Art Deco Brooches
Fascination with the Jazz Age is endless, and even today jewelry designers continue to be inspired by authentic Art Deco jewelry and watches.
The Art Deco period, encompassing the 1920s and ’30s, ushered in a very distinct look in the design of jewelry. There were many influences on the jewelry of the era that actually began to take shape prior to the 1920s. In 1909, Serge Diaghilev brought the Ballet Russes to Paris, and women went wild for the company’s exotic and vibrant costumes It’s no wonder, then, that jade, lapis lazuli, coral, turquoise and other bright gemstones became all the rage. There already existed a fascination with the East, particularly China and Japan, and motifs consisting of fans and masks started to show up in Art Deco jewelry.
However, the event that had the greatest influence on Deco was the excavation of the tomb of King Tut in 1922. When the world saw what was hidden in Tut’s burial chamber, it sent just about everyone into a frenzy. Pierre Cartier wrote in 1923 that “the discovery of the tomb will bring some sweeping changes in fashion jewelry.” And he couldn’t have been more right. “Egyptomania” left an indelible mark on all of the major jewelry houses, from Cartier to Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron and Georges Fouquet. (Cartier created some of the most iconic jewelry designs that defined this era.)
While a lot of Art Deco jewelry was black and white — the black coming from the use of onyx or black enamel and the white from rock crystal and diamonds — there is plenty of color in jewelry of the era. A perfect accent to diamonds in platinum settings were blue sapphires, emeralds and rubies, and these stones were also used in combination with each other.
Many designers employed coral, jade and lapis lazuli, too. In fact, some of the most important avant-garde jewelers of the period, like Jean Després and Jean Fouquet (son of Georges), would combine white gold with ebony and malachite for a jolt of color.
A lot of the jewelry produced during this time nodded to current fashion trends, and women often accessorized their accessories. The cloche hat was often accented with geometric diamond brooches or double-clip brooches. Backless evening dresses looked fabulous with sautoir necklaces, and long pearl necklaces that ended with tassels, popular during the Edwardian period, were favored by women everywhere, including Coco Chanel.
Find unique Art Deco necklaces, earrings, bracelets and other jewelry on 1stDibs.
1930s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Gilt Metal
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Platinum
1920s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Silver Plate, Gilt Metal
1940s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Vermeil, Sterling Silver
1920s German Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Sterling Silver
1990s French Art Deco Brooches
Silver Plate
1930s Unknown Vintage Art Deco Brooches
10k Gold, Gold, Yellow Gold
1930s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond
1950s Unknown Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Yellow Gold, Enamel
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Brooches
Crystal, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, Gold, Enamel, Gilt Metal, Vermeil
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Brooches
Pearl, Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
1930s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Enamel, Gilt Metal
1930s French Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Sterling Silver
1920s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Mixed Metal
1950s Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Platinum
1920s Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Sapphire, 14k Gold, White Gold
1930s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Rhodium
2010s North American Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Emerald, White Gold, Platinum
1920s Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
1930s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Gilt Metal
1940s Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Vermeil, Sterling Silver
1940s Unknown Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Platinum
1930s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Rhodium
1920s Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Amethyst, Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Chinese Art Deco Brooches
Jade, Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold
1930s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Base Metal, Rhodium
Early 19th Century Antique Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
1930s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Rhodium
1920s French Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, White Diamond, Pearl, Natural Pearl, Platinum
1990s Indian Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, White Diamond, Yellow Diamond, Brown Diamond, Ruby, Rose Gold, ...
1930s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Rhodium, Base Metal
1920s Unknown Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Platinum
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Deco Brooches
Turquoise, Silver, Enamel
1920s Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
1990s Indian Art Deco Brooches
White Diamond, Yellow Diamond, Pink Diamond, Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gol...
1930s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Gilt Metal
Early 19th Century Antique Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Platinum
1990s Indian Art Deco Brooches
White Diamond, Yellow Diamond, Pink Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yello...
1940s French Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Bronze
1930s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
1930s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Rhodium
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
1990s Indian Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Yellow Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Pink Diamond, Tsavorite, B...
1910s Unknown Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Pearl, Diamond, White Gold, 14k Gold
1990s Indian Art Deco Brooches
White Diamond, Yellow Diamond, Pink Diamond, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Go...
1920s Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Platinum
1930s French Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Rhodium
1930s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Rhodium, Enamel
1940s Unknown Vintage Art Deco Brooches
White Gold
1940s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Gilt Metal
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Deco Brooches
Pearl, 14k Gold, Enamel
1930s Italian Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, Platinum
1990s American Art Deco Brooches
Crystal, Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
1950s Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, White Gold, Platinum
1930s North American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, White Diamond, Spinel, Yellow Gold, Platinum, Gold, 18k Gold
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Deco Brooches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold