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.
Early 20th Century English Victorian Brooches
Agate, Gold, 15k Gold
Early 19th Century Antique Victorian Brooches
Coral, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1890s Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Natural Pearl, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
19th Century Antique Victorian Brooches
Garnet, Ruby, Gold, Yellow Gold
1880s Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, 10k Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver
1830s Antique Victorian Brooches
Natural Pearl, 14k Gold, 15k Gold, 9k Gold
Late 19th Century Antique Victorian Brooches
Agate, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver
Late 19th Century Antique Victorian Brooches
Pearl, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1890s Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, Yellow Gold
19th Century Antique Victorian Brooches
Coral, Gold, Yellow Gold
1910s Vintage Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver
1890s Antique Victorian Brooches
Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-19th Century Antique Victorian Brooches
Yellow Gold
Late 19th Century Dutch Antique Victorian Brooches
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1840s French Antique Victorian Brooches
Yellow Gold, Enamel, 18k Gold
1880s Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
15k Gold, Yellow Gold
1890s Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Gold, Enamel
Late 19th Century Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold
Early 1900s Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Moonstone, Natural Pearl, Gold, Enamel
Late 19th Century European Antique Victorian Brooches
Coral, Pearl, Cultured Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
Mid-20th Century European Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Brass
Late 19th Century Dutch Antique Victorian Brooches
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 1900s American Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Platinum
1870s Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Natural Pearl, South Sea Pearl, Gold, Silver
1870s American Antique Victorian Brooches
Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver
Late 19th Century Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Gold, Silver
Mid-19th Century British Antique Victorian Brooches
Topaz, Rose Gold
Early 1900s Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Agate, Gold, 14k Gold, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 1900s Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Pearl, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1880s Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Sterling Silver
1890s Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Opal, 18k Gold
19th Century Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Agate, Chalcedony, Natural Pearl, Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 19th Century Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1890s Antique Victorian Brooches
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1890s Antique Victorian Brooches
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
19th Century Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, Yellow Gold
1850s Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Topaz, 18k Gold
1890s Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, 15k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-19th Century Russian Antique Victorian Brooches
20th Century Victorian Brooches
Lapis Lazuli, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 19th Century British Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Victorian Brooches
Pearl, Tourmaline, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1890s Antique Victorian Brooches
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1880s Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Sapphire, 15k Gold, Sterling Silver
Early 1900s Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 19th Century Antique Victorian Brooches
18k Gold
1880s Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Pearl, Sapphire, 15k Gold, Silver
Late 17th Century Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Yellow Gold, Silver
Late 19th Century Antique Victorian Brooches
Pearl, 15k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
19th Century Antique Victorian Brooches
Gold
1890s Antique Victorian Brooches
Garnet, Opal, Gold, 18k Gold
1890s Antique Victorian Brooches
Opal, Yellow Gold, Silver
Late 19th Century Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Yellow Gold
1890s Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Chrysoberyl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
1890s Antique Victorian Brooches
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1890s Antique Victorian Brooches
Gold, 14k Gold, 24k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Victorian Brooches
14k Gold, Rose Gold
1930s French Vintage Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Pearl, Ruby, Sapphire, Yellow Gold, Silver
1890s Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Pearl, Gold, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold