I love the Victorian era designs. It is my favourite era of antique and period jewellery. It was such a conflagration of times and changes. The Industrial Revolution was nearing and mass production techniques were coming into play.
The result being that jewellery designed in this era has some extraordinary qualities. New techniques and materials were being created. Old traditions were merging with the new exotic styles. Heavily associated with symbolism and imbued with meaning, Victorian-era jewellery is endlessly fascinating.
The Victorian period was named after Queen Victoria. Her love and indulgence in jewellery informed the trends and styles of her time. There are three distinct phases in Victorian jewellery, each characterised by particular styles and techniques.
The Early Victorian period saw a proliferation of cameos and charms. This was also identified as the romantic period. During this time, the Queen married her consort Prince Albert. A happy and love-filled time for the couple. Their enjoyment of all things romantic and beautiful is translated into the early designs. This meant a lot of symbolism and meanings were present, resulting in sentimental designs. By way of example, we can observe this in the engagement ring Prince Albert gave Victoria. A gold serpent ring with a large emerald stone for the head. This symbolised eternity and also the unusual nature of the Queen's taste.
Then came the Mourning Period. When Prince Albert died, the nation (and Queen) were plunged into mourning. This heavily featured all-black jet jewellery pieces. The Queen never recovered from the loss of her husband, only wearing all black to the end of her days. Interestingly enough, this sparked the current association of black as a mourning colour. Previously all white ensembles were the norm for mourning wear. So Queen Victoria was the original trendsetter in many ways.
This third period is linked to the aesthetics movement. As so often is the case art, architecture and jewellery are all inexorably linked to the period fashions of the age. None more so than in the case of this gorgeous brooch, which is of the late Victorian period. The brooch is a typical ‘assembled’ Victorian design in 15-carat gold and is in beautiful nick. The rare symmetry and finish on this adorable bar brooch intrigues me. When I rotate the brooch in my hands, the extraordinary symmetry of the twisted bars comes into play. That effect is enhanced even more as the light shimmers on the “bloomed” surface.
“Blooming” involved treating the gold item in a boiling mixture of hydrochloric acid (muriatic acid), saltpetre (potassium nitrate) and salt water. This would yield a pure gold exterior with a glowing matte finish. A wonderful example of Victorian experimentalism and ingenuity. Aesthetically beautiful and intriguing, this piece is of its time yet also beautifully desirable today. This brooch, so intricate in its make and design, is my choice of the month. Holding a tiny piece of history in your hand provides you with an overwhelming sense of time and magnitude. Let this little beauty transport you too, and wear it with pride and wonder.
If you'd like to learn more about this intricate brooch, get in touch and we can run you through the wonderful history of the piece. In the meantime, keep an eye out for Gerard's Choice, for an in-depth and discerning look at our favourite antique jewellery, and retro period jewellery pieces.