Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Also called Romantic period jewelry, antique early Victorian jewelry and watches were a celebration of the young monarch’s love.
When Prince Albert became engaged to Queen Victoria, he gave her a serpent ring with emerald eyes, her birthstone. While this may seem a bit simple for our contemporary tastes, the serpent symbolizes eternity, and has become a popular motif in jewelry. The tail in the serpent’s mouth forms an unbroken circle. This dewy-eyed happiness trickled down to the masses and men and women favored jewelry that was sentimental and full of symbolism. Today, antique Victorian jewelry is very coveted and highly collectible.
Romantic period jewelry tends to be feminine and ornate. Flowers, hearts, birds, and bows were just some of the common decorative motifs. These pieces were embellished with seed pearls, coral and turquoise. It was common to express your devotion with jewelry — REGARD and DEAREST rings were particularly popular. These rings were set with stones that corresponded to each letter: Ruby, Emerald, Garnet, Amethyst, Ruby, Diamond.
Most often, the design of the ring was simple, with the stones going across the shank of the ring in a line, but it was not uncommon to see a REGARD ring in a flower formation, with each stone set in the petal of the flower.
Another common early Victorian ring style was two hands clasping a flower or stone. They came in many styles and were made of coral and ivory but also of gold with precious and semiprecious gemstones. These rings, while not exclusively Victorian, are often associated with the time period and symbolized friendship. Lockets enclosed with hair, cameos depicting cupid or a loved one’s face and enamel pieces were also popular.
The early Victorian period corresponded with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Jewelry, no longer made only by hand, became more affordable during the 19th century. The growing middle class also helped increase the demand for it. This was reflected in how women styled their jewelry; they were not afraid to adorn themselves from head to toe with stacking and layering in between. Considering the time period (this was before the California Gold Rush), a lot of pieces in the Romantic period were made using low-karat gold or were gold-plated. Fine gold wire was also employed frequently to add to the design. This is a nice trick to know when determining the date of Victorian jewelry.
Find a range of antique Romantic period brooches, necklaces, bracelets and other jewelry on 1stDibs.
1840s Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Enamel
1840s Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Beryl, Garnet, Ruby, Gold
1840s English Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Amethyst, Gold, 15k Gold
Early 19th Century Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Garnet, 18k Gold
19th Century Italian Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Pearl, 14k Gold
Mid-19th Century Unknown Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Citrine, Gold, 18k Gold
Mid-19th Century Unknown Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Aquamarine, Diamond, Gold, Silver, Enamel
1870s British Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Gold, Silver
1880s British Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary American Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Other, Sterling Silver, Bronze
1860s Unknown Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Garnet, 18k Gold
1890s Turkish Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Gold
2010s Hong Kong Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Yellow Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
19th Century Unknown Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Garnet, Gold, 14k Gold
1860s British Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Amethyst, Yellow Gold
19th Century British Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
1870s European Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Gold
1840s Unknown Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Garnet, 14k Gold, 15k Gold
1880s Unknown Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Amethyst, Pearl, Gold, 15k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century Unknown Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Silver, Sterling Silver, Enamel
2010s Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Amethyst, 22k Gold
2010s Greek Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
1920s American Vintage Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Opal, Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1840s British Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Pearl, Ruby, Yellow Gold, Enamel, 15k Gold, 9k Gold
1850s Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Silver, Gold
1850s Unknown Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Topaz, 15k Gold
1840s Unknown Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Amber, Gold
1850s British Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Coral, 18k Gold
2010s American Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
1850s English Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Garnet, 15k Gold
Mid-19th Century American Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
14k Gold
1820s Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
White Diamond, Emerald, Freshwater Pearl, Peridot, Tourmaline, 14k Gold,...
1850s Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Ruby
Early 19th Century English Antique Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Natural Pearl, 18k Gold, Silver