Are brooches anti AI?

Our silver brooches

I. A Brief History of the Brooch

Before brooches were decorative, they were essential.

In ancient civilisations from the Romans to the Celts brooches were used to fasten garments. They were practical tools, holding cloaks and tunics together long before buttons existed.

Over time, something shifted and what has began as utility became expression.

• Symbols of status

• Family heirlooms

• Political emblems

• Romantic gifts

• Markers of mourning

• Statements of allegiance

They sat visibly on the body and not hidden or subtle. They communicated something about the wearer.

Unlike other jewellery, brooches were always outward-facing. They weren’t just adornment. They were an announcement, a statement of who you were as a person.

And somehow, over the century, they slipped into the category of “old-fashioned.”

But history rarely disappears. It just goes around in a circle.

II. Are Brooches Anti-AI?

Recently I saw someone describe brooches as “anti-AI.”

At first, that sounded a bit dramatic.

All jewellery is physical and is made to be worn. Isn’t all physical objects, in that sense, resistant to digital replication?

But the more I thought about it, the more I understood the argument.

In a time where aesthetics are often algorithm-shaped and optimised; a brooch feels deliberate. It’s not background jewellery. It doesn’t blend, but adds something to your clothes and aesthetic.

It’s placed with intention.

• Touch — you pin it through fabric.

• Placement — you choose exactly where it lives.

• Texture — it reacts differently on wool, silk, linen.

• Weight — it shifts as you move.

It interrupts the smoothness of clothing and I decided this belongs here.

Maybe that’s what feels anti-AI.

III. Why I Changed My Mind

I used to never think about brooches at all. They were rarely seen and didn’t feel practical in a modern wardrobe. They weren’t necessary.

Then, around 2024, I moved back to the city from the countryside. I started going to exhibitions, dinners, and simply being in a place full of people again. Brooches began to appear; maybe it was the spaces I was moving in. Maybe fashion had shifted again. Who knows.

As I continued learning and studying jewellery and gemstones, I began to understand more. I’ve always loved wearing pins on my coats and bags, they are a form of brooch to me. They show who you are and what you love.

However after creating one and wearing my Heather Whisper brooch, I realised something:

They change how an outfit feels. A plain look becomes personal and because brooches sit on the outside of your clothing, they feel almost like punctuation.

They are just intentional and even if more people start wearing brooches, it doesn’t feel trend driven because its so personal. (In the next blog post I will talk about 2026 trends and having jewellery that is personal.)

Maybe brooches aren’t “useful” in the way we’re used to measuring usefulness or your wealth.

But they are human.

And right now, that feels like more than enough.

I’ve got the idea from a insta post:

Please check out her stuff https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUu7H4uCBll/?igsh=MW5ocDdhY3U2dHM2eg==

Super Interesting!

By Designer V (sorry English isn’t my first language)

Just something cool:

A field near us was recently ploughed and we discovered this brooch there.

We were informed that it is Roman and possibly dates to around AD50.

Roman copper brooch