Victorian Sentimental Jewelry - Mourning and More

It’s no secret that the Victorian way of life is vastly different from our own.  Folks of that era faced many different challenges in their daily lives that we do not have to (nor did they have to deal with meeting schedules, children’s school and sports activities …) 

We are fortunate that today’s medicine is so advanced that we expect to outlive our children.  Only a hundred years ago, that was not so.  Infant mortality rates did not decrease until after the 1920s.  Along with that came maternal death.  Then there were all the diseases that we now rarely see.  Death was ever present and, as such, it was dealt with constantly.  Today, our society speaks of death in hushed voices and we live our lives in relative freedom from the need to acknowledge our mortality and that of others’. 

Another challenge the Victorians faced was distance.  When family members moved far away, they might not ever be seen again.  Correspondence, even by Pony Express, was a lengthy process and travel distances might well be prohibitive.  Even a close friend or relative who married and moved to another town would seem far away.

One of the ways in which Victorians dealt with death and personal relationships was with symbolism.  And this symbolism was visible in many forms.  One such form is jewelry.

When thinking of hair jewelry, many people automatically think of it as mourning jewelry.  Many times this is the case, but  …  not always!  What could be more personal than a lock of hair?  Carrying a lock of hair from a dear one near the heart exemplifies a particular closeness.  And in times prior to the advent of easily accessible photography, it could be the only remembrance of a loved one, alive or deceased.

In the late 18^th century, exquisitely fine pieces of jewelry – most notably lockets, brooches, and rings were decorated with what is called “palette work” where the hair is treated with a borax and soda concoction and, basically, used as paint in a design.

In the mid-19^th century ladies’ magazines gave directions and patterns for women to weave their own hair into intricate designs with which to make jewelry.  How touching it is for a lady to show her love for her husband or beau by presenting him with a gift of a watch chain made of her own hair.

As time passed, jewelers advertised in magazines and newspapers that a woman could send her hair and have it made into a watch chain or other article of jewelry.  By the end of the 19^th century, sentimental hair jewelry was beginning to fall from fashion.

Victorians frequently used symbolism when expressing relationships.  This was an age when “PDA” was totally unacceptable!  You’ve probably heard of the “language of the fan” whereby a lady could send messages to a gentleman in a discreet manner when in public.  (This has since been considered to have been disproven since, how could you send secret, sometimes racy messages in public if everyone knew what the “code” was?)

Symbolism in jewelry was real.  Sometimes referred to as “Memento Mori” (literally “remember you must die”), mourning jewelry can often be distinguished from sentimental jewelry by looking closely at the piece for distinct mourning symbols.

When trying to determine whether a piece of Victorian jewelry, particularly hair jewelry,  is sentimental or meant for mourning, look for specific traits.  18^th and 19^th century symbols of mourning were weeping willows, urns, wheat sheaves, pansies, and tombstones.  Black enamel on gold jewelry is almost certainly representative of mourning jewelry. .  Sometimes tiny seed pearls, symbolizing tears, will surround a central motif or hair compartment.  Words such as “Memory”, “In Memory Of”, or birth and death dates with initials engraved can point to jewelry used in mourning, but don’t always assume that the presence of a date on a piece of jewelry indicates that it is mourning jewelry.  A single date may simply indicate a date of importance between the giver and recipient, such as an anniversary.  In such a case, look for additional details to confirm an item as being specifically mourning jewelry.

Strictly sentimental hair jewelry will be devoid of mourning symbolism.  For instance, a bracelet made of hair with turquoise embellishments.  Nothing about turquoise says “mourning”! 

Specific materials were often used for mourning jewelry.  Whitby jet, from Whitby, England, is ancient and highly compressed wood that has almost become coal.  It was favored for mourning jewelry because it could be made with a matte surface as well as smooth.  Matte is more proper for early stages of mourning.  “French” jet is black glass and generally has a shiny surface, more proper for use in later stages of mourning.  Pressed horn and tortoiseshell were also popular, as well as gutta percha and vulcanite.  (Most jewelry called gutta percha is actually vulcanite.  Gutta percha is more brittle the survival rate of such items is not good.)  Bog oak was sometimes used –fossilized peat from Ireland.  Most often bog oak is carved into Irish themes, and not mourning themes.  In 1886, crape stone was introduced into mourning items.  Basically, these are glass or black onyx that have been treated and carved to mimic the crimped crape pattern of the cloth that was used in clothing to signify mourning.  Crape stones can be found on jewelry as well as buttons.

Later black onyx was also used in mourning jewelry and into the 20^th century, some mourning jewelry made of early plastics such as celluloid and bakelite can be found.

With Queen Victoria’s passing in 1901, slowly, strict mourning customs and outwardly visible mourning wear finally fell out of favor and was no longer considered “fashionable”.  Following World War I, people were ready to come out in the sunshine and be seen enjoying life.  While we still see some clothing and jewelry made for the specific purpose of mourning after the 1920s, it is few and far between.

© Copyright 2008 - 2009 Diana Craig Sparks  All Rights Reserved

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