A Brooch is a unisex ornament. Anyone irrespective of gender or age can adorn this beautiful piece of jewellery. The best part is that it is not only used for ornamental purposes but also has a function to perform. We can call it a fancy safety pin that keeps your clothes in place. It fastens your garments together and saves you from a possible embarrassing moment.
Haven’t we all seen a decorative brooch with our mothers that she uses to keep her saree pleats intact for festive events?
Yes, this humble product can save you and also add a touch of glamour. But are you aware of the brooch story?
Well, let’s talk about the evolution of the modern-day brooch.
The art of making a brooch belongs to the tribal community called Germanic. They were nomadic tribes and passed on their skills as they moved from one place to another for survival.
The Brooch is from the Bronze Age. Metal bars and wires were shaped into a brooch back in the day. Red enamel and coral inlays fulfilled the decoration part. Simple and humble, but high on performing its duty, the brooch evolved with more gemstones, enamelling, and filigree in the Medieval era. Almandine was the first gemstone that was used to make the brooch.
Much of the fashionable geometrical patterns that we swoon over today was created in the Medieval era. Gemstones were etched over iron.
Gemstones and enamelling lend a vibrant look to this ornament. The distinctive designs too add to the popularity of this ornament. The medieval period saw bow-shaped, fish-shaped, circular, and bird-shaped brooches. Sometimes even deities found themselves on the crown of a brooch. Here lay the foundation of modern-day brooches.
Today gold, silver, platinum, palladium, titanium, tungsten etc. are used to make a brooch. For those who don’t want to invest a lot in buying expensive brooches, there are also fashion pieces of jewellery available. Bronze, stainless steel, copper etc. are used here. These are decorated with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, pearls, amethyst, jade and every possible gemstone and enamel work.
A brooch is not just about the gemstones but also about the distinctive design that it showcases. You can find all the unusual things on a brooch. A parrot, a tiger, a rose, a panther, creepers, a lion cub, an elephant, a turtle, a star, the moon; they are all available as a brooch.
Also, brooches have evolved and can be broadly categorized as-
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Pendant brooch– These are the traditional locket shaped brooches found in many trends to suit every occasion.
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String brooch– These are the ones where multiple decorative strings are attached to the brooch. In some designs, the strings are attached to either side of the same brooch or act as a connecting panel for two brooches. In both the cases these string brooches render a royal look to the wearer.
So how do you style this multi-dimensional ornament?
No, the sole purpose of the brooch is not to keep your mom’s saree intact. It can be used in multiple other ways. Here are some tips for styling your brooch-
Deck the bridal bun– Styling your hair in a bun is a traditional and classy way to rock the wedding. Add the string brooch onto the bun to elevate its look and garner all attention.
Sparkle the solids– We all own clothes with solid colours. Jackets, shirts, cardigans and even a solid daily wear kurta can be amped up with a unique brooch.
Layer them on– Layering is the call of the season. Attach a lot of offbeat brooches on your dress and be the ‘cool one’ to your acquaintances.
Sherwani style– Grab one string styled brooch and attach it to your husband’s sherwani for a dapper look.
A brooch is a versatile ornament that can always enhance your look. Raid the town and grab all the designs you want.