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Cross Pendant, about 1860
Woven hair, or plaited hair, jewelry was quite popular in the mid nineteenth century.It was sentimental jewelry in that it was used to remember loved ones who moved away, to simply recall the loved ones even if near, or to memorialize those who had passed away.Some enjoyed hair jewelry because of the lacy nature of the material.Hair jewelry could be made at home, instructions were found in Godey's Lady's Book and other popular publications, or by jewelers.Hair jewelry fell from favor by the 1880…
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Cameo Pin, about 1860
Cameos were generally cut from stone until the nineteenth century when shell cameos were found to be lovely and affordable.Many were cut en cameo with images of the ancients, although medieval images were also popular.This one is interesting in that it may allude to the rescue of a sailor, as the angel holds an anchor while pointing in a direction of a flailing man.Perhaps this commemorates a sea rescue.
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Brooch, about 1860
This interesting brooch combines styles popular in the 1850s and 1860s, namely the bow know form with the dead gold metal (bright yellow metal that is produced without a sheen) and Etruscan filigree (delicate dots of gold that imitates Etruscan filigree decoration) that were popular primarily from the 1830s on.Etruscan filigree, really granulated drops of gold, was revived by Giulio Castellani of Britain who learned of the work from a scholar studying the ancients.He popularized the Etruscan rev…
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Lace Pin, about 1880
Lace pins become popular in the late 1870s and 1880s as bodices began to have higher necks and included more lace on them.Lace got entangled with heavy brooches with protrusions and so lace pins, which were lighter weight and with few protrusions, were developed.They could also be pinned to the higher necks and stand collars without pulling them down, and were often worn across the collar.The black enamel and gold colored metal form is extremely popular throughout the 1880s.