Victorian Brooches
The reign of Queen Victoria encapsulates a quickly evolving period of history — and jewelry styles were no exception. No single period has seen such a diverse group of jewelry attributed to it than the Victorian era. Today, there is a vast collection of authentic antique Victorian jewelry and watches on 1stDibs.
Victorian jewelry is named after Queen Victoria, whose reign lasted from 1837 to 1901, making her the second longest-ruling monarch. (She was surpassed by Queen Elizabeth II in 2015.) During this time, different styles of fashion and jewelry came and went. Thanks to our fascination with royalty and swoon-worthy melodramas like Netflix’s The Crown — which is rife with evocative fashion, jewelry and interiors — and the 2017 feature film Victoria & Abdul, we are all familiar with her story. After the death of Victoria’s father and three childless uncles, she ascended to the throne at age 18. In 1840, Queen Victoria married the love of her life, her first cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Queen Victoria loved serpentine jewels, and she had even more power to shape trends than Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle do today. The British monarch’s best-known piece in this mold is the gold coiled-snake engagement ring she received from Prince Albert — the sinuous reptile was considered a symbol of everlasting love.
The Queen's 63-year reign has been divided by historians into the Romantic period, the early happy years, circa 1837–60; the Grand period, marked by the deaths of the Queen’s mother and husband, circa 1860–80; and the late Victorian or Aesthetic period, which lasted from about 1880 until 1901 and ushered in the Belle Époque. Queen Victoria wore her heart on her sleeve, and her fashion and jewelry reflected her emotions.
Romantic period jewelry, which featured common decorative motifs and was embellished with seed pearls, coral and turquoise, was a celebration of the young monarch’s love. Everything changed with the death of Prince Albert, and the Grand period is most often associated with mourning jewelry. Jewelry was smaller, lighter and more dainty during the late Victorian period. During this era, diamonds came into fashion, and semiprecious gems such as amethysts and opals became prevalent, too. Using gemstones for their natural beauty and not their worth was something that jewelers of the era felt passionate about, and this ideology would really become relevant in Art Nouveau jewelry.
Find a collection of authentic antique Victorian jewelry — from rings, necklaces and brooches to a range of other accessories — on 1stDibs.
1890s British Antique Victorian Brooches
Turquoise, Gold, 15k Gold
19th Century British Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Pearl, Gold, Silver
2010s Asian Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Sterling Silver
1890s Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1890s Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Emerald, Enamel
1850s Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver
1870s European Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Silver
Late 19th Century European Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Silver
1860s European Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, 15k Gold, Silver
19th Century Italian Antique Victorian Brooches
Gold, 10k Gold, Yellow Gold
19th Century French Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Pearl, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold
19th Century British Antique Victorian Brooches
Agate, Sterling Silver
1880s Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Gold-filled
Late 19th Century European Antique Victorian Brooches
Gold, 10k Gold
Early 1900s Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 14k Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
19th Century British Antique Victorian Brooches
Pearl, Sapphire, 15k Gold, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century Victorian Brooches
Opal, Gold, 14k Gold
Late 19th Century English Antique Victorian Brooches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1860s Italian Antique Victorian Brooches
Coral, 18k Gold
1880s French Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Silver
1880s English Antique Victorian Brooches
Pearl, Ruby, Natural Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
19th Century Italian Antique Victorian Brooches
Gold Plate, 10k Gold, Yellow Gold
1840s Antique Victorian Brooches
Yellow Gold, Enamel
Late 19th Century American Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver
1870s European Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, 10k Gold
1890s American Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
Late 19th Century French Antique Victorian Brooches
Opal, Ruby, 18k Gold
Early 19th Century American Antique Victorian Brooches
Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 19th Century European Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Silver
1960s German Vintage Victorian Brooches
Gold Plate
19th Century Antique Victorian Brooches
Garnet, Yellow Gold
Early 1900s Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Moonstone, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 19th Century British Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Pearl, 15k Gold, Gold
1880s British Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Yellow Gold
1860s Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, Enamel
1880s French Antique Victorian Brooches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1860s European Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Silver
Late 19th Century European Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Gold
19th Century American Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Gold, Enamel
19th Century English Antique Victorian Brooches
18k Gold
1830s British Antique Victorian Brooches
Yellow Gold
19th Century Antique Victorian Brooches
Gold
1880s Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Garnet, Yellow Gold
2010s Asian Victorian Brooches
Pearl, Diamond, Sterling Silver
1880s English Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Moonstone, Opal, Ruby, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Silver
Late 19th Century English Antique Victorian Brooches
9k Gold, Silver
1870s European Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Gold, 9k Gold, Silver
1940s American Vintage Victorian Brooches
Gilt Metal
1880s American Antique Victorian Brooches
Rock Crystal, 18k Gold
1880s Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, 14k Gold, Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Antique Victorian Brooches
Coral, Diamond, 14k Gold
19th Century European Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Turquoise, Gold
19th Century English Antique Victorian Brooches
18k Gold
1860s Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
19th Century British Antique Victorian Brooches
Garnet, 15k Gold, Yellow Gold
1890s Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Pearl, Ruby, Platinum
19th Century English Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, 15k Gold
19th Century English Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Silver