For most of us, Halloween is the time of year we think of death and the after-life, but for one British monarch, Queen Victoria, mourning jewelry was what made her remember her departed loved one everyday.
Victoria and Albert met when she was 17 and heir to the throne. They both instantly fell in love! She wrote in her diary: "He is extremely handsome; his hair is about the same colour as mine; his eyes are large & blue & he has a beautiful nose & a very sweet mouth with fine teeth." Since tradition says no sitting Monarch can be proposed to, Victoria proposed to Albert!
They were married for 21 years before tragedy struck and Prince Albert passed away due to health issues. The Queen was devastated, describing in a letter, “… to be cut off in the prime of life - to see our pure happy, quiet domestic life, which alone enabled me to bear my much disliked position, cut off at forty-two - when I had hoped with such instinctive certainty that God never would part us, and would let us grow old together ... - is too awful, too cruel!” She went into mourning for the rest of her reign.
Queen Victoria had such an impact on jewelry fashion that there is an entire era of jewelry from her 63 year reign called Victorian jewelry. It is divided, though, with earlier pieces being full of diamonds and color, and the pieces after Prince Albert passing being very sentimental. It inspired the popularity of mourning jewelry of lockets, crosses, urns, cameos, and even using hair of the deceased loved one in the design.
While wearing mourning jewelry is not popular today, we do wear jewelry passed down to us from loved ones who are no longer with us. They remind us of the life they lived and help us to feel close to them. Jewelry isn’t just some pretty bauble, but is a connection. It always means something more!
I would love to help you with you connect with jewelry! Angela Cisneros Jewelry Concierge brings back the joy and confidence of jewelry shopping, so that you can celebrate with ease! My by-appointment approach means:
One-on-one appointments (personal attention and no crowds!)
Discretion and privacy (surprises remain surprises!)
Expert help from a Graduate Gemologist with 26 years of experience (yep, that’s me!)
Book your FREE appointment with me today! www.angelacisneros.com/book-appointment
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