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The Brooch Is Back! | August 26, 2015 (0 comments)
Merrick, NY—If there’s one product designers love and jewelers hate, it’s the brooch. Designers love them because a brooch is the perfect canvas to express their creative passion, but jewelers don’t like to stock them because they don’t always sell.
This season, that will change. Cue Elton John—the brooch is back! There have been sporadic revivals, but it’s been decades since we saw so many brooches on parade in the fashion pack. Vogue first identified the trend in January, citing (what else?) the trendsetting Céline and Chanel. Oscar de la Renta, Vera Wang, and Prada also featured the brooch on their runways.
Above: the brooch at Celine; below, at Chanel. Images: Vogue.com
Brooches popped up again in fall fashion spreads and ads:
Above, an ad for the Les Copains apparel brand featured a butterfly brooch. Below, pages from Harper's Bazaar and InStyle featured brooches prominently.
Lisa Armstrong, fashion director of The Daily Telegraph in London penned an essay for the September issue of Harper’s Bazaar, in which she lists her picks for standout pieces this fall: “…I direct you toward Chlolé’s guardsman coats, Prada’s pea jackets, pins, and polished glacé-leather opera-length gloves…” She also names Gucci’s bow-tied silk blouses, and a host of Seventies-redux pantsuits and menswear-inspired pieces.
“Brooches are really in now. We have received several calls in the past week for them," says Brent Adelman of Scottsdale, AZ-based Bellarri. They’re even coming into fashion for men on the lapel, says stylist and fashion expert Michael O’Connor.
The super-hot way to wear the trend? Classic flowers, birds, and other nature themes. Here are some options:
From Michael Bondanza, above: Jasmine brooch in platinum, 18k yellow gold and onyx with 1.08 ctw. diamonds (left) and two birds brooch in platinum and 18k hand-engraved yellow gold with 0.74 ctw. pave diamonds.
Flower brooch with more than 13 ctw. of black and white diamonds, approximate retail $39,000. DAVANI by A&D Gem.
From Oscar Heyman: Panda brooch in platinum and enamel with 1.73 ctw. round diamonds, 0.08 ctw. round sapphire eyes, and 0.12 ct. marquise cut emerald; suggested retail, $32,000. Orchid brooch is platinum, gold, and enamel with 2.75 ctw. round fancy yellow diamonds and 6.15 ctw. round diamonds; suggested retail, $92,000.
Top of page: Hummingbird brooch is platinum and gold with 1.02 ctw. round fancy yellow diamonds, 1.00 ctw. round diamonds, 2.81 ctw. tsavorite garnets in assorted shapes, 0.73 ctw. round rubies and 0.07 ct. round sapphire; price on request. Pansy brooch is platinum and gold with 10.09 ctw. rubies, 4.04 ctw. round diamonds, 2.44 ctw. baguette-cut emeralds, 5.10 ctw. pink sapphires in assorted shapes and one 0.30-ct. round yellow sapphire. Price upon request.
Brooch from BELLARRI’s ‘Mademoiselle Collection,’ set in 18k gold with 34.75 ctw. of laser-cut multi-color natural gemstones and diamonds.
"Magic Bottle" brooch by Alishan was an International Pearl Competition award winner. It's got glass from an ancient 2000-year-old Roman broken bottle in 18k gold, with pearls, diamonds, and a spider made of Tahitian pearls. His "Torch" pin in platinum and 18k yellow gold has green tourmaline and diamonds.
Diamond flower brooch in 18k white gold, by Kwiat.