EARLY VICTORIAN or ROMANTIC ERA 1837-1860 The Victorian era covers such a long period of time that many styles are covered in the one name, "Victorian". Transitions were not usually abrupt and a piece can show several influences at once. This can create some confusion in dating a piece. The Art Nouveau era, for example, overlaps the time period for Victorian jewelry but has a unique and very recognizable style. (These styles are discussed individually.) The Victorian Era gets it's name from England's Queen Victoria, who ascended the throne in 1837 at the age of 18. The queen was an influence on fashion and jewelry styles and this was particularly true during the early years of her reign. Victoria was the only child of Edward, Duke of Kent (a son of George III) and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg. Her father died while she was a child leaving her as heir to the throne after the deaths of her uncles, William IV (king from 1830 - 1837) and his predecessor George IV (king from 1820 - 1830). The country hoped she would usher in a new era of stability and dignity after the scandals of her uncles' reigns. One transition style that covers both the end of the Georgian and beginning of the Victorian eras are Ferronieres. These were chains or ribbons studded with a center jewel intended to be worn on the forehead. Queen Victoria was known to own several and gave them as gifts. Another type of late Georgian, early Victorian jewelry are the very delicate and fragile pieces made up of hundreds of Seed Pearls sewn onto templates of Mother-of-Pearl with white horsehair. Very time consuming to create, they can be very expensive and tedious to repair. These beautiful pieces are very wearable but need to be treated with care. This jewelry technique became popular in the Georgian era, peaked in the 1860's and then fell out of favor. In these years fashion turned away from the earlier styles of body-hugging dresses. Skirts were wide, supported by hoops of wood and wire. Bodices and waists were tight and jewelry was worn in abundance. Multiple bracelets were worn along with brooches, necklaces, earrings, and rings. Queen Victoria wore lots of rings (sometimes multiples on each finger). Up until the last quarter of the 19th century, the most popular style for bracelets were those of 1" or more in width, either solid hinged bangles or ones of gold chain, pearls, and gemstones. Earrings were popular throughout the era (except for a few years during the 1840's and 1890's, when bonnet ribbons made them difficult to wear). As befitting an era called "Sentimental", love tokens, mementoes, and souvenirs were all the rage. Lockets were much-loved accessories and were made of every type of material. They often held painted miniatures or (in later years) small photographs, as well as locks of hair. (Lockets were sometimes worn under the clothing to protect the portrait or hair token from prying eyes.) Brooches were extremely popular and were worn in a variety of ways; on the shoulder, of course, but also at the neck, waist, in the hair, and on ribbons as necklaces and bracelets. In addition to silver, gold, and base metals, jewelry was created from Pique, Tortoiseshell, Mother-of-Pearl, and "Lava" (carved mud to form cameos). Religious symbols were mainstays of jewelry design in both the Georgian and Victorian eras; crosses, ivy, doves, and Greek letters were some. Snakes, symbols of eternity, were created as rings, bracelets, brooches and necklaces. Queen Victoria's engagement ring from Prince Albert was in the form of a serpent. Both sentimentality and symbolism were important elements of Victorian design. Jewelry could be read like books, the design telling of the giver's feelings or hopes. Examples of Symbolism: Pearls = Tears Fly = Humility Dogs = Fidelity Butterfly = Soul Daisy = Innocence Fern = Fascination Mistletoe = A kiss Doves = Domesticity Bluebells = Constancy Wishbone = Wish and Hope Lilac = First feelings of Love Harp/Ireland or Constant Love Flaming Heart = Passionate Love Forget Me Nots = Remembrance Arrows = Love (Cupid's arrows) Crowned Heart = Love Triumphant Ivy = Friendship, fidelity, marriage Clasped Hands = Friendship, Lasting Love Salamanders, Lizards = Passionate Love (it was believed that this animal could survive fire) Roses = Many meanings, depending of the type of bloom and color. Specific gems could have specific meanings, for instance: Amethyst = Devotion Diamond = Constancy Emerald = Hope Ruby = Passion Gems could be used as a type of code to spell out words. The first letter of the gems' names would stand for letters. In this way, a piece set with a Diamond, Emerald, Amethyst, and Ruby (in that order) would spell the work "DEAR". Other examples of this "code" can be found spelling out: Fidelity, Gratitude, Ever Thine, Baby, Mother, and individual names. This practice went on in various countries, and languages - which can make deciphering the code tricky. "MIZPAH", a word taken from the Bible, means, "The Lord watch over me and thee when we are parted one from the other." Today's collector can come across these pieces in a variety of materials and all forms of jewelry. Fine jewelry in the Victorian era was more than just a show of wealth. It was intended to reflect the social standing and status of the wearer and their family. Rigid rules determined what jewelry was deemed "appropriate". In Europe, only the simplest of jewelry was worn by young, unmarried women - crosses, pearls, chains, and mourning jewelry. Married women "of a certain age" were the only ones thought suitable as wearers of diamonds and gems. American women, not being raised with these strict rules, were often criticized for wearing "inappropriate" jewelry when they visited Europe. In spite of such censure, rich American heiresses were in great demand as brides of impoverished European nobility - their dowries and rich jewelry making their fashion errors forgivable. Victorian jewelry designers loved natural themes and flowers as did earlier generations. An interesting design innovation is a piece set en tremblant - a French word that means, "trembling". In jewelry of this sort part of the design is mounted on a spring - this way the jewelry has a twinkling effect, moving slightly as the wearer moves. The Victorians were practical in their jewelry designs. As with the Georgian era, many pieces were made to come apart to form a myriad number of wearable items. A necklace could have a metal rod added, making it rigid and wearable as a tiara. A necklace could come apart to make bracelets and earrings. Early Victorian designs are generally small and delicate unlike the larger, heavier, and more ornate pieces made later. Another fashion of the Victorian era (which some people find disturbing) is Hair Jewelry. Pieces of jewelry were made to incorporate locks of hair, as love tokens or as mementos from deceased loved ones. The hair is placed inside a crystal, sometimes just a curl, or weavings. Elaborate designs and pictures could be made out of hair or the hair, itself, was could be used to make chains, rings, earrings. Virtually every type of jewelry was made of hair, some very complex in the weaving techniques used. You can read more and see examples of this jewelry on the pageMourning & Hair Jewelry In the early Victorian era, Diamonds and Pearls were rare and expensive, available only to the rich. But many alternatives were available to the middle class such as: Amethysts, Opals, Turquoise, and Freshwater Pearls. Looking at gems or stones set into a piece of jewelry can be a major clue to determining a date. It's either a reproduction or a "married" piece" when you find one with a gem that's "wrong" for the time period. I've tried to give some helpful advice at Buying Antique Jewelry. Among the information on this page is advice on how to tell the material of a piece, looking for signs of repair, testing, and more. Stones Commonly Found in Victorian Jewelry: Agate Diamond Onyx Glass Carnelian Emerald Amber Coral Opal Peridot Ruby Sapphire Turquoise Garnet (red & green colors) Pearls (seed, baroque, freshwater, natural, & blister) Some materials Commonly Found in Victorian Jewelry: Bog Oak Enamels Cut Steel Human Hair Jet Ivory Pinchbeck Tortoiseshell Micro-Mosaic (very small tiles) Silver Gold (9, 10 , 15, 18, 22 karats) Rolled Gold or Gold Fill Cameos (Shell, Stone, Lava, Gemstone) Georgian Retro Mid-Victorian Animals & Insects Late Victorian Cameos Edwardian Enamel Art Nouveau Mourning & Hair Jewelry Arts & Crafts Revival Art Deco ---I'd welcome your comments, suggestions, and any knowledge you'd care to share, as well. Is there a subject you'd like to have added to these pages? Please feel free to email me at: jthomas@jantiques.com