The Victorian and Edwardian Jewellery on the site has been
chosen with great care to provide a wide choice of antique items, all of which
were the height of fashion in their day. Most of the items are classic pieces
which have not become dated and can be worn with modern fashions. A lot of
the antique pieces were hand made and so retain their individuality. If you
browse through the many brooches, earrings and rings, you may see similarities
but you will never see an item duplicated, unlike modern jewellery which is
mass produced on a very large scale.
In the 18th century, precious jewellery was the privelege of the wealthy few
and pieces were made on a small scale, only for those who could afford it
Most pieces would be individually commissioned for that special person or
for an occasion.
By the mid 19th century the disposable income of the middle and working classes
had begun to rise and so jewellery became more widely available to more people,
although it was still worn mainly by the upper classes..Victorian jewellery is usually ornate and
decorative and sometimes rather ostentatious but as the century progressed,
styles became more open and lighter and more angular, often showing oriental
influence, and becoming more wearable with day clothes.Most jewellery was hand made up to 1850 after which machine
made jewellery was introduced, although it was not mass produced in the same
quantities as it is today.
Hand made pieces are always more desirable than machine made or mass produced
articles as they are individually designed and rarely duplicated.Bar brooches enjoyed a surge of popularity in the 1890s because
of the fashion for high collars, you will see hundreds of examples both stone
set and plain but you rarely see two that are exactly the same. They were
made in silver, 9ct gold, 15ct gold and 18ct gold, also in jet, ivory, bone
and base metal.
High quality examples often in 18ct or 15ct gold are very collectable and
usually stand out from the others.
Most 19th century jewellery is 15ct which is quite yellow due to the higher
carat and gold content. 15ct, 12ct and 9ct were introduced in 1854
and 12ct and 15ct were discontinued in 1932 when 14ct was introduced. The
carat decimal for 15ct is .625 and the item should also carry the town mark
,makers mark and date letter.Between the years 1784 and 1890 ,the sovereigns
head was struck to show that duty had been paid. although many valuable items
escaped paying duty and do not carry a hallmark even though they are made
of precious metal.
Etruscan style applied gold work was fashionable in the late
19th century and can be seen adorning many intricate designs on earrings ,brooches
and pendants typical of this period .There was not much jewellery made for men during this period as it was not fashionable, apart from cravat pins, watch chains and rings.Most Victorian pendants and brooches have small lockets on
the back for a lock of hair or a photograph, often the glass or metal frame
has gone missing over the years. but the tell tale shape of the locket
back remains to bear witness to the treasured picture or lock of hair it once
held.
Diamond jewellery was popular in the 19th century and up
to the present day although the specific value depends on the individual piece
as well as the quality of the diamonds, which can differ enormously from piece
to piece.
The closed settings used in the mounting of 19th century diamonds are either
silver or gold or even silver on gold and because the back of the setting
is closed thus preventing light reflecting behind the stone ,much of the brilliance
is lost. To counteract this a foil back was added between the stone and the
setting ,this was always silver for a diamond and various colours for coloured
stones. Diamond jewellery can be dated by the different cutting of the stones
The Victorians used rose cut, brilliant cut and table or cushion cut diamonds.Topical subjects were often portrayed in jewellery and in
1834 Halleys comet caused great interest and had many brooches, earrings and
pendants made in its form..
Many lunar jewels were made in the form of brooches, tiaras ,and necklaces
representing comets stars and crescents which are still popular today.Jewellery became more affordable in the 19th century with the world wide discovery of sapphire from Kashmir ,opals from Australia, gold from California, demantoid garnets from Russia and diamonds from South Africa where the Kimberly mine was founded in 1871.Edwardian jewellery
tends to be less ornate than Victorian, using more classic lines and simple
designs which are still fashionable today and complement modern couture. Indeed
many of the classic designs appear quite modern in their simplicity. .
From 1890 there was a fashion for the graceful bow and swag design first used
in the late 18th century, a recognisable feature in Edwardian design appearing
in earrings ,pendants and brooches..
Also the simple circular brooch, often stone set,is a typically Edwardian
design. Sometimes it would represent a garland of flowers or a wreath of laurel
or ivy leaves, sometimes a central flower design or a more modern looking
offset diamond or coloured stone.
Many of the antique pieces are marked 15ct or .625.
This gold standard was introduced in 1854 along with 12ct.
In 1932 15ct and 12ct were discontinued and 14ct was introduced.During the early 19th century, rings were a particularly
popular accessory and women tended to wear several on each hand. This is often
a temptation today, but we should wear antique rings with care.
These rings were produced for the hands of the leisured classes, which is
reflected in the delicacy of their construction.
Very few of these early 19th century rings survive today, in good condition ,for the simple reason that later generations of owners have increasingly worn them whilst performing manual tasks.
Please remember if purchasing an early or pearl set ring, wear it with care
and consideration ,for the delicate hand made work of art that it is.George 1V wore snake rings, the snake being a symbol of eternity.
Snake rings were very fashionable until the end of the century and can be
found in many forms and wonderful shapes and sizes often stone set with diamond
head and ruby eyes or garnet or turquoise set and can comprise of one ,two
or three entwined serpents their heads and tails intrinsically locked together
in that symbol of eternity.