| Victorian jewelry is well-known for its academic value | | | | to the west in the form of an array of ancient |
| and also for the inimitable touch that it offers to | | | | jewelry. Once again designers capitalized the public |
| antique charm. Even today casual buyers associate | | | | imagination and some of them such as Giulano and |
| the majority of old jewelry pieces to the Victorian | | | | Castellani were noteworthy as they were much |
| era owing to its unique characteristics. In fact it | | | | sought after. |
| influenced the fashion of the masses, as the | | | | The common Victorian jewelry motifs had |
| predominant design themes found in the Victorian | | | | sentimental lockets enclosing a hair lock of the loved |
| jewelry were borrowed from native origins such as | | | | one and quite often serpents were seen as the |
| trees, flowers and birds. The early Victorian jewelry | | | | eternity symbol. Other sentimental themes included |
| included delicate designs, lights and elaborate | | | | love birds, clasped hands, love knots, hair jewelry, |
| engravings. | | | | miniatures and mizpah. Jewels displaying such |
| Ultimately, the Victorian jewelry that became notable | | | | sentimental motifs had concealed messages for |
| evolved as heavier and with more conservative | | | | instance, a crescent moon meant honeymoon and |
| designs, especially the two popular designs originated | | | | made an appropriate gift to a new bride from her |
| during the Victorian period, were known as Repousse | | | | husband on their wedding night. Victorian people were |
| and Cannatille. Repousse was identifiable owing to its | | | | captivated with flowers and attached symbolic |
| solid forms that had fluted and raised edges giving | | | | meaning to each flower such as Lily of the valley |
| the pieces of jewelry a characteristic of massive | | | | denoted sweetness, Pansies represented thought, |
| quality, while the Cannatille jewelry employed gold | | | | Yellow Poppy for success and wealth, Violets |
| wire strands to wound and twist into elaborate | | | | represented modesty, and so on. The early |
| designs. | | | | Victorians enjoyed inner meanings in the jewelry and |
| The romantic period initiated with the ascension of | | | | after the death of Prince Albert, the jewelry became |
| Queen Victoria to the throne and her marriage to | | | | more austere such as heavy, dark stones as they |
| Prince Albert became an impetus. The techniques of | | | | were set in black enamel. |
| the Victorian jewelry were characterized by using | | | | People coming on sports travel also showed interest |
| techniques such as piercing, filigree, and so on. Thin | | | | in Victorian jewelry that depicted sporting themes as |
| plates and gold sheets were used, besides other | | | | men and women pursued the sporting subjects. |
| gemstones included pink topaz, blue zircon, citrine, | | | | Slowly, intaglio crystals were reverse painted and |
| ruby, amethyst, garnet, sapphire, aquamarine, | | | | exhibited hunting themes such as foxes, pheasant, |
| emerald and peridot. The Victorian jewelry also | | | | rabbits, horses and dogs into the forms of jewelry. |
| included popular natural materials such as lava, bog | | | | This collection also included buttons, brooches, |
| oak, tortoise shell, vulcanite jet and ivory. The late | | | | stickpins, cuff links, pendants and watch fobs. Even |
| Victorian era got influenced by the Italian, Greece and | | | | today, the Victorian jewelry has its recognition and |
| Egyptian archeological expeditions that brought light | | | | rules the hearts of many. |