Jewellery Stories
Victorian Jewellery Explained
2 April 2026 · 5 min read
Sixty-four years, three distinct moods, and a great deal of meaning hidden in plain sight.
The Victorian period spans 1837 to 1901, which is far too long to describe with one style. It is usually divided into three: Romantic, Grand and Aesthetic.
Early Victorian jewellery is sentimental and often floral, with serpents symbolising eternal love and lockets holding hair rather than photographs. The Grand period, following Prince Albert's death, brings mourning jewellery, jet, onyx and heavier gold.
The late Aesthetic period lightens again: stars and crescents, smaller scale, diamond set in silver upon gold to keep the stones white.
Meaning matters here more than in almost any other period. If you know what to look for, a Victorian piece will usually tell you why it was made.
Questions about a piece of your own are always welcome, and we are happy to look at something without any obligation.
