Antique jewelry glossary

Welcome to our extensive antique jewelry glossary with around 1,500 jewelry related entries.If you feel you are missing an explanation, feel free to let us know and we will add it.

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z     all

Heart brooch

See our: heart brooches.

A type of brooch in the shape of the outline of a heart, or sometimes two adjacent or interlocking hearts, and having a transverse or vertical pin. Such brooches, made of gold or silver, were constructed in the same manner as a ring brooch. They were popular in Europe during the 14th and 15th centuries, being given as love tokens, some having an amatory inscription on the front or the reverse. Some Scottish examples made from c. 1708 are surmounted by a crown, with occasionally a bird's head.

From: An Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry, autor: Harold Newman, publishers: Thames and Hudson