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| Mourning & Hair Jewelry
Polite society in Europe and the U.S. dictated a strictly regimented code for mourning wear. After the death of a relative or loved one, deepest black was the only acceptable color to be worn, both in dress and accessories. With time, some muted colors could be introduced and more variation in jewelry could be worn while "in mourning". There are a number of substances used in mourning jewelry, particularly in the Victorian era jewelry. I'll go on to discuss some in particular.
Bog Oak is a material of fossilized wood and has the dark brown color you'd expect. Because it's most commonly found in Ireland, many Jewelry pieces of Bog Oak incorporate Celtic designs, shamrocks, or harps.
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Mourning jewelry and hair jewelry can have some similar attributes in that they can commemorate a lost loved one or reflect on the temporary nature of life. But, not all hair jewelry is a sad memento. Some was given and worn as love tokens. A lock of hair was an intensely personal item, not to be given indiscriminately. In some jewelry, the lock of hair would be secreted away, worn in a hidden locket or under clothing, keeping it a secret between just two people. "Memento Mori" is a Latin term for items to reflect on the transitory nature of life. Jewelry items made with this in mind were sometimes made with a design of a skull and the hair picture jewelry falls in this category.
Jet, a natural substance of coal (lignite) has a deep, velvety-black color. It's easy to work with and can be cut, faceted, engraved, or carved. Because it's very lightweight, large pieces could be made and worn quite comfortably. Faceted and polished jet will sparkle as light dances across the planes of the piece - it's not a dull or drab ornament by any stretch. The popularity of Jet jewelry was very profitable for the town of Whitby on the Yorkshire coast of England. Whitby Jet jewelry was considered to be the best quality during the Victorian era and new pieces are still being made there, today. You can tell if something is Jet if it is lightweight with a dark black color. The material has been used since antiquity but production increased when Queen Victoria made it more fashionable in the 1860's, after the death of Price Albert.
You can check to see if an item is Jet by rubbing it on a piece of unglazed pottery, it should leave a dark mark. (Be sure only to test on a hidden area of the jewelry piece - you don't want to cause damage.) While jet appears to be very sturdy, it will shatter if dropped on a hard surface.
"French Jet" is actually black glass meant to imitate true Jet. You can tell the difference between them by the weight - glass is heavier than Jet and cold to the touch. Glass was cheaper to use in constructing jewelry but the designs and styles can mimic the look of Jet very closely. You really have to hold a piece in your hand to know what material has been used. French Jet jewelry is usually significantly cheaper than Jet jewelry and was most prevalent in the late 1800's through the 1920's.
Onyx was often used for lockets, earrings, and rings. Other materials could be inserted into the stone if the motifs were acceptable for mourning wear. Color added with enamels, sparkle with Diamonds and small seed pearls (to symbolize tears) look very striking against the smooth dark stone.
Gutta Percha jewelry is made from a rubbery substance that comes certain types of trees indigenous to Asia. It's collected from the trees, treated and can then be molded or carved to form intricate jewelry styles. You can find all types of Victorian jewelry made from Gutta Percha - chains, bangle bracelet, earrings, lockets, etc. It can be tricky to tell the difference between this material and Vulcanite. One way to determine whether an item is Gutta Percha, is to rub it briskly on fabric, it'll emit a faint smell of burnt rubber.
Vulcanite is lightweight with a black-brown color. Made by adding sulfur to vulcanized rubber, it could be cut, molded, or polished to make any style of jewelry.
Enamel Black enamel on a jewelry item usually denotes a mourning piece. You can find many examples made in gold, gold fill, and plated; the smallest ones are usually Georgian and grow in size toward the end of the Victorian era.
Hair jewelry can be found in many different forms; some were intended as mementos from loved ones who had "passed on" (called "memento mori"), others were intended as love tokens. Because a lock of hair from a person was considered a very intimate item, it was usually only considered "proper" if exchanged between an engaged or married couple or family members. Even a simple lock of hair under glass has many variations like curls (shown above) called the "Prince of Wales Feather" that are often studded with pearls and thin gold wire. Other examples of hair jewelry show elaborate plaits or weavings, some carefully placed under glass others using the hair chain as necklaces, watch-chains, and bracelets, for instance. When buying jewelry made completely of hair look for pieces in good condition, repairs are difficult.
Rings can include hair in ingenious ways. It was a common practice, both in the Georgian and Victorian eras to distribute rings to mourners at a funeral and most of these were simple bands. But you can also find rings that have hair enclosed in the ring; the oldest have domed glass that curves gently with the shape of the ring. (Be careful in resizing these.) Some rings were made entirely of hair - alone or with gold accents. Love tokens rings can be found in a couple of styles. Some will have hair encased under a glass-covered niche beneath the ring's decorative top. Another example you can find has a locket top.
More subtle examples of hair jewelry are those that use tiny bits of hair to form a picture. In some pieces, the hair, finely chopped, has been added to paint. These miniature paintings are usually Georgian or early Victorian; a few are in color, but most you'll find are painted in sepia tones of brown. There are also examples to be found where the picture is made up entirely of tiny bits of hair. When you find these, you'll notice the picture looks slightly "out of focus", you don't see the hard edges you'd find in a normal painting. Look for motifs common in "memento mori" jewelry and symbolic references such tombstones, birds, dogs, trees, and angels.
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| Early Victorian | Retro |
| Mid-Victorian | Animal & Insects |
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---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