Kingpins: Artful Brooches Inspired by 5,000 Years of Art

From jazzy jewels to refined designs, we have brooches for every taste. Put a pin in our guide to Met Store brooches for unique gift inspiration.

Amaryllis Brooch

This red bloom—hand-enameled and embellished with Swarovski® crystal–bejeweled 18K gold plate—is plucked from Hybrid Amaryllis Regina Vittata (1824), a print engraved by William Say (British, 1768–1834) after Barbara Cotton (British, active ca. 1810–30) and published by the Horticultural Society of London. 

The original is housed in The Met's archive of drawings and prints, one of the most comprehensive and distinguished of its kind in the world with approximately 1.2 million prints—among other works on paper—in its collection. 

Shop the complete Amaryllis Jewelry collection.

Holly Berry Jade Brooch

A festive brooch of red jade berries sprouting from a sprig of holly pays homage to a delightful trade card in The Met collection.

Happy New Year, Mr. Holly and Miss Mistletoe (1889–90), from the New Years 1890 Cards series issued by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, illustrates delightful personifications of holly and mistletoe snuggling together in loving harmony.

Shop the complete Holly Berry Jade Jewelry collection. 

King Elephant Brooch

This endearing elephant honors the great 'Alam Guman Gajraj as depicted in a watercolor painted around 1640 and now in The Met's Islamic Art collection.

The Museum's portrait, which is attributed to the artist Bichitr (Indian, active ca. 1610–60), features a Persian inscription commemorating the animal as the "king of elephants." Elephants were prized in Indian courts, and this mighty tusker was presented to the Mughal emperor Jahangir during the New Year celebrations of March 21, 1614.

Chelsea Peacock Brooch

This glittering brooch nods to a pair of porcelain peacocks (ca. 1755–58) produced at the Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory (British, 1745–1784). 

Avian figurines were made at the factory since its inception, and they accounted for an important category of its early sculptural output. These particular peacocks were made during the factory's so-called Red Anchor period (ca. 1753–58) when the popularity of their birds declined and few new models appeared. In addition to their relative rarity, these peacocks are considerably larger and more technically ambitious than their predecessors. Our luminous design pays tribute to these whimsical creatures.

Shop the complete Chelsea Peacock Jewelry collection.

Learn more about the Met artwork that inspired this design here.

Unicorn Brooch

This fanciful unicorn, embellished with Czech crystals, enamel, and glass, evokes the mythological creature in The Unicorn Rests in a Garden (1495–1505), a remarkable French and South Netherlandish textile at The Met Cloisters. 

The Museum's beloved medieval masterwork may have been created as a single image, though it's considered one of the seven so-called Unicorn Tapestries, which are among the most impressive extant artworks from the late Middle Ages. The unicorn likely signifies tamed love, as the pomegranate tree to which it's loosely tethered symbolizes marriage and fertility.

Mermaid Baroque Pearl Brooch

A German or French pendant (ca. 1870–95) in the form of a marvelous mermaid is transformed into an eye-catching brooch. 

Our adornment adapts the baroque pearl torso on the original, now in The Met collection, with a cultured freshwater pearl, likewise embellished with colorful enamel and sparkling accents. Her tiara and long, wispy tail are among the attributes also present in two unpublished designs for a mermaid jewel by the German goldsmith Reinhold Vasters (German, 1827–1909), now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. The variation in quality and variety of objects made according to Vasters's designs indicate that his visions were likely realized by a fleet of different artisans.

Swiss Frog Brooch

This adorable amphibian nods to a Swiss automaton (ca. 1820) in the form of a pearl-laden enamel frog with ruby eyes. 

A mechanism animates the original frog, now in the Museum's collection of musical instruments, allowing it to jump and croak. Automata have delighted spectators for centuries, and The Met is home to a number of outstanding examples.

Lily-of-the-Valley Brooch

The master jeweler and goldsmith Peter Carl Fabergé (Russian, 1846–1920) counted among his elite clientele the last two czars of the Romanov family, for whom he crafted his legendary Easter eggs in rare gems, precious metals, and radiant guilloché enamel. Among the House of Fabergé’s other remarkable creations are brilliantly executed jeweled flowers. 

This brooch mimics a miniature spray of lily of the valley (late 19th–early 20th century) in the collection of The Cleveland Museum of Art, delicately crafted in gold, silver, and enamel, with pearls, diamonds, and jade in a tiny vase of carved rock crystal.

Produced in cooperation with The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Blushing Berries Brooch

Delicate cultured freshwater pearl berries exemplify nature’s elegance.

Our brooch pays homage to the eternal spring suggested by the lush tangle of richly symbolic fruits and flowers depicted in the Unicorn Tapestries at The Met Cloisters, which never fade—whatever the season.

Shop the complete Blushing Berries Jewelry collection.

Magnolia Brooch

This hand-painted enamel blossom recalls the famous Magnolia Vase (1893), the centerpiece of Tiffany & Co.'s display at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. 

The dazzling vessel, now in The Met’s American Wing, was crafted as an expression of national pride. The vegetal ornament refers to various regions of the United States: pinecones and needles symbolize the North and East; magnolias, the South and West; and cacti, the Southwest. Representing the country as a whole is the ubiquitous goldenrod, fashioned from gold mined in the United States. Pueblo pottery inspired the overall form, while Toltec motifs embellish the handles. The vase's superb artisanship—particularly the naturalism of the enameled magnolias—led it to be described as "one of the most remarkable specimens of the silversmith… that has ever been produced anywhere."

Shop the complete Magnolia Jewelry collection.

Willow Catkins Pearl Brooch

This golden bough bearing lustrous freshwater pearls reimagines the willow catkins motif on a verdant vase produced by Tiffany Studios (American, 1902–32) around 1904–9. 

Louis C. Tiffany was moved to produce ceramics after seeing examples of French art pottery at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris. Many of his pottery vases derived their forms from common wildflowers and water plants as seen in their natural habitats—ferns, lilies, cattails, jack-in-the-pulpits, and toadstools.

Shop the complete Willow Catkins Pearl Jewelry collection.

Van Gogh Sunflower Brooch

This sunny cast-glass brooch embellished with hand-applied gold leaf nods to the Museum's Sunflowers (1887), one of four still lifes Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890) painted featuring these yellow blooms in Paris during the late summer of 1887. 

Shop the complete Van Gogh Sunflower Jewelry collection.

Spanish Day and Night Sun and Moon Brooches

Two radiant brooches evoke a type of print called a broadside depicting 48 allegorical figures pertaining to the sun and the moon.

The original broadside, now in The Met collection, was printed about 1860–70 by Juan Llorens (Spanish, active ca. 1855–70), an active publisher of broadsides in Barcelona. Broadsides were issued by the thousands and sold on the street or in publishers' shops beginning in 16th-century Europe. These inexpensive sheets of small images, made to entertain the buyer with depictions of current news, children's games, popular tales, and so on, were so well received that certain printing presses made them their specialty. Many early broadsides have been lost due to their ephemeral nature, but numerous others survive in The Met collection.

Shop the complete Spanish Day and Night Jewelry collection.

Learn more about the Met artwork that inspired this design here.

Ottoman Star Antiqued Silver Brooch

This stellar brooch sparkling with Swarovski® crystals nods to a detail on a luxurious sword and scabbard in The Met’s Arms and Armor collection.

Probably assembled by a court jeweler, the spectacular saber has a 17th-century Iranian blade, an 18th-century Indian jade grip, and gem-studded gold and gilt-brass mounts of contemporary workmanship. The emerald near the top of the scabbard opens to reveal a secret compartment containing a gold coin marked with the name of Süleyman the Magnificent (1494–1566), the most powerful Ottoman ruler of the 16th century. Underneath, the gem is inscribed with the phrase, "According to God's will." The most important ceremony in the inauguration of many Islamic rulers was the investiture with such a sword.

Ellen Jeweled Brooch

This lavish statement brooch is inspired by a late 16th-century portrait of Ellen Maurice by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger (Flemish, 1561–1635/36). Don this bold accent piece for a decidedly regal touch.

An heiress who claimed direct descent from the ancient princes of Wales, Maurice is shown in splendid attire that emulates portraits of Queen Elizabeth I. Marcus Gheeraerts was the preeminent painter in the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean courts, esteemed for the way he so masterfully rendered sumptuous fabrics and sparkling jewels.

Shop the complete Ellen Jewelry collection.

Learn more about the Met artwork that inspired this design here.

Royal Tudor Chandelier Brooch

Likewise inspired by Ellen Maurice’s adornments, the Royal Tudor Chandelier Brooch references the Welsh heiress’s dramatic dress embellished with lustrous pearls, which were known as the "Queen of gems" in the Elizabethan era. 

Shop the complete Royal Tudor Jewelry collection.

Learn more about the Met artwork that inspired this design here.

Bella Donna Brooch

In Giovanni Battista Gaulli's (Il Baciccio's) (Italian, 1639–1709) sumptuous Portrait of a Woman (ca. 1670s), a doe-eyed subject is decked out in splendid jewels. They wrap around her luxurious garment and she plays with one that's fastened to the front of her dress, lending a sense of immediacy and movement to her picture. Gaulli is said to have encouraged his subjects to move around naturally so that he could more accurately breathe life into their likenesses—a practice adopted from the great Baroque sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

Our head-turning brooch evokes the unknown sitter's marvelous jewelry for the modern-day bella donna, or "beautiful lady."

Shop the complete Bella Donna Jewelry collection.

Kashan Carpet Brooch

This striking brooch reimagines a magnificent 16th-century Kashan carpet in The Met's Islamic Art collection. 

Named after an Iranian city where silk carpets have long been produced, Kashan carpets with such a fine, entirely silk construction are rare and intricate creations; only about 20 are known to survive, and four are in the Museum's holdings. This particular example belongs to a small group of silk weavings with an exceptionally high knot density. Rows upon rows of small, hand-tied knots reveal spectacular patterns.

Shop the complete Kashan Carpet Jewelry collection, as well as the Kashan Carpet Square Scarf.

Browse new and best-selling gifts for everyone on your list at The Met Store. Shop our 2024 Gift Guide and just-launched Jewelry Catalog for inspiration.

*Purchase, Theodocia and Joseph Arkus and University Place Foundation Gifts; Gift of Victor G. Fischer, by exchange; Marquand Fund; Elizabeth and Thomas Easton Gift, in memory of their mother, Joan K. Easton; Gift of Mary Phelps Smith, in memory of her husband, Howard Caswell Smith, by exchange; and The Alfred N. Punnett Endowment Fund, 2017