History of Victorian Jewelry

Queen Victoria

The History of Victorian Jewelry in 4 paragraphs? Impossible! Here's the challenge – the era officially starts in 1837 with the coronation of a very young Queen Victoria. It ends with her death at the age of 82, in 1901. This woman LOVED jewelry. She designed it, wore it, and gave it as gifts through the rise of British Global Empire, the inception of the industrial revolution, and the reaction to mass production that gave birth to the Arts and Crafts Movement (1870-1914). Her passion and preferences fueled the talents of the jewelry trade of London her whole life, most markedly upon the death of her beloved husband, Albert. But before we delve into Mourning Jewelry, let’s look at a couple other themes that flourished during the Victorian Age.

Extasia Cameo Necklace [PN55] An over the top multi charm cameo necklace of hand carved Italian shell cameos. Hanging from gorgeous strands of pale blush colored freshwater pearls, this necklace is stunning. Drapes at collar, or can be worn as choker.

At the beginning of the 1800s a single hand carved semi precious gem Intaglio or Cameo was an extremely rare and treasured possession. It was about then, 1807 or so, that shell cameos experienced a resurgence. Conch shell cameos were still carved by hand, mostly by artisans along the Italian coast. They grew in popularity partially because the relative ease of carving shell over stone opened up a whole new level of artistry. It also allowed for production carving, which was faster, more formulaic. The end result was a cameo that was both affordable and beautiful. It became the perfect token of that Victorian tradition of the "Grand Tour" – a trip often taken by the upper classes of the Northern climes of Europe to experience the art and culture and mild climate of Italy and Greece. They would return from their journey with Italian carved shell cameo necklaces, rings, and earrings, or the even more highly coveted lava stone cameos, carved out of the earthy colored lava from the base of Mt. Vesuvius.

Extasia Lava Bracelet [NB4]
A beautiful combination of Cameos complimented by a
14K Gold Wash finish makes this a stunning yet classic bracelet.

Extasia Multi Strand Necklace with Pearls [AN22] Just in time for the Valentine Season, our Ruby German glass intaglio on multiple strands of freshwater pearl, Czech glass and bronze chain.

The industrial revolution began to gain steam and with it came more affordable manufacturing techniques, pressed glass for glass intaglios, stamped or cast metal for settings, and chain making machines. Nobility and the wealthiest merchants were no longer the only people who could afford a selection of jewelry to accent their wardrobe.

Queen Victoria may also get the lion’s share of credit for popularizing the charm bracelet and charm necklace, as we know it. She had a series of charms designed and produced to give as gifts to her extended family and circle of friends every New Year.

Extasia Charm Bracelet [RB5]
Our Charm du Jour bracelet in 14K gold plate. A pretty neutral color mix of German glass intaglios and cameos, plus hand-carved Italian shell cameos, beautiful for any season.

• Spans the time period between approximately 1840-1900
• Has a strong focus on figurative motifs and sentimental subject matter
• Commonly uses unusual materials, techniques, non-precious stones, and production manufactured metal work.

Extasia Necklace [NN61]
A 3 German glass cameo necklace on multi-strands of Agate, Opal, Onyx and Labradorite Mix. Cameo images are from Greek mythology, of Venus and Medusa.

*Images used in this essay incorporated Extasia products.