Costume Jewelry Online

Buying a Costume Jewelry Brooch

A costume jewelry brooch is an excellent way to dive into the wonderful world of vintage jewelry. There are no sizes to worry about, like you'd have with a bracelet or necklace. They don't pinch, like some of the clip earrings can do. Instead, they just lie softly on your jacket or blouse, while you collect the compliments!

First: Decide What You Want

Costume Jewelry Brooch by Lisner (Click to Enlarge)

Yes, that's a loaded statment -- if you're like me, you want it all! But since you likely have to work within a budget of some sort, it's time for your first decision. Are you buying this costume jewelry brooch to wear, as an investment or both? Yes, it may effect what you purchase.

You can see the details in my post on buying signed or unsigned costume jewelry, but basically you need to decide what kind of collection you want to build. In a nutshell, if you only want to wear the jewelry, buy what you like! If you are also interested in the financial appreciation of your investment, other factors come into play.

OK, let's assume that you want to both wear at least some of the jewelry, but keep some of it for investment as well. That being the case, you want to go with signed pieces. You can read more about the designers to begin your collection with here.

What Kind of Costume Jewelry Brooch?

Now that you've decided on which designer(s) you want to target, is there a "best" kind of brooch or pin with which to start?

Rhinestone costume jewelry has a big audience, and you can't go wrong with a quality rhinestone brooch. Not only are they scrumptious to look at, but they tend to hold their value well. Just make sure that all the rhinestones are present and accounted for, and that none are "dead" (i.e. they don't reflect light anymore).

A pearl brooch has a timeless appeal, even if the pearls are faux and not real. Pearls are classy and work for just about any occasion. Make sure all the pearls are in place, and that there are no peeling spots on any of them.

Enameled pins and brooches can be a big draw, depending on the designer -- not all enamels are created equal! You might want to study the auctions for a bit before jumping into the enamel section.

What about a plain goldtone or silvertone brooch? Well, some are anything but plain, but here I mean they aren't adorned with anything else -- just the metalwork. You can usually pick one of these up inexpensively, which is great when you are first building your collection. But the resale value (when you want to upgrade your collection) isn't much. You'll likely just get what you paid for it (which can be just fine, too).

Look Out For...

Here's one I got caught on (almost literally). I bought a costume jewelry brooch without looking well at the back of the brooch. Yep, the pin was short...almost too short! It did manage to make it into the clasp, but it was a near thing. I had been concentrating too hard on reading the designer signature!

Along the same lines, make sure the pin mechanism isn't bent or the clasp catch broken. The vast majority of times in an auction the seller will mention if these problems exist, but looking carefully at photos of the pin back can save you from a pin you can't wear. And if in doubt -- ask! Most sellers are happy to answer questions.

Now I'll speed you on your way with some pretty eye candy of some costume jewelry brooch auctions. Enjoy!