Victorian Jewelry

Let's try a little experiment. When I say "love and jewelry", what image comes to mind? Given the day and age, probably a diamond engagement ring or a gold wedding ring. But although these specific traditions are less than a hundred years old, people have expressed their love through jewelry, probably forever. And the types of jewelry they wore were as diverse and beautiful as love itself. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, here are some examples of popular love symbols from throughout history.

One of the oldest forms of jewelry from Roman times is the federation rings, which represent joined hands. Europeans revived the style in the 12th century, and its period of greatest diffusion lasted until the 18th century (that is, when ours arrives!). Today the related Claddagh ring is seen more frequently. The name comes from the Italian expression Mani in Fede, which means that the hands are crossed in faith and were seen as an expression of love, friendship or commitment. This beautiful example seems to show a man's hand tenderly holding that of a woman who can be recognized by her little bracelet. 

Giardinetti jewelry is shaped like a bouquet, often in a vase (Giardinetti is Italian for "small garden"). These rings and brooches, set with colored gemstones or like ours with diamonds, were particularly popular in the Georgian era and were often exchanged for friends and lovers. Think of it as the jewelry equivalent of a bouquet!

Snakes have long been a popular ornament, but not everyone realizes they are a symbol of love! Eternal love, to be precise. During antiquity, snake jewelry experienced a massive revival in the 19th century after a young Queen Victoria received a snake engagement ring from her beloved Prince Albert. In fact, these snake rings date back to the Victorian era and give the style with their drawings of two intertwined snakes a particularly romantic touch (no pun intended).

Lockets have adorned necklaces and sometimes rings and brooch for centuries. They are still valuable for their ability to contain images or small objects reminiscent of a person loved by the user. Before the photography began, they probably contained a miniature portrait or, as Wuthering Heights clearly shows a lock of hair. Since the mid-19th century, some more important examples included daguerreotypes, the first form of photography. However, with the advent of modern photography techniques at the turn of the century, the masses were able to take, reproduce, and resize images. As more and more people had photos of their loved ones, the locket became even more popular as an ideal way to keep them close.

Beautiful, durable and intimate, it is easy to understand why people have worn jewelry to say "I love you" for centuries and in many imaginative ways. We are just thankful that these pieces keep a whole

love story alive all these years later. It is clear that love and jewels in themselves are an alliance in paradise.