Looking at Victorian Jewelry

Guest author: Liz Bianco
Jewels By Liz

Looking At Victorian Jewelry: A Study in Secret Symbols

The jewelry that came out of the Victorian period (1837-1901) is notable for its use of a wide range of materials as the Victorians came to explore the world through the voyages of Darwin and the conquest of India. The jewelers had access to a wide range of elements: iridescent beetles, moth wings, tortoise shell, jet, coral, bone, ivory, tiger’s claws – and with the newly moneyed middle class a broader range of people to sell to than ever before, jewelry expanded beyond traditional gold, pearls and diamonds.

But Victorian society was also prudish and repressive, it was the repression that in my opinion that was responsible for the rise of symbolic jewelry. For example, I have included a photograph of a pair of Victorian carved coral earrings and a carved coral necklace of the same period (most coral carving was done between 1860-1870.) The pieces are not only lovely examples of the period, they also make use of The Language of Flowers. The Language of Flowers is a laundry list of blossoms, greenery and their translation. This tradition continues in a minor way to present day with the sending of red roses as a present between lovers.

If “read” in the manner of a Victorian, you would note that the pendant is a chrysanthemum surrounded at top and bottom by rosebuds and the piece would mean “I love you truly”. Furthermore, the earrings are daisies which mean “innocence”, so if the set is given by a young man to a young lady it could be read as : “Innocence, I love you truly.”

But flowers were not the only objects imbued with meaning, Prince Albert gave Queen Victoria a coiled snake engagement ring (1840). Snakes symbolize eternal love and protection. There’s also the classic double-buckle found most commonly in bracelets meaning “you complete me”. And often, if you look carefully at your piece, you will notice a combination of elements, like another common theme is ivy wrapped around a cross (usually in ivory) meaning “faith in god.” Whether building a collection, looking for inspiration or simply curious. I urge to take a closer look at the huge and fascinating range of Victorian jewelry.

For a complete list of translations for The Language of Flowers, I suggest going to the website Pioneer Thinking. For more pictures of Victorian jewelry, I recommend two sites: The Three Graces and As Time Goes By are both excellent sources.