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.
20th Century Danish Art Deco Brooches
Sterling Silver
2010s Thai Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold
1940s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1940s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Gilt Metal
1930s European Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Platinum
1930s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
1920s European Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Platinum
1960s Unknown Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Platinum, Enamel
Mid-20th Century Mexican Art Deco Brooches
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Thai Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Pearl, 14k Gold, White Gold
20th Century Danish Art Deco Brooches
Sterling Silver
1920s Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Gold, Platinum
2010s French Art Deco Brooches
Pearl
1920s British Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Gold, Platinum
1930s Unknown Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century British Art Deco Brooches
Carnelian, Marcasite, Sterling Silver
1920s Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Opal, 10k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s German Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Gold Plate
Early 20th Century European Art Deco Brooches
Marcasite, Silver
1940s Vintage Art Deco Brooches
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1920s Vintage Art Deco Brooches
White Diamond, Turquoise, Yellow Gold, Gold, 14k Gold
20th Century Unknown Art Deco Brooches
Ruby, Sapphire, Yellow Gold, Gold
Early 20th Century Art Deco Brooches
Onyx, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
1930s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Enamel, Gilt Metal
1940s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Crystal, Pearl, Silver, Rhodium
Late 20th Century Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold
1920s Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Platinum
Mid-20th Century Unknown Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Platinum
1920s English Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Emerald, Diamond, Platinum
1920s British Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Natural Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
1940s Unknown Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Natural Pearl, 18k Gold, Platinum
1920s Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Platinum
Early 1900s French Antique Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s Unknown Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Onyx, Yellow Gold
1980s French Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Gold Plate
1930s Unknown Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum, Gold
1970s French Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Amethyst, Aquamarine, Topaz, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
20th Century Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Onyx, Platinum
1950s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Gold Plate
2010s Thai Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Tsavorite, 18k Gold
1930s American Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Rhodium
1920s Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
1930s Unknown Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Emerald, Yellow Gold, Gold, 18k Gold
1920s French Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Sterling Silver
2010s Thai Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
1980s German Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Gold Plate
1980s Vintage Art Deco Brooches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1920s Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
Early 20th Century Chinese Art Deco Brooches
Brass
1920s British Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Silver
1920s Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Pearl, 14k Gold, Enamel
Late 20th Century Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Sapphire, Turquoise, Yellow Gold
1990s Art Deco Brooches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s French Vintage Art Deco Brooches
1920s Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
1940s Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Platinum
1960s European Vintage Art Deco Brooches
Gold Plate