Giovanni Apa

There are few gemstones in the world that are both affordable and worthy of a duchess’s attention. But then not many stones are as beautiful as amethyst. Indeed, vintage and antique amethyst jewelry has innumerable fans, and February’s birthstone has many unique attributes. For the romantics, there are several tales in Greek mythology that tell the story of Bacchus and Amethyste, a maiden that he pursues yet is rescued by Diane by turning her into a white stone. Bacchus, mourning his love, pours a glass of wine over the sculpture, dyeing her purple.

Amethyst has adorned many royal jewels. One of the most enviable jewelry collections of all time belonged to Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor. In 1947, the Duke gifted her with a Cartier amethyst and turquoise bib necklace. This special order piece was made with twisted 18-carat and 20-carat gold, platinum, brilliant- and baguette-cut diamonds, one heart-shaped faceted amethyst, 27 emerald-cut amethysts, one oval faceted amethyst, and turquoise cabochons. The Duchess was not the only Royal with a penchant for the purple gemstone. The tiara now owned by Queen Silvia of Sweden is set with amethysts that once belonged to the French Empress Josephine. A stunning 56-carat cushion-cut, square-shaped amethyst set in an 18-karat yellow gold necklace designed by Tiffany & Co. is now in the collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

The Smithsonian also has in its possession an even more rare example of fine amethyst: the 96-carat Morris Amethyst Brooch. The brooch features a deep, rich purple heart-shaped amethyst. The museum states that the piece was likely made during the Edwardian period (1901–15) “when platinum and diamonds were often used, and amethyst, a favorite stone of King Edward VII’s wife, Alexandra, was often included in jewelry of the era.”

Another amethyst necklace, with an even richer story, can be found in the Natural History Museum of London. Known as the Delhi Purple Sapphire (even though the stone is an amethyst), this stone was stolen from the Temple of Indra during the Indian Mutiny of 1857. Anyone in possession of this stone is bound to have terrible luck, including its owner Edward Heron-Allen, who gifted the gemstone to the museum thinking that this would save him but ended up transferring the bad luck to the museum curators overseeing the stone.

Find a wide range of vintage and antique amethyst necklaces, bracelets and other fine jewelry on 1stDibs.

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.