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.
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Pearl, Amethyst, Gold
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Pearl, 15k Gold
1880s Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Diamond, Garnet, Pearl, Gold, Yellow Gold
1880s Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Diamond, 18k Gold
1870s American Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, 14k Gold, Enamel
Mid-20th Century American Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1870s Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver
1890s Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Emerald, Pearl, Yellow Gold
Late 19th Century Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Gold Plate, Silver
1890s Russian Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Garnet, Gold, 14k Gold
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 19th Century British Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Pearl, 15k Gold, Gold
19th Century English Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, 15k Gold
1890s Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Diamond, Onyx, 14k Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 19th Century Dutch Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold
19th Century British Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Pearl, 15k Gold
1890s Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Diamond, Enamel, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1890s British Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Diamond, Gold, Silver
Early 1900s Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Diamond, Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Unknown Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1890s Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1890s French Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, 18k Gold, Enamel, Gilt Metal
1880s British Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Yellow Gold
19th Century Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Pearl, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold
1890s Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
1850s Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Topaz, 18k Gold
1860s American Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Pearl, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
1950s Unknown Vintage Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1890s Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Pearl, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century Victorian Brooches
Pearl, Amethyst, 14k Gold
Early 20th Century Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Pearl, Sterling Silver, Gold Plate
Early 20th Century Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Vermeil
Mid-19th Century Russian Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst
19th Century American Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Cultured Pearl, Pearl, 14k Gold, Gold
1880s American Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Rose Gold
Late 19th Century Russian Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Turquoise, 14k Gold
1880s Unknown Antique Victorian Brooches
Amethyst, Diamond, 14k Gold, Silver
