Brooches are decorative items designed to be attached to garments. They are usually made of metal, often silver or gold but sometimes bronze or some other material. Brooches are often decorated with enamel or with gemstones and may be solely for ornament, or sometimes serve a practical function as a fastening, perhaps for a cloak.

The earliest known brooches are from the Bronze Age. As fashions in brooches changed rather fast, they are important chronological indicators.