04/28/2026
The last collection of antique jewelry pieces that I added to my website included this incredible set of Victorian era mourning jewelry, which got a lot of attention and prompted many comments. I mentioned that I wanted to cover some of these pieces individually, so today I am going to examine the "language" of Victorian mourning jewelry, and exactly what this beautiful set is saying.
Still ensconced in its original silk velvet lined fitted case, this demi-parure (small matching set) consists of a brooch/pendant and a pair of earrings, adorned with leaves, flowers, black enamel, and seed pearls. Every element of this design is telling us a story. The leaves are ivy, symbolizing fidelity, eternity, everlasting affection. The flowers are very likely forget-me-nots (very common in mourning jewelry), or possibly wild roses, symbolizing love, beauty, and the brevity of life. The upside down posy of flowers in the center of the brooch symbolizes death.
The earrings have slightly different symbols, with a small bud or sprout and a young leaf in the center of each one. This could have two meanings (perhaps both, simultaneously). They could symbolize that the dearly departed was taken before their time, perhaps a child or young adult. They could also be a symbol of new beginnings, everlasting life, resurrection, eternity, and the mourner's own continuation of their life after loss.
The seed pearls present on the brooch and earrings symbolize tears shed for the lost loved one, and the black enamel is a classic visual marker of death and mourning.
Testing these pieces was exciting and informative. I initially assumed the applied flowers and leaves were low karat gold, because of all of the oxidation. It turns out that the yellow vines and leaves were somewhere between 18k and 20k, which seems to imply the pieces may have been made in Portugal, since that is the only country that uses 800/19.2 karat gold as their standard. The rose gold flowers and the thick gold shell of the main body of the brooch and earrings (over silver) is also 15k.
All pieces show evidence of wear, as well as multiple well done repairs, which tells me that this set was loved, worn often, cared for, and respected. I believe these pieces were probably worn by multiple generations, eventually being appreciated as heirloom jewelry, outside of the context of grief and mourning. It's so rare that a set like this not only stays together, but remains in its original case.
