Ring brooches are the commonest kind of traditional brooch in northern Europe. They can be circular or heart-shaped, and their design dates from the Middle Ages. They differ from modern brooches in the way they fasten. The wearer pulls the cloth of the garment through the central hole, and then spears it with the pin. The greater the strain on the pin, the more secure the fastening.

Ring brooches from the Vierlande are usually large and circular. Women wore them at the neck of their shirt, to keep it fastened. On working days they wore a plain silver brooch, usually decorated with an engraved design. On feast days, they swapped the everyday brooch for a much more elaborate one, like this, decorated with applied filigree, gilding and coloured pastes. Both kinds of brooch often have names or initials, and dates, engraved on the back, showing that they were originally betrothal or wedding gifts. These inscriptions are almost always scratched or stippled by the bride or groom themselves, not professionally engraved.