7] According to J. Anderson Black, "designers would cover the entire surface of an object with the tiny geometric shapes of precious stones or enamel which were then polished flat until they were flush with the cloisonné settings, giving the appearance of a tiny stained glass window.
[10] The majority of brooches found in early Anglo-Saxon England were Continental styles that had migrated from Europe and Scandinavia.
Miscellaneous brooches during this time period include the bird, the ottonian, the rectangle and the cross motif.
[19] Germanic Animal Style decoration was the foundation of Scandinavian art that was produced during the Middle Ages.
During the early medieval period, Scandinavian craftsmen created intricately carved brooches with their signature animal style ornamentation.
[21] A variety of Scandinavian brooch forms were common during this period: circular, bird-shaped, oval, equal-armed, trefoil, lozenge-shaped, and domed disc.
[22] Brooches found during the late medieval era, (1300 to 1500 AD), were worn by both men and women.
Brooch shapes were generally: star-shaped, pentagonal, lobed, wheel, heart-shaped, and ring.
[23] Brooch decoration usually consisted of a simple inscription or gems applied to a gold or silver base.
In late antiquity, they were embellished with symbols of pagan deities or gems that held special powers to protect the wearer from harm.
Global exploration and colonisation brought new prosperity to Europe and Great Britain along with new sources of diamonds, gems, pearls, and precious metals.
[30] The Neoclassical era (1760–1830) in jewellery design was inspired by classical themes of ancient Greece and Rome.
[31] An important innovation in jewellery making during this era was the technique of producing cameos with hard pastes called black basalt and jasper.
English pottery manufacturer Josiah Wedgwood is responsible for this important contribution to jewellery making.
Cameos, locket brooches, flowers, nature, animal and hearts were popular jewellery styles in the early Victorian era.
When Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, died in 1861, jewellery fashion changed to reflect the queen in mourning.
Black onyx, coral, quartz, lapis and carnelian were used with classic stones such as diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires.
