Collection: Victorian

The Victorian era runs from roughly the 1830s to 1900, matching Queen Victoria's reign. Jewelry historians divide it into the Romantic, Grand, and Aesthetic periods, each with its own motifs, which is why Victorian style varies so much across the decades.

Mourning jewelry was worn to remember someone who had died, and it became widespread after Prince Albert's death in 1861. Common materials include jet, onyx, black enamel, and woven hairwork, often set in lockets, rings, and brooches with the loved one's initials or portrait.

Old mine cut diamonds were cut by hand with a squarish outline, a high crown, and a small flat facet on the bottom called a culet. They favor warm, romantic sparkle over the precise brilliance of modern cuts, and they are a hallmark of Victorian and earlier jewelry.

Many Victorian lockets, bangles, and rings wear beautifully day to day, though mourning pieces and delicate hairwork are better saved for special occasions. We grade each item's condition and tell you what it can handle before you buy.