Bearded iris pins or brooches can be exact renditions of the beautiful flower or artistic and stylized versions of this popular bloom.
About the Bearded Iris
The bearded iris is one of the first bloomers in the spring garden and gives an incredible display of color and form. It's no wonder that this perennial inspires jewelry makers. Each petal of this flower has an elegant ruffled shape, and when replicated in jewelry, this gives an overall romantic appeal.
The flower comes in just about any color or combination of colors you can imagine, though the most readily identifiable colors are various blues and purples. The purple hue can range from a pale lavender to a deep royal purple. The blue hues also cover the full spectrum of light shades to dark, rich colors. These are the colors most commonly used in enameled jewelry pieces. White accent colors are often found in bearded iris petals and provide a striking color contrast.
Bearded Iris Pins or Brooches
There are several types of brooch designs available in gold, silver, or platinum. Some designs use a mixture of metals, while others mix various elements with the metal, such as enamel or Cloisonné, a specific type of enamel. The designs you'll find can range from highly crafted pins with meticulous attention to detail, often resembling a miniature version of the flower, to abstract impressionist styles, sometimes in square or oval shapes. Other elements are often combined with the flower, such as twisted gold strands that resemble ropes or a gold plaque that provides a backdrop for the enameled flower. In addition to creative metal designs, many pins and brooches include crystals, semi-precious gems, pearls, or diamonds.
You can buy pins and brooches in various sizes. Many women enjoy wearing brooches on the lapel of jackets and coats, while others use a brooch to hold a scarf in place or simply to adorn a dress or hat. You'll want to consider what type of clothing you typically wear when buying a pin or brooch. Some pins are lightweight enough to wear with any type of fabric, while others are too heavy to wear with a silk dress or other sheer or delicate apparel. If you're an iris lover, you may decide to purchase more than one bearded iris brooch to go with your different styles and types of clothing.
Vintage Iris Jewelry
If you are a vintage jewelry collector, then you may be able to find an antique brooch. Once in a while, a piece will become available through art auction sites or other popular online auction websites. Some of the pieces that you may find are those that were popular in the early 1900s when the Art Nouveau movement was reflected in jewelry. Additionally, the Art Deco movement of the 1920s and 1930s sometimes focused on nature in jewelry designs. Vintage and antique brooches and pins were usually crafted from 18K or 24K gold and many times included enameled components.Glass was a popular material for vintage iris jewelry. One unusual style of bearded iris brooch is made out of glass beads. Another style was created from painted glass, which was popular in the 1900s. These painted glass brooches sometimes used frosted glass to give a watercolor effect. The painted glass brooch was typically encased by precious metal designs in oval, round, rectangle, or square shapes.
Reproduction Pieces
If you love vintage style but don't have the budget required for these items, consider reproduction pieces that are duplicates of antique pins and brooches. These pieces are often part of a jewelry collection offered by a foundation or a museum, such as the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston, Massachusetts.
One-of-a-Kind Brooches
Everyone enjoys owning a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry. A special pin or brooch that no one else owns really makes the piece a prized addition to your jewelry collection. If you're interested in a unique item, consider speaking with a jewelry artist who does custom work. You can find a local jeweler through a college, university, or art school. If it's crafted in high quality materials, a custom bearded iris pin or brooch can become a family heirloom.
Selecting Brooches and Pins
Selecting the right brooch or pin jewelry can be a difficult choice once you begin to consider all of the various pieces available. You may need to spend some time online browsing jewelry sites and auction websites before finding the pin or brooch that speaks to you. Many people find that wearing a pin and brooch is like wearing a small piece of art.
