Vintage Austrian Glass Brooch

Vintage Austrian Glass Brooch

A vintage brooch with a large amber-toned striped glass stone at the centre, surrounded by smoky topaz geometric-cut stones arranged like petals. Below the centre, a cluster of small stones in green, ruby, lilac, garnet, and champagne creates a jewel-like accent, with a filigree ribbon resting just beneath. Found resting in its original antique velvet box.

Marked "AUSTRIA" on the reverse, this is a vintage piece made in Austria, belonging to the lineage of German and Austrian glass jewellery descended from the tradition of Gablonz in old Bohemia. From the 19th to early 20th century, Gablonz was the world's centre of glass jewellery — not as solemn as fine gemstones, never cheap, holding that exquisite middle ground that captivated women across the world. The delicate filigree metalwork and the bold composition of multi-coloured stones speak directly to the essence of this regional craft.

The central amber glass holds flowing stripes within, and amber and brown tones intertwine in layered complexity each time the light catches it. The surrounding smoky stones shift their expression depending on the angle of view, moving from greenish grey to deep olive to golden brown, while the small cluster below adds the colour of a little jewel box.

A presence like a single flower blooming at the chest. Worn alone on a simple knit or a plain blouse, the centre of the whole outfit gathers here. The lapel of a jacket, the closure of a stole, the band of a hat — a brooch invites a breadth of use that other pieces cannot. The original antique velvet box comes with the brooch, ready to keep it safely stored.

There is light wear on the detailing from age, but no chips on the stones and the pin closure remains secure.

Material: Amber glass / Glass stones / Gold-tone metal (filigree work)

Size: Approx. 5cm (H) × 4cm (W)

Weight: 33 g

Country of origin: Austria

Era: 1940s-50s

Includes: Original velvet box

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~ Glass ~

The old Bohemian glassmakers' town of Gablonz — a story of light I have long been drawn to.

Glass shifts its expression depending on where it is placed, the light it catches, the season, the hour of the day. Translucent in the morning light, with a small flame lit deep inside under the late afternoon slant, becoming someone entirely different beneath candlelight at night.

Once within the territory of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in what is now northern Czech Republic, there was a town called Gablonz. From the 19th to early 20th century, it was the world's centre of glass jewellery — not as solemn as fine gemstones, never cheap, holding that exquisite middle ground that captivated women across the world.

With the end of the Second World War, the German glassmakers of this land moved to Bavaria and built a new town. The land was lost, but the craft survived. Many of the glass jewellery pieces I find today in the markets and dealers of Germany and Austria are the most recent chapter of this long story.