When Prince Albert died in 1861, Queen Victoria’s long mourning period impacted fashion tremendously, as black clothing and accessories became an important feature of this era.
It is known that mourning jewellery was in high demand during Victoria’s mourning period, according to the Victoria and Albert Museum. The tie between the Victorian period and death was tighter than ever before. The mourning of the dead was a phenomenon that was subjected to public discourse. Let’s take a look at some.
Because they were so small and could be worn every day, known for their high effectiveness. There are not many materials that are as famous for making Victorian mourning jewellery as Whitby jet. Jet is a heavy black substance that is made from ancient wood. The people in Whitby have been using it to make jewellery for hundreds of years, but it became really popular in the Victorian period. The Victoria & Albert Museum stated that the demand for jet jewellery went up significantly during the time when Queen Victoria was mourning for Prince Albert. (Image Credits: Pinterest) One of the most intimate types of Victorian mourning jewellery was hair jewellery. However, in the 19th century, hair was regarded as a lasting and very personal reminder of the departed. The British Museum states that hair jewellery could be used as a sign of friendship, sentimentality, or remembrance. Queen Victoria popularised the act of exchanging locks of hair among family members, where hair was enclosed in a locket or bracelet or braided into three-dimensional jewellery pieces. (Image Credits: Pinterest) Instead of using a big memorial, mourning rings have changed the way we think of memorials. They could hold hair, jet material, enamel, glass, or inscriptions. A mourning necklace is something which you can see, while a mourning ring was an epitome of privacy during the Victorian era. (Image Credits: Pinterest)
In today’s society, the notion of wearing in a brooch or locket the hair of a deceased person might seem disturbing.
It is also known that pearls had been associated with sorrow, therefore, pearls were also used in mourning jewellery since they were viewed as symbols of tears. A mourning locket could have a lock of hair, a small picture or drawing, a photo, an engraving, or any small memorial inside. The outside of the locket could be richly decorated and ornate, while the most intimate object inside the locket was concealed. (Image Credits: Pinterest) In terms of mourning symbolism, jet was not the only material known. The striking visual contrast in Victorian mourning jewellery was produced by the combination of black jet and white pearls. (Image Credits: Pinterest)
they received a particular sentimental function in the nineteenth century Although lockets had already existed long before the Victorian era.
