Fashion Jewelry Trends - Victorian Mourning Jewelry

The Victorian Period lasted from 1837 to 1901. During Queen Victoria's reign her influence in fashion and jewelry dictated the fashion climate of the British Isles. When her lover Prince Albert died an untimely death Victoria wet into severe mourning. At court Victoria demanded everyone wear mourning fashion jewelry attire at social occasions for the following three years, she herself wore black for the remainder of her life. Victoria also demanded that only black jewelry could be worn during full mourning. This decree fueled an entire industry. Because of the Civil War, the United States use of mourning jewelry increased, coinciding with the prevalence of mourning jewelry used in Britain during Victoria's reign.

ICommon materials used in Victorian mourning jewelry include black enamel, black onyx, jet, vulcanite (hardened blackrubber), gutta-percha, black glass ("French jet"), hairwork and bog oak. Jet, a fossilized coal that can be carved and polished to a high sheen, is arguably the most significant material used for mourning jewelry. Jet was mined near the town of Whitby, England for many years until finally the source was depleted. Today mining for jet is outlawed, the jet remaining is located in the cliffs of Whitby, to mine the jet would cause the cliffs to fall. When jet became scarce jet imitations appeared on the market. These imitations included black glass, black onyx and gutta-percha.

Hiar of a departed one would offen be enclosed behind a panel of glass in a broach or a locket with a photograph opposite or an inscription of the loved one's name and death date. These compartments are found in many forms of jewelry including but not limited to rings, bracelets and pendants. Unfortunately as items were passed down through the generations or were sold the hair would often be removed as it was thought "too macabre". Although often mourning jewelry is considered macabre because of its link to death, it is this link that has allowed its preservation. Because mourning jewelry was linked to family history or sentiment many of these prices were handed down and not destroyed (as many pieces of outdated jewelry are), leaving a legacy of this significant period in jewelry history.