Renaissance Brooches

The Gigantas Pendant, an important late 16th century Renaissance baroque pearl, gold and enamelled pendant, with later alterations, depicting one of the Greek gigantes, wearing the i...

Christian Dior 1980s Vintage Vivid Wavy Grains Leaf White Round Pearl Brooch, Gold Tone Very excellent condition. Very light scratches or colour lo...

This 15th-Century period or older gilt copper and silver alloy amulet with niello inlay is an elaborately engraved three-dimensional brooch and pendant, which demonstrates the epitome of miniature decorative nielli in the early Renaissance by European goldsmiths of small cruciform or quatrefoil objects with heraldry symbols. Beyond a dense array of engraved radiant-light, cloud and star motifs with punchwork, it features a 10mm fine black crested staff that is the Christian symbol for the Holy Trinity. This intricate engraving with niello has fleur-de-lys elements, like a French or Florentine coat-of-arms or monogram used to identify noble families or a significant person like a king. It tops a 5mm bar, which is bracketed by 10mm peaked bars that form a cross. When worn, it is positioned horizontally like an elongated barbed quatrefoil. The bars may be concealing a relic such as wood, while it is not clear how these pieces are attached to the front. As a symbol of French conversion to Christianity, the French King Louis in the 12th Century made a fleur-de-lys element of the Holy Trinity vector the official emblem of his royal authority on shields. Later, English kings adopted it when claiming the French throne. By the 14th Century, the fleur-de-lys was used in family insignia that was sewn onto a knight's coat-of-mail surcoat. This coat-of-arms insignia could identify them if found on a battlefield. The Met Cloisters museum collection includes a similarly sized mid-15th Century French gold brooch...

This antique amuletic bronze framed pendant cages a dozen 7mm-diameter single-cut rock crystals that each feature a table-cut decagon crown, deep pavilion, 21 facets and uncut girdle, while the culets range from off-center to blunted. They are tightly set within four linked rings to overlap at the same angle in a sparkling single row. Seeming to retain a little of its original yellow-gold gilding on just the interior, the frame that surrounds each of the four sections of three crystals enables them to reflect pale-yellow-and-lime light when the pendant is viewed from certain angles. Suggesting French heritage, the Medieval Frankish culture in northern France made jewelry in similar segmented or openwork shapes of wheels or whorls, which were worn as gem-decorated disk-shaped brooches or gold-caged rock...

This early-16th-Century Renaissance period silver-repousse round medallion pendant features a romantic encounter in a rural landscape between a man and smiling woman wearing European-nobility fashion, including a men's feathered hat, tights and sword. A silversmith was commissioned by this unknown man to make the pendant as a hat badge to promote his affectionate nature, which is conveyed by the welcomed gestures between the adult couple, who stand cheek-to-cheek and hand-in-hand. As there is a church in the distant landscape, this may have been his wedding-engagement announcement. It is worth noting that romantic love via marriage was a rarity before the 18th Century. The tragic romantic Italian legend of Romeo and Juliet was first translated into English for publication in 1562--several decades before Shakespeare turned it into a famous play about a deadly consequence of separating lovers. The pendant medallion is framed with a filigree-like inward-curving bezel and a flat metal backplate, while its bail enables it to be pinned as a brooch or strung on a necklace. A perfect engagement or wedding gift for a man or woman who loves antique...

Early Maison Gripoix for Chanel articulated Renaissance pendant brooch circa 1960. Of Gripoix poured glass enamel in emerald and ruby, glass beads, cut crystal rondelles and faux baroque pearls set...

Maison Gripoix for Chanel Renaissance cross pendant brooch from 1992 Autumn/Winter. Of ruby and emerald poured glass enamel round and rectangular cabochons. Set in gilded bronze with handmade baroque nacre Maison Gripoix pearls. Worn in a ruby color way by Linda Evangelista in the CHANEL 1992...

Chanel's sapphire poured glass, paste and dog tooth pearl brooch. The central motif, very classic in the Chanel iconography is mounted atop triangular hand made tooth pearls. Chanel ...

Coco Chanel Medieval style brooch, quatrefoil in form of ruby pate de verre with multiple handmade faux pearls. This style of brooch was one of Chanel's "Fords" of bijoux fantasie m...

CoCo Chanel Renaissance style oval crest brooch in a modified quatrefoil form with signature cabochon emerald and ruby pate de verre stones and crystals. ...

Coco Chanel's personal brooch in the form of a four leaf clover of gilt chased bronze set with a central raised faux pearl. The pearl is surrounded by amythest,citrine,olivine and de...