Product Description

Before photography, before telephones, before any way to hold onto a person after death, there was this. This early Victorian mourning brooch in 9-karat gold is among the most intimate objects jewelry can be — a lock of human hair, woven by hand, sealed beneath glass and encircled by a complete border of lustrous natural seed pearls. The pearls, in the Victorian language of mourning, represent the tears of those left behind. The hair represents the person they lost. Together, they were meant to keep the departed close forever. The reverse is something special. Deeply engraved in fluid script, the interlocking initials are framed by fine foliate decoration — the work of a skilled engraver who understood that the back of a piece worn against the heart deserved as much care as the face. This level of hand engraving is characteristic of the finest early Victorian goldsmith work. The c-clasp pin mechanism, the quality of the gold frame, and the scale of the seed pearls all point to the early Victorian period — circa 1840s, predating the mass production that simplified later examples. 9K gold throughout. No hallmark, consistent with the period. Glass panel with light age wear. Pearl border complete. 0.75 inches. 3 grams. A museum-quality piece of social history that has survived nearly two centuries intact. It will not wait long for the right collector.