Victorian Grand Period (1860-1985)
incl. influenced period of Napoleon III (1850-1875)
When the Queen's husband Prince Albert passed away, Victoria entered a period of deep mourning. This ushered in the popularity of mourning jewellery, featuring macabre motifs such as skulls, snakes, skeletons, and Egyptian revival symbols of the after-death world.
This period created some very important trends and changed the industry, marking the boom of the Jet industry in Whitby, and making every black substance twice more precious than ever before. Ebonite, Bog-wood, Jet, Onyx, and Black Enameled Metals reached their highest demand during these two+ decades.
Gold and silver are the main metals, while rubies are accompanied by lapis lazuli and turquoises on the top of preferences. And sure, there were pearls. Long lines of natural pearls and seed pearls and turqoises sprinkled on brooches and light up the memento mori symbols.