Victorian Jewellery
Diverse ornamentation based on the royal model
This period was dominated by historicising designs borrowed from past eras such as the Renaissance. There were also more conventional pieces in the form of stars, crescents, rosettes and crosses. They are often decorated with precious stones that came to England from the colonies. The mourning jewellery made of black enamel, onyx and jett, as worn by Queen Victoria after the early death of her husband Prince Albert, was also in great demand. Especially from the English-speaking population, who mourned with Queen Victoria.
Individual and eccentric is how other designs of jewellery from the Victorian era can be described, which makes them so appealing to collectors. The predominantly cheerful and informal designs featured a variety of motifs, ranging from playful animals and lovely bouquets of flowers to symbols of hunting, sport and professions, and were mostly used as badges or in the form of cufflinks.