An Overview on the History of Victorian Jewelry

The Victorian era follows the time line of Queen Victoria’s reign. Beginning in 1837 and lasting until 1901, jewelry aficionados break down this rather large chunk of time into three more manageable sections.  

Early Victorian Era - Beginning with the young queens’ coronation and lasting until 1860, the year before she lost her husband (Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha), jewelry styles of this period featured a large number of animal themes. Exotic as well as familiar animal shapes became popular motifs. Ladies in particular augmented their jewelry collections with floral sprays and pieces that displayed the most intricate scrollwork. Mind you, women’s clothing during this time called for wide puffed sleeves and floral trims. Low necklines opened up the neck for the display of gorgeous pendants.

Grand Victorian Period - Jewelry experts generally designate the years between Prince Albert’s death and 1885 as the grand Victorian period. Living for a while as a recluse, public sentiment turned against the queen. Toward the latter part of this time, she took on the title “Empress of India,” which found expression in jewelry styles of the time. Mourning jewelry became a hot commodity and jet pieces were so sought after that cheap imitations flooded the market. India’s influence came to play in the use of colorful rosettes, heavy brooches and lockets on long chains. Frames with Etruscan style elements became favorite settings.

Aesthetic Victorian Period - Falling between 1885 and 1900, which was just one year prior to her death, the aesthetic Victorian era had begun. Marked by the queen’s golden and diamond jubilees as well as changes in fashion that called for tight dresses, jewelry pieces now focused on exquisite detail work. Scarabs, birds, insects and other nature themes set the tone. The stone of choice was the diamond, which would be surrounded with pearls and colored stones. Pieces that were more intricate even featured spring mechanisms that could be activated by pressing on a hidden lever worked into the jewelry’s décor. Another famous piece of jewelry to have made an appearance was the diamond pin.

It is sometimes difficult to differentiate between pieces of the three periods. As a general rule of thumb, the buyer of Victorian jewelry will do well to look for symbolism in the pieces. For example, seed pearls quite frequently symbolized tears while pink coral was thought to ward off disease. Not surprisingly, these elements frequently were found in Grand Victorian pieces.

In keeping with this practice, the buyer of Victorian jewels featuring grouse feet or thistles will do well to remember that they represent Scottish lore. In 1852, Prince Albert purchased Balmoral Castle in Scotland’s Aberdeenshire and presented it to the queen as a personal gift. Consequently, traditionally Scottish flower and animal motifs became a staple of early Victorian pieces.

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