Victorian Mourning Jewelry
Antique 19th Century Victorian Brooches
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Pendant Necklaces
9k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Brooches
Antique 1840s Victorian Brooches
Gold
Antique 1870s Unknown Victorian Band Rings
Agate, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Antique 1870s Victorian Brooches
Garnet, Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Late 19th Century American Victorian Brooches
Onyx, Cultured Pearl, Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold
Antique 19th Century British Victorian Link Bracelets
18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Antique 19th Century British Victorian Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Garnet, Yellow Gold
Antique 1860s Victorian Pendant Necklaces
Antique Mid-19th Century British Georgian Brooches
Gold, Silver, Enamel
Antique 1860s British Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Pearl, Yellow Gold, Silver, Enamel
Antique 19th Century Early Victorian Collectible Jewelry
Wood
Antique 1860s American Victorian Brooches
Antique Late 18th Century Unknown Victorian Bangles
Natural Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Late 19th Century Unknown Pendant Necklaces
Antique 1880s Unknown Victorian Brooches
Antique Late 19th Century Unknown Victorian Band Rings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1850s Victorian Brooches
14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
Antique Late 19th Century British Late Victorian Brooches
Agate, 10k Gold
Antique Early 19th Century European Victorian Brooches
Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1830s Victorian Fashion Rings
Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Antique 19th Century Victorian Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Onyx, Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century Victorian Brooches
Agate, 14k Gold
Antique 19th Century Victorian Fashion Rings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Antique 19th Century British Victorian Brooches
9k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1880s Victorian Brooches
10k Gold
Antique 19th Century British Victorian Brooches
Garnet, 15k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Early 1900s Unknown Victorian Band Rings
Pearl, 15k Gold, Enamel
Antique Mid-19th Century Scottish Victorian Brooches
Quartz, 9k Gold, Rose Gold
Antique 1890s British Victorian Brooches
Gold
Antique 19th Century British Victorian Pendant Necklaces
Antique 1860s Unknown Victorian Pendant Necklaces
Antique Late 19th Century Victorian Link Bracelets
Garnet, 15k Gold
Antique Mid-18th Century Victorian Brooches
Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century British Victorian Brooches
Pearl, Gold, 9k Gold
Antique Mid-18th Century Victorian Brooches
Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver
Antique 1880s English Victorian More Rings
18k Gold
Antique 1880s Unknown Late Victorian Brooches
Onyx, Yellow Gold
Antique 19th Century Victorian Fashion Rings
Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Antique 19th Century British Victorian Cuff Bracelets
18k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Brooches
Onyx, Pearl, Yellow Gold
Antique 1860s British Victorian More Rings
Gold, Enamel
Antique Mid-19th Century American Victorian Cuff Bracelets
14k Gold
Antique 1850s Unknown Victorian Band Rings
Gold
Antique 1860s Victorian Signet Rings
10k Gold, Rose Gold, Enamel
Early 20th Century Dutch Victorian Pendant Necklaces
Emerald, Onyx, Pearl, 14k Gold
Late 20th Century Victorian Pendant Necklaces
Agate, Pearl, 18k Gold
Antique 19th Century Victorian Fashion Rings
Diamond, Pearl, Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Antique Late 19th Century Victorian Brooches
Gold
Antique 19th Century Victorian Fashion Rings
Diamond, Pearl, Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Antique 1850s British Victorian More Rings
Gold, 18k Gold, Enamel
Antique 19th Century British Victorian Pendant Necklaces
Onyx, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 19th Century British Victorian Cluster Rings
Pearl, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 19th Century British Victorian Brooches
9k Gold
Antique 1850s Unknown Victorian Brooches
Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver
Antique 1860s British Victorian Band Rings
Gold
Antique Late 19th Century American Victorian Brooches
Onyx, Cultured Pearl, Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Enamel
Antique Early 19th Century Victorian Brooches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 19th Century Victorian Fashion Rings
Diamond, Pearl, Enamel
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Looking for Antique Victorian Mourning Jewelry?
When it comes to Victorian jewelry, the era’s Grand Period (ca. 1860–80) is most often associated with antique mourning jewelry. While it first came into fashion during the Georgian period, mourning jewelry had a resurgence during this time.
Scholars note that Romantic period jewelry was a celebration of the young monarch’s love. But everything changed with the premature death of Prince Albert in 1861. This traumatic event changed the way the Queen’s public perceived her and in the way she presented herself. The heartbroken Queen donned black clothing and went into mourning. Her taste for jewelry reflected her deep sorrow as well.
Unlike Georgian mourning jewelry, which was more focused on the macabre, Victorian mourning jewelry still tends to be romantic, a way to honor the memory of the departed. During the Georgian era, portrait miniatures, hair jewelry, cameos, enamels and micromosaics were fashionable.
Most materials used in antique mourning jewelry were also black, the universal signifier of grief. Naturally jet, onyx and gutta percha were the most popular. Dark red garnets and black enamel were often used in combination with these materials (enameling is one of the oldest forms of surface decoration). Hair jewelry became incredibly intricate, and some pieces were made with strands from various family members woven into a complex floral pattern.
“Unlike most other pieces of antique jewelry, mourning jewelry has an easily accessible history,” Lindsay Salmon, part of the duo behind jewelry line Erica Weiner.
“These pieces are often inscribed with a name, a date of death and the age of the deceased. For many people, myself included, having this information about the person a piece of jewelry was made to commemorate is both fascinating and romantic; it grounds the piece in a historical and personal context.”
Find a collection of antique Victorian mourning jewelry on 1stDibs.
A Close Look at victorian Jewelry
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.
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021As the name suggests, mourning jewelry represents connection to a deceased individual or loved one. In the Victorian era, people were expected to wear mourning clothing and accessories following the death of a loved one. As brooches were popular during the Victorian period, they became a favorite for those who wanted to memorialize the dead. Find a collection of vintage and antique brooches on 1stDibs today.
- Did men wear mourning jewelry?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Yes, men wore mourning jewelry as well as women. It became popularized during the Victoria era, but was a tradition that has stretched in history far back before this period. Shop an array of authentic mourning jewelry from top sellers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Yes, some jewelers still make mourning jewelry. Mourning jewelry was very popular in the Georgian era and experienced a resurgence in the Victorian Era when Queen Victoria wore it in memory of Prince Albert after he passed. Today, there is more versatility in what is considered mourning jewelry and limitless options for customizing it. Find vintage and contemporary mourning jewelry from some of the world’s top boutiques on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2023To be able to tell if jewelry is Victorian, a buyer can look for certain characteristics that have come to define these pieces, but it may be difficult given that no single period has seen such a diverse group of jewelry attributed to it than the Victorian era. Victorian jewelry is named after Queen Victoria, whose reign lasted from 1837 to 1901, making her the second longest-ruling monarch. Queen Victoria loved serpentine jewels, and snake jewels made during the Victorian era came in a vast array of styles. Romantic period jewelry featured common decorative motifs and was embellished with seed pearls, coral and turquoise. 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. The best way to tell if jewelry is Victorian is generally to work with an antiques appraiser or otherwise qualified professional in the jewelry industry. Shop a collection of antique Victorian jewelry from some of the world's top jewelers on 1stDibs.
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