The Victorians were big on sentiment, and in 1861, after the death of Prince Albert, mourning jewellery became immensely popular.
In addition to writing a will, folk would commission pieces to be made upon their death and given to family members and close friends.
Jet was essentially used in mourning jewellery, when a decade earlier, Queen Victoria had worn it whilst mourning a cousin. Black jet was a fossilized pine, very similar to coal. Whitby in Yorkshire had large natural deposits of jet, and became THE center for "Whitby jet" mourning jewellery. By the end of the century "faux jet" was being produced using, vulcanite (hardened rubber), and a shiny black glass called French jet.
Pictured top, a mourning brooch, with French jet and hairwork. Hairwork was made from tightly woven lengths of hair and placed in brooches lockets and rings.
Back view of the brooch, this one mounted in pinchbeck (an alloy of copper that looks like gold, invented by Christopher pinchbeck, an 18th century watchmaker). Mourning jewellery was often inscribed, usually with a name and date of death, a little morbid you may think, but this is what people did in the Victorian era.
Here pictured next to a ring box, you get more of a sense of how tiny the brooch actually is, it measures only 1.8x1.5cm, the inscription is barely visable, but under a loupe I can just about make out the words-
Richard Philip
18 july 18??
??? 46
Can't make out the exact year, also some wording at the bottom, maybe aged 46?
It fascinates me as to where things come from, who they belonged to? what they did? about their life, who was the pin for? a wife, maybe his mother if he was only 46?
These questions I will never know the answer to.
(Image from the British museum)
A rather grand mourning jewellery set made fom Whitby jet.
