Author:Anirban
It’s of great interest to avid jewelry collectors the world over that the personal life of Queen Victoria actually altered the pattern of design so dramatically that antique jewelry from the Victorian era has now been sub-categorized into the Early Victorian or Romantic Period between 1837-60, the Mid Victorian or the Grand Period between 1860-80 and the Late Victorian or Aesthetic Period between 1880-01.
With the crowning of Queen Victoria in 1837 and her marriage to her cousin Prince Albert in 1840 the enchanting world of Victorian jewelry opened up. Queen Victoria’s love for her husband was legendary. During this romantic period the themes of antique jewelry were flowers, grapes, serpents and birds. Celtic motifs followed with Scottish pebble jewelry. The queen’s love for her king, husband, consort and chief adviser was reflected in the jewelry of the day that was in coral and pearls with intricate gold engravings and exquisite works in enamel. Online shops sell moonlight pearl earrings from this period.
With the death of her husband to typhoid in 1861 the queen went into mourning. Her somber and dull mood was reflected in the antique jewelry of the 1861-1888 period. Dark shades of colors and material were used like black enamel and onyx. She and her nation stirred out of mourning and during the late Victorian period there was again a return to normalcy if not merry making. Diamonds entered the scene in Victorian jewelry of the period and so did other gems. The designs used were insects in jewels and flowers in enamel.
The symbolism in Victorian jewelry consisted of representing tears with pearls and love by heart and arrow of cupid. Lizards and salamanders were used to represent passion. Today online shops are flush with antique jewelry from the Victorian period. You can buy bracelets in sterling silver with a clasp shaped like a heart, earrings and anklets and lockets reminiscent of the mourning period when locks of hair were placed inside the lockets.
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