Antique , Mourning, Victorian onyx and pearl locket pendant.

Antique , Mourning, Victorian onyx and pearl locket pendant.

England 1890s

Size: 3 cm L

Wight: 33 gr.

14k yellow gold onyx locket set with seed pearls suspended from a 9k yellow gold chain.

British mourning jewellery represents one of the most profound expressions of grief, remembrance, and social custom in the decorative arts, evolving dramatically from the restrained neoclassical elegance of the Georgian period to the elaborate ritualised mourning culture of Victorian Britain. This transformation, deeply influenced by personal tragedies of monarchs and the Industrial Revolution's democratisation of luxury goods, created a distinctive material culture that reflected both intimate personal loss and public social obligations.

Victorian mourning jewellery expanded dramatically in both variety and symbolic complexity. Black became the dominant colour, directly related to the gloom of death and the deprivation of light, representing the lack of prospects for happiness in earthly life. This sombre palette led to innovations in materials and techniques that defined the era's distinctive aesthetic.

Human hair reached unprecedented prominence in Victorian memorial jewellery, used more intensively and in remarkably diverse ways. Hair was woven into elaborate patterns, formed into flowers and feathers, or incorporated into bracelets, brooches, and watch chains. This practice became the height of fashion after Queen Victoria's endorsement, transforming an intimate memorial tradition into a widespread social custom.