You might say that Victorians had their own love language, often beautifully expressed by their poets and by the enchanting jewelry they wore. Including all manner of symbols—from flowers to snakes—jewels gave voice to the giver’s intent, passion, and commitment. Aah, sweet sentiment!
REMEMBER ME
“If I had a flower for every time I thought of you… I could walk
through my garden forever.”~ Alfred Lord Tennyson
Pansy, derived from the French word penser, means “to think.” Jewels fashioned with the delightful bloom encouraged the wearer to remember the giver.
BE STILL MY HEART
Pitter-patter. The sound of a heart beating a bit faster when in the throes of love. Forever a symbol of passion, Victorians wore their hearts around their necks as well as on their sleeves.
LOCKED IN LOVE
“Love is an endless mystery, for it has nothing else to explain it.” ~ Oscar Wilde
Why send a love letter when you can express your adoration with a pretty piece of jewelry. During the Victorian era, the gifting of a “gate” bracelet (designed to resemble the gates of an English manor) symbolized love and fidelity—with a heart-shaped padlock clasp, of course!
ETERNALLY YOURS
You can thank the trendsetting Queen Victoria for making snake jewelry all the rage during her reign. Her beloved fiancé, Prince Albert, presented her with a snake engagement ring—a symbol of eternal love—and her adoring subjects became smitten with serpents.
FOREVER FASTENED
“Who so loves, believes the impossible.” ~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Whether fashioned as bracelets, rings, or brooches, buckles were a popular motif for Victorian jewelry, representing the binding together of two in love and friendship. Buckle rings were often exchanged between couples to signify fidelity and the promise of commitment.
Contemporary jewelry designer Michael Dobkin believes that “Jewelry tells a story without even a single word…” Discover the pieces that speak for you.
English Victorian Double Diamond-Headed Snake Ring, Circa 1885
Wily reptile or symbol of everlasting love? Both! To express his love for Queen Victoria, Prince Albert himself designed an engagement ring in the form of a ser…
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Victorian Ruby, Natural Pearl and Diamond Lavaliere - Austro-Hungarian
All the way from a vanished empire (the Austro-Hungarian empire, that is) comes this artfully designed leafy heart-shaped lavalière, expertly hand fabric…
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Late-Victorian Enamel Pansy and Diamond Brooch
A colorful confection of pretty things. This late-Victorian/Edwardian brooch (circa turn-of-the-20th century) presents swirling gold stems, a trio of enameled p…
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