Victorian Jewellery: Styles and Story

An Introduction to Victorian Jewellery Styles

The Victorian period extends from Queen Victoria’s ascension to the throne in 1837, to her death in 1901. It was a time of immense change across Britain, with rapid industrialisation, urbanisation and population growth, the introduction of compulsory education and abolition of slavery, scientific advances including Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, political and workplace reforms – and the rise of a wealthy middle class.

With money to spend and soirees to attend, jewellery became the accessory du jour for many, inspired by the formidable Queen with her penchant for jewels, gold and pearls. And while a boom in resources and new manufacturing techniques made jewellery more accessible across the classes, it was the direct influence of the reigning monarch that popularised jewellery in 19th century England.

From the delicate to the dramatic, decorative and commemorative, Victorian era jewellery styles and materials are eclectic. And while many designs endured across the century, the era is commonly broken down into three periods: the Early Victorian or Romantic Period (1837-1860), the Middle Victorian or Grand Period (1861-1885) and the Late Victorian or Aesthetic Period (1885–1901).

Pictured: An Early Victorian Yellow Gold & Silver Mine Cut Diamond & Opal Brooch

Inspired by a Queen

Inspired by the young and newly married queen (Victoria married Prince Albert in 1840) jewellery during the Romantic period was floral and feminine. Natural motifs including birds, flowers and serpents (symbolising enduring love), as well as hands, hearts and arrows, adorned cameos, lockets & pendants. Intricate gold filigree featured – the metal was widely available after the Australian gold rush of the 1850s – and popular gemstones including emerald, amethyst, turquoise and garnet were added to claw or collet settings, where metal encircled the rim of the gemstone.

Following the death of Prince Albert in 1861, the Grand Period responded to a Queen in deep mourning. Jewellery became bold and elaborate, often crafted from dark and dramatic materials including Whitby jet, black onyx and bog oak. Egyptian and Etruscan revival jewellery emerged during this time, coinciding with archaeological discoveries and a renewed fascination with ancient cultures. Lapis lazuli, coral, tortoiseshell and ivory were common, as were diamonds after their discovery in South Africa in 1867.

The Aesthetic period saw jewellery design soften and circle back to early Victorian styles, with delicate pieces replacing the opulent Grand Period styles. Popular motifs included animal heads, Quatrefoils, stars and crescents, with varieties including Stardust brooches, heart shaped lockets, stick pins, Mizpah rings (more below) and vinaigrettes, tiny containers that held scents or spices.

Pictured: A Victorian 15ct Yellow Gold Lapis & Seed Pearl Chandelier Pendant

Victorian Mourning Jewellery

Prince Albert was the love of Victoria’s life; his death triggering an extraordinary mourning period for the Queen that rippled through English society, as Marianna Learmonth, our Head of Jewellery explains:

“After Albert’s death, Victoria was in official mourning for decades. During this incredibly long period of time, she would only wear very specific types of jewellery considered appropriate for a widow in mourning, and what Victoria wore, the whole court wore. Mourning jewellery had existed since the 16th century, but it became hugely popular under Victoria as a way of expressing grief – or love – or as a memento mori, an object through which to contemplate life and death. There were also strict rules about what, and when, you could wear jewellery.”

Grief for middle or upper classes who lost loved ones was both a private and public affair, with women in particular expected to adhere to societal guidelines. The etiquette for mourners included an initial deep mourning period when only black could be worn, with minimal or no jewellery. For widows, this generally lasted a year (less so for more distant relatives) and widowers were further prevented from venturing into society aside from church. Following this was a half mourning period, where grey or sombre hues were worn, and subtle jewellery allowed.

This intense focus on mourning led to a wider fascination with mourning jewellery – which included lockets, rings, bracelets, drop earrings, cameos and intaglio, featuring skulls, hourglasses, weeping willows, angels, clouds, and other symbols of life and death.

Jewellery items could be black or feature black accents, thanks to the use of enamel, bog oak and Whitby jet, a fossilised wood found on the North Yorkshire coast near the village of Whitby.

“Jet was widely available in the Victorian era, it was black and non-reflective (so suitable for mourning), and it carved well,” explains Marianna. “There were also jet imitations such as vulcanite and gutta purcha. They were softer than jet with a shorter life span, and fewer have survived the test of time, so even these have their own collector appeal today.”

Symbolism was a key part of Victorian jewellery – turquoise for instance, meant ‘thinking of you’ – and there were highly unique styles such as hairwork, where hair was woven into patterns and placed inside rings, brooches & lockets.

“Hairwork was widespread,” adds Marianna. “There was a ring discovered six years ago that is believed to have held the hair of Charlotte Bronte. It was a simple etched band with a hinge, and beneath the cover was a band of braided hair. Typical of mourning jewellery, it was inscribed with her name and the date of her death, 1855.”

Pictured: A Yellow Gold Victorian Mourning Ring, 1842 with hairwork and engraving

Victorian Mizpah Jewellery

A distinctive trend in the late 19th century was Mizpah jewellery. Stemming from a Hebrew word meaning ‘watchtower’ and referenced in the Biblical story of Jacob and his father-in-law, Laban, it was a forerunner to WWI sweetheart jewellery.

“Mizpah jewellery was often gifted to a partner or friend leaving on a journey. It was sentimental and meaningful, a love token and a symbol of protection.”

Mizpah jewellery including rings, pendants and brooches. While often featuring just the word ‘Mizpah’, items could also include motifs such as hearts, anchors or ivy leaves as a symbol of enduring love.

Pictured: A Victorian 18ct Yellow Gold Mizpah Ring

The Chatelaine

A chatelaine – literally translating as ‘lady of the manor or castle’ – was both utilitarian and beautifully decorative. Worn at the waist, it was a chain that held practical items for women – from sewing accessories to vinaigrettes. Like other Victorian era jewellery, it also had a symbolic function.

“It was an ancient concept that was redesigned in the Victorian era” explains Marianna, “a practical way to hold essential items such as needlework accessories, a magnifying glass, or perfume vial, but also a way to show yourself off as a pragmatic and refined woman in need of such items.”

“Dance card books (carnet de bal) could also be either fixed to a ring and held in the hand or attached to a chatelaine, which were often made of filigree silver or enamel. Gold chatelaines exist but are much rarer.”

The British Museum holds a Thornhill  Co Chatelaine belonging to Queen Victoria that features writing and sewing accessories – and chatelaines were worn across society.

“They did start as utilitarian items, worn by housekeepers in the early 19th century, but as they were adopted by other classes, the designs became more elaborate. They were a marker of the woman of the household, reflecting her position and status. Young women would wear highly decorative chatelaines.”

While chatelaines no longer server their original function, they have found new purpose. “They’re not easily wearable today in their original form but individual parts can be easily repurposed into pendants. They are popular with collectors who seek out the various accessories (a bit like a charm bracelet), hoping to collect a complete set.”

Pictured: A Victorian Sterling Silver Chatelaine, Henry Matthews, Birmingham & Chester, 1886, 1887 & 1896

Collecting Victorian Jewellery

The appeal of Victorian jewellery styles lies with the variety, rich history and extraordinary artistry. Some pieces, such as this Victorian 14ct Yellow Gold & Seed Pearl Necklace have been added to – this one with a Detachable Pendant – so that every pieces has its own unique story.

“The value of Victorian jewellery can depend on materials, quality or provenance, but it’s also subjective. Collectors will pay more to find very specific items that speak to them such as hairwork or chatelaine accessories. Victorian jewellery will get rarer and likely more collectable.”

Making authentication easier is the ingenious English system of silver hallmarks. Beginning in the 1500s, and overseen by official Assay Offices, English silver was stamped with specific symbols to identify the date of creation, maker and purity. Today, those marks allow us to gain very specific details about the history of antique silverware and silver jewellery.

“Other countries do have comprehensive hallmarking systems which are often limited to a purity mark and the occasional maker’s mark,” adds Marianna, “but it is the thoroughness of the English system that is exemplary. It’s been mandated for centuries and continues today essentially unchanged. Symbols such as the crown, or the lion passant, (a lion facing left with a raised paw) indicate metal purity. Assay Office marks such as the anchor (for Birmingham) and the leopard head (for London) can tell you where an item was made, and a well-documented system of letters ensure we know when a piece was created, down to the year.”

Victorian Jewellery at Auction

At Theodore Bruce Auctioneers & Valuers, we regularly offer Victorian era jewellery in our Jewels & Timepieces auctions.

Among the collection in our  February auction – a Sterling Silver Vesta Case with Foliar Engraving Monogrammed L.I.R., a Pair of Victorian Etruscan Revival Gilt Metal, Garnet & Jet Pendulum Drop Earrings, and this striking Sterling Silver & Finely Carved Coral Knight’s Head Stick Pin with Articulated Visor.

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