Victorian Era 14K Yellow Gold and

Woven Hair Mourning Pendant

American c.1870

Mourning jewelry has been around since at least the 16th century, but it is widely associated with the Victorian Era, when mass production made it affordable. The trend reached its high point after the death of Prince Albert in 1861, when Queen Victoria, as well as members of her court, wore black clothing and matching mourning jewelry for decades.

Some of the most interesting examples of mourning jewelry included hairwork –   bracelets, necklaces, and rings made from woven human hair. Generally, hair jewelry was made from the hair of a deceased loved one, but not always. Like giving a lover a lock of hair, sometimes hair jewelry was made as a gift. It’s said that Queen Victoria gave Empress Eugenie a bracelet made of her own hair. Americans also embraced the concept, especially during the Civil War. During that period, soldiers (who often had long hair) would leave a lock with loved ones to be made into jewelry if they died in battle.

Hair jewelry eventually became very fashionable. It’s thought that the fashion was tied to the morbid streak that characterized Queen Victoria's life after Albert's death because it faded after she died.  At the height of the fashion, though, Godey’s Ladies Book carried offers to make hair jewelry for interested young ladies.

This piece is an American pendant made of woven hair and 14K yellow gold from about 1870. It measures approximately 21mm x 18mm.It is in excellent condition.