Clearing our Grandmother's vintage/antique hoard!

Decided to catalogue all the brooches I've found so in this batch (excepting the 30 odd broken/damaged ones) to try and make a plan of what to do with them. Thought y'all might enjoy seeing all 152 of them hanging out together. There's at least as many again still at the house

PXL_20230222_205353545.jpg
PXL_20230222_210053781.jpg
PXL_20230222_210439056.jpg
PXL_20230222_212116108.jpg
PXL_20230222_221122855.jpg
PXL_20230222_221911066.jpg
PXL_20230222_222941834.jpg
PXL_20230222_224000463.jpg
PXL_20230222_224659101.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
poppysvintageclothing said:
WOW! What a collection! Have you checked for hallmarks on the bar pins...those are often gold or silver and can have a gemstone in them.
Click to expand...
There is one silver bar pin that I missed out of the pictures as it was in my "to be polished pile" but I think it's just got glass in it. All the others have no label.

Spent this evening having a look at some of the non glass/metal/stone necklaces and think I have a fun Bakelite buckle bracelet. Otherwise there's some Kashmiri beads, a weird coconut shell number and several wooden oddities. I really like the offset blue and white half sphere plastic beads with metal rings but have had no luck finding similar items using image search. Its in the pic with the orange twisty beads

PXL_20230224_001420030.jpg
PXL_20230224_000913067.jpg
PXL_20230224_000421677.jpg
PXL_20230223_235635339.jpg
PXL_20230223_232820481.jpg
PXL_20230223_231523580.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
But the most bamboozling by far are these two (agate? Definitely natural stone of some sort) pendants of the letters RT. No idea what they might be at all. My fav find of this evening is this pretty necklace which I can't decide if it's glass or some sort of mineral and has a nice braided metal wire base for the dangles. Will have another look in natural light and try and work out what's what tomorrow

PXL_20230223_230903722.jpg
PXL_20230223_233824644.jpg
PXL_20230223_233936665.jpg
PXL_20230223_233915437.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The Vintage Merchant said:
that necklace is delicious!
Click to expand...
It does almost look edible. I think mint flavoured for some reasons

Granny definitely had a penchant for brooches and necklaces over other types of jewellery, and collected on distinct themes in those. Have hardly found any rings and they're a very ragtag bunch. Everything from horn to fake cinnabar to silver. My three favs are definitely the horse head, the silver and pink (paste I think) and the scarab, which is made of very heavy metal and seems to be adjustable.

Also found these nice bird slides/barrettes which seem to be either knock offs of, or were knocked off by a a Karl Lagerfeld design (well according to Etsy anyway).

Every day is a new puzzle

Screenshot_20230224-153802.png
PXL_20230224_151310672.jpg
PXL_20230224_154017493.jpg
Screenshot_20230224-151434.png
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I've just had a chance to read through this thread! WOW! What an adventure.!!!

In terms of dating brooches, the round hinge with a modern safety clasp has been used since the very late 1920s - and trombone clasps were used in Europe for quite some time so may not be as old as you first think.. Some of the pieces you are thinking might not be older could be - and some that you think are older might not be! I think in general you are on the right track but please continue to ask if you have questions.
 
Linn said:
I've just had a chance to read through this thread! WOW! What an adventure.!!!

In terms of dating brooches, the round hinge with a modern safety clasp has been used since the very late 1920s - and trombone clasps were used in Europe for quite some time so may not be as old as you first think.. Some of the pieces you are thinking might not be older could be - and some that you think are older might not be! I think in general you are on the right track but please continue to ask if you have questions.
Click to expand...

Thanks Linn! Appreciate the info, I'll definitely keep asking questions because I'm a total novice. Mostly just trying to group things vaguely so I can figure out what to get an expert to look at, what to research, and what to let the boot fair people at

Wouldn't be surprised if we have more than 1000 brooches so it'll take a while
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top