In order to end up with the brooch best suited to your needs, you have to clearly understand what you are looking for and what options are available to you. This is done by researching in two areas.
Firstly, you research the market to find out what kinds of brooches are available, familiarizing yourself with the different features, styles and price ranges etc. Secondly, you examine your own unique requirements in a brooch.
Research the market: Brooch essentials
The first part of the research step is to investigate just what's available in the brooch market. The range of options can seem daunting, but you can make a good start by understanding the following major features:
Types: Pearl brooches, enameled brooches, crystal brooches, brass brooches, bronze brooches, gold and silver brooches, brooches with precious and semi-precious stones, coral brooches, shell brooches, brooches shaped like butterflies, birds, dogs, African kings and shamrocks, to name a few.
Style: Brooches come in various designs. Some common choices include antique, filigree, cameo, gemstone, abstract, enameled and logo brooches.
Size: Brooches can be worn above either the right or the left breast and the size that will suit you is very much determined by your figure and the clothes that you wear. Large bulky brooches are quite a focal point. If you don't mind people's eyes being drawn to that part of your anatomy, size doesn't matter. If you are at all shy, you might want to think carefully about the size of brooch that you use. Heavy, large brooches may tear holes in lightweight fabrics, or distort the weave in fabric with an open weave, so the size needs to be appropriate for the fabric.
Cost: You can buy a simple brooch very cheaply but as soon as you start to add detail, gemstones, enameling and color, the cost can increase considerably.
Research your needs: Questions to ask yourself
Now it's time to determine what your requirements are in a brooch. For example, will you use the brooch only for formal eveningwear?
You can start this process by considering the following questions - as well as any others you think of yourself - and recording your answers.
| Have I owned a brooch before? |
| | If you have, work out what you did or didn't like about it. You may be looking for one exactly like it, hoping to improve, or even trying to avoid any particular features that you found inconvenient. |
| What style do I most identify with? |
| | Most people have a period that they admire. It might be Victorian, Edwardian, Art Deco, the 60's or you may have a favorite culture that you find fascinating. Africa is a massive source of inspiration. China and India also have a design history that has produced wonderful motifs, many of which are replicated in brooches. |
| What does my wardrobe hold? |
| | Consider the contents of your wardrobe. What colors do you prefer? What fabrics are your favorites? What coats and jackets do you own? All of this information will be useful when you start to consider the types of brooches you should be buying. |
| How much do I want to pay? |
| | Brooch prices vary enormously, so set yourself a sensible budget. |
Understanding your needs is the key to a successful purchase and you can revisit your list of needs at any time during the buying process.
Once you complete this Research step, having informed yourself about the essentials of brooches and identified your needs, you are ready to move on to the next step: Evaluation.
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