Never judge a brooch by its front. The back is where all the gossip is.
Turn a brooch over. The hardware on the back often tells you more about its age than the front does. Here are the main clasp and hinge types and what each one suggests.
Our gold filigree oval brooch with a ruby red glass stone fastens with one, and it's in the shop now for $27. It's the only one we have.
See the brooch →
The C-clasp
A C-clasp is a simple open hook shaped like the letter C, with nothing to lock the pin in. It was the standard brooch catch through the 1800s and into the early 1900s. On the oldest pieces, the pin is often long enough to stick out past the edge of the brooch.
The tube hinge
Look at the other end of the pin. A long, narrow hinge that looks like a tiny tube is typical of Victorian brooches, roughly 1850 to 1910. A tube hinge together with a C-clasp and a long pin is a strong sign of an antique piece.
The trombone clasp
A trombone clasp is a small tube that you pull out to release the pin and push in to lock it, like the slide of a trombone. It appeared in Europe in the second half of the 1800s and is seen most often on pieces from about the 1890s to the 1940s, especially French and other European jewelry. Some European makers kept using it much later, so it isn't proof of age on its own.
The safety (rollover) clasp
This is the catch most of us know: a C with a small piece that rotates to lock the pin in. Locking catches arrived in the early 1900s and became standard in the 1920s and 1930s. They're still used today, and most mid-century costume brooches have one. A rollover clasp tells you a piece is 20th century or later, but not much more than that.
Other clues on the back
- Replaced hardware. Clasps break, and many old brooches were repaired with a newer catch. Look for fresh solder or metal that doesn't match the rest of the piece.
- How the pin is attached. Hinges and catches soldered on one at a time suggest earlier, hand-finished work. A one-piece bar with the hinge, pin and catch together, or a pin back that's glued on, points to later production or a repair.
- Marks. A maker's name helps the most. On American costume jewelry, a copyright symbol next to the name generally points to the mid-1950s or later.
Use the clues together
No single feature dates a brooch for certain. Old styles were copied, old hardware was replaced, and some clasps stayed in use for a century. The clasp, the hinge, the pin length, the style of the front and any maker's mark should all tell the same story.
Quick reference
- C-clasp with a tube hinge and long pin: likely 1800s to early 1900s
- Trombone clasp: often 1890s to 1940s, usually European
- Rollover safety clasp: 1920s to today
See it in person: brooch clasps in the shop
Every one of these listings tells you which clasp is on the back. Each one is a single piece, so when it's gone, it's gone.
Shop vintage brooches
We currently have a gold filigree oval brooch with a ruby red glass stone that fastens with a C-clasp, and a clear rhinestone bow brooch with a rollover safety clasp. You can also see what's pinned up right now in our vintage brooches and signed designer jewelry. Every piece is one of a kind.
More brooches in the shop right now:
- Signed Geno Gothic cameo dragon brooch, a 1960s tassel pin with a rollover safety clasp.
- Avon blue and purple enamel floral cluster brooch, with a rollover safety clasp.
- Ornate double brooch set with chain, two pins, each with a rollover safety clasp.
- Yellow and orange enamel flower brooch, on a gold-tone stem.
- Jackie Collins gold-tone crystal panther brooch, with an emerald green eye.
- 1950s yellow and aurora borealis rhinestone brooch, a round mid-century statement pin.
- Silver-tone blue and clear rhinestone geometric brooch, an Art Deco style square.
- Sarah Coventry 1960s enamel rose brooch, with an amber stone center.
- Signed Miracle 1950s gold-tone Celtic brooch, a Scottish ornate statement pin.
- Czech clear paste glass brooch, unsigned, from the 1940s to 60s.
- 1950s pink glass marquise cluster brooch, in gold-tone.
- 1950s gold-tone sunburst flower brooch, with faux turquoise and a faux baroque pearl.
- Two's Company multicolor rhinestone butterfly brooch, a bright statement insect pin.
- Signed Cathe yellow guilloché enamel brooch, from the 1960s.
- 1950s white milk glass flower bouquet brooch, a mid-century floral pin.
- Adrianne two-tone Greek coin brooch, in gold and silver tone.
- White and green enamel flower brooch, a mid-century botanical pin.
- Jonette Jewelry JJ news anchor brooch, silver tone, dated 1988.
- Signed Avon cameo portrait brooch, white on black in gold tone.
- Ruby red marquise glass leaf brooch, with textured gold-tone leaves.
- Emerald green rhinestone brooch, layered navettes with iridescent AB cabochons.
- Sterling silver dragonfly brooch with cowrie shell wings, signed VB, with a safety catch.
- Silver-tone aurora borealis rhinestone wreath brooch, with six AB flowers.
- Signed ORA gold-tone swan brooch, with a clear rhinestone eye.
Keep browsing:
Vintage brooches →Signed designer jewelry →Mid-century jewelry →
Keep reading: How to Date Vintage Costume Jewelry · Signed vs. Unsigned Brooches · Sarah Coventry Jewelry: History and Marks
Turn over the oldest brooch in your jewelry box. Which clasp does it have? Tell us what you find.