Victorian Hair Jewelry

Morning Glory
Collects…

things we love to buy, wear and
share
Georgian &Victorian
Hair

and Memorial Jewelry-
for Memorial, Mourning &
Friendship
And see the

A. Bernhard
&
Co. Catalogue, 1870

for more on hair
jewelry

Whether fashioned by a home crafter or
professionally by a hair weaver or a jewelry maker, hair
jewelry was the height of the romanticism and sentiment that
characterized
the Victorian era. Some pieces were done as mourning pieces or
"momento mori"
("remember you must die"), but some were not.

While some may find this morbid, for
the Victorians death was a common and accepted part of everyday life
especially due to
the higher infant mortality rate of the time and the devastation of the
Civil War.

Hair jewelry was not always mourning jewelry, however, as
it was also
crafted as love tokens from sweethearts, family members and cherished
friends. Rings might be engraved with loving messages and
memorials
either on the face or inside the band, and might also have hidden
compartments for the hair.

Brooches came in all sizes from the
daintiest lace pin, worn by both men and women, to a larger 3" oval meant to be worn at the
neck. Watch
chains and bracelets often show the most ingenious hair weaving
techniques with more
than one color of hair often used, as perhaps a chain given by three
daughters to their father.

VICTORIAN antique early 1840s 14 karat hair brooch in yellow
gold with black enamel and
plaited thick blonde hair under glass, 2" by 1-1/2". It has the tube and
c-catch closure with an extended pin stem typical
of this era. The mourning message "In Memory Of" in old
English lettering encircles the frame, and engraved on back
is this:
"Ms Buchannan, died 12th Nov 1843
John Wilson died 4th June 1843"
On the back is a tiny loop where a safety chain could be attached, and there
are a few very small dimples there, too, but nothing that detracts. I
couldn’t even get my camera to capture them. The black portions you see are
only the reflection of my camera.
This brooch was seen in Christie Romero’s "Warman’s Jewelry, 3rd Ed", page 35 and
similar pieces can be seen in in
Becker’s "Antique & Twentieth Century Jewelry" on page 106. This brooch was also was featured in Southeastern Antiquing & Collecting
Magazine, August 2003.
View
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View #V9521

VICTORIAN antique
sentimental hair jewelry, a 10k yellow gold bracelet of fifteen tubular
hollow links, each a beautifully woven memento with varying tones of
hair, and each link inscribed with the source monogram of a different
name or initials of the person whose hair it is, probably a friendship
token. Extremely rare and unusual, it is 6 3/4" wearable length by
1-1/2" wide. This is probably the most lovely token of friendship I have
ever seen, and one of the most unusual. It is not a mourning
piece, but rather a memorial piece. I would love to know what special
occasion prompted the making of this amazing friendship bracelet. It has no marks but tests
10k gold. It is similar to one shown in the reprint
of "The Art of Hair Work, 1875" by Mark Campbell, page 285 and on page
30 of A. Bernard & Co.
Catalogue, 1870.
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View #V32065

VICTORIAN antique 14k yellow gold
brooch with palette work hair flower bouquet and a black Taille d’
Epergne enamel lover’s knot setting fashioned like bent twigs, circa 1870, 2-1/4"
by 1-1/2". This
is one of the loveliest frames I have ever seen on a piece of hair jewelry
and it has a glass covered locket compartment on the back as well as the
front. On the back it has the tiny loop where a safety chain might be added.
It has the Victorian
style extended pin and tube catch. While it has no marks, it does test as
14k gold. While I hesitate to use the phrase
"excellent condition" on a brooch of this age, I can find no flaws of any
kind. A hair brooch similar to this
can be seen in "Sentimental Jewelry" by Ann Louise Luthi page 15
and also in seen in Christie Romero’s "Warman’s Jewelry, 3rd Ed", page
35.
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View #V29441

GEORGIAN/EARLY
VICTORIAN 14k yellow gold earrings, each a foil-backed closed
collet
set dark
citrines suspending an acorn-shaped hair pendant on early hinged ear wire
findings, 1-1/2". This pattern is shown in the reprint of "The Art
of Hair
Work, 1875" by Mark Campbell, page 121. #V32067

GEORGIAN/early VICTORIAN
rare pinchbeck and woven hair bracelet with a faceted purple paste stone
in a cannetille work clasp. Four colors of plaited hair made up this
bracelet, which makes me wonder if it might have been made by four
daughters for their mother. It is 7" long and 1-1/4" wide. It was
featured in

Southeastern Antiquing & Collecting Magazine,
August 2003. Similar Victorian hair jewelry bracelet designs can be seen
in A.
Bernard & Co. Catalogue 1870.
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View #V1957

VICTORIAN brooch with
two-toned
plaited locks of hair interwoven within seed pearl and onyx surround and
safety chain, 1-1/8".
View
#V32066

VICTORIAN antique snake coil
bracelet with 14 karat yellow gold and garnets and a woven hair band,
approximately 14" total length by 1/2" wide, snake head 2" long. This is in
amazing condition, as though it has never been worn, circa 1880. To see an
original 1870 Hair Jewelry Catalogue with many examples of this work, please
click HERE
and a snake bracelet can be seen

HERE.
A similar piece can be seen in the book "Jewellery in the Age of Victoria"
by Gere & Rudoe on page 168, where they have a page of photos of hair
jewelry from the Victorian & Albert Museum. They say the pieces shown there
are European. A similar pieces can also be seen in the book, "Warman’s
Jewelry" 2nd Edition by Christie Romero on page 24, where she also date sit
1870. And another is in her 3rd Edition of the same book on page 44,
and that is dated 1840-60.
View
View #V36021

VICTORIAN 1842 ring with
diamonds in a flower shape set on blue enamel in 15 carat yellow gold, hallmarked for 1842 London and
marked "WE" for William Eaton and the number "8", size 9-1/2 and 1/2" along the
finger. This is Georgian in style and is dated just 5 year after the
Georgian reigns. View
#V35959

GEORGIAN/VICTORIAN 15
carat yellow gold hair
bracelet with tiny seed pearls and curl over plaited gray-blonde hair, blue
enamel,
engraved on the back "John Burdon, b. Octr 14th 1811, d. Novr 12th
1893",
6-1/3" around the inside with the front navette shape 1-7/8" by
1". Rev. John Burdon was a son of Rowland
Burdon and lived at Castle Eden Dene in northern England. The navette shape
and style of this bracelet is very typically Georgian (See Dawes
& Collings
"Georgian Jewellery, 1714-1830" pages 145 & 160 for examples)
but the later date
engraved is Victorian. The box shown
with it is good for display but it will not close with the bracelet inside
as it is not deep enough.
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View #V33003

VICTORIAN 14
karat
yellow gold bracelet with tiny star design on four-strand band with
oval
center double-sided finely woven hair or photo compartments, circa 1880.
Hand engraved flowers and leaves decorate each side of the center oval and
the oval itself as well as the catch, delicately and beautifully done. This
is an unusually long 8" length and 5/8" band with 1-3/4" by
1-1/2" center.
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#V32800

VICTORIAN 14k yellow
gold beautifully enameled little "Merry Christmas" sentimental locket with a
banner, mistletoe and holly on the front and two palette worked hair plumes
with seed pearls under glass inside, circa 1890, 1-1/4".
View
View #V24996

The inside of lockets #V24996 and #V29823

VICTORIAN 10 karat
yellow gold hair
locket with black enameled "In Memory Of" on front, "Hannah
Taylor, born June 23,
1872 died July 30, 1876, Rest in Jesus" and hand-tied hair curls
inside, 1-5/8" by
1-1/4". View
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#V29823

VICTORIAN 18k
yellow gold
and Persian turquoise knot
brooch, lovely detailed design on the front and two memorial hair
compartments
on the back. The knot was a Victorian symbol for unending love. This
fabulous brooch
is
2-1/4" by 2-2/3".
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#V32572

VICTORIAN yellow
gold filled
mourning brooch with curled hair in
three
shades accented with tiny seed pearls against a pale pink background,
2-1/4" by 1-7/8".
View
#V31345

VICTORIAN 14k yellow gold knot brooch with garnets,
hair
compartment on back of lower dangle, 1-3/4" by 3". This is a
lovely
high-relief piece and a very unusual type of hair jewelry. The knot is a
symbol for unending love. The top garnet has a very tight and hard-to-see
crack, but the stone is secure and it is not detrimental to the overall
look
of the piece as it is visible only under magnification. The center dangle
has a fox tail end, and the overall design is detailed, three-dimensional
and elegant. See Bell’s "Collecting Victorian Jewelry" page 149.

View
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View #V30099

VICTORIAN 14k blonde hair bow bow brooch with garnet cabochons set in
bloomed 14
karat yellow gold, 2-1/2" by 3-1/8". Not only is the bow delicately
hand made of hair, but the dangling heart has a tiny hair enclosure on the back as well.
The details on this are lovely! The gold at the center
of the bow is beautifully engraved with roses and leaves. The gold has a lovely
bloomed gold finish. See Bell’s "Collecting Victorian Jewelry" page 149.
View
#V38080

VICTORIAN antique 9 carat yellow gold lover’s knot brooch with black enamel
work, a seed pearls flower with a mine cut diamond center, and knife edge gold
and pearls leaves and stems. This beauty is 1-3/4" by 1-3/4". On the back is a
loop for a chain or a safety chain. The catch on the back was professionally
replaced for security, probably in the early 1900s. This is a lovely antique
piece in excellent vintage condition and a treat to own and wear. It has no
marks but does test as 9 carat gold.

View #V31492

VICTORIAN woven hair jewelry brooch with gold front engraved, "To Our
Mother", and the back engraved, "To Our Mother from her Husband and
Children", 2-1/3" by 2-1/3", circa mid-1800s. Also dangling from a bow are a woven cross,
anchor and heart symbolizing "Faith or love, hope and charity. The brooch is
in excellent vintage condition, amazing for the age of this piece. Even the
hair has no holes. I treasure my copy of
the catalogue A.
Bernhard
& Co. Catalogue, 1870, which is full of Victorian hair jewelry. On
PAGE 16 of this is a page of hair
brooches similar to this one that are fun to see.

View

View #V38125

VICTORIAN antique round banded agate brooch with surrounding
cream colored beads in an gold tone metal setting with applied wire work and a brunette woven
hair beveled glass covered locket back, 1-1/2". Each segment has a rope shaped
edging. It has the Victorian style tube and c-catch closure that works just
as it should, and the front is in excellent condition as well. I have yet to
see another quite like this.

View

View #V38129

VICTORIAN antique rare fossil clasp hair bracelet with silver tone
fittings. The seven strand band has medium and dark brown woven hair and the
bracelet is 6-1/3" wearable length with a 2" by 1-1/4" clasp. I think the stone
is called "brain coral", and it has such a terrific swirling design that
highlights the hair work perfectly. The hair is in very good vintage
condition except in two places. One is where the hair meets the metal ends,
where it is frayed, which can be seen in the photos. The other is mid-way on
one strand where it has a bit of loose piece. But the clasp is excellent
and works exactly as it should

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View #V38102

VICTORIAN antique10 karat yellow gold and woven hair jewelry brooch
with rare hair flowers under a domed glass cover and set in gold, a
1-5/8" by 1-1/4" oval. The flowers, which are in at least three
different colors of hair, are really wonderfully made and the setting is
extra deep in order to house them. Because the glass cover is domed, it
magnifies the flowers in a lovely way. It has a scratch on the back where someone tested it for
gold content. The pin back has been reinforced and there are very shallow
dimples on the back, but the front and the hair work is in excellent vintage
condition.

View #V38140

VICTORIAN Georgian/Victorian era amethyst and gold locket back brooch or
pendant with amazing tiny hair worked flowers, leaves and stems in a bouquet
accented with seed pearls under a beveled glass cover, 1-5/8" by 1-1/3". There’s
also a flip-up loop on the back
for a chain, and a flip-up safety catch. This comes with it’s box,
circa early 1800s, and it is in excellent condition.

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View #V37977

VICTORIAN Georgian hair ring with amethysts, replaced band , marked
inside "10" and maker’s mark "VJ" in a diamond shape, size 8-3/7/8" by
5/8"4 and the top is . According to a 1993 Canadian appraisal, the
ring is a, "10k yellow gold hand assembled ring that appears to have
been an older piece of jewelry with a newer shank and base added. The
top piece consists of a hand carved rectangular center piece set with
braided brown hair under glass. The surrounding cap is set with a 10
prong set round shaped standard brilliant amethyst/natural quartz
gauging 4.60 by 3.00 mm approximate total weight 3.00 carats. Clarity
SI-1 Type II, Color medium dark strong purple, mount weight 6.10 gm."
They valued the ring at that time at $800.00 Canadian.

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View #V38282

GEORGIAN
hair sepia neoclassical art mourning ring, sepia hair painting on ivory
under crystal showing a woman crying into her handkerchief under a
weeping willow tree and beside a tomb, engraved "Jas. Liddell, Jan.1784
Ae 42", typical Georgian navette shape surrounded by amethysts, size 8
and 1-1/4" along the finger, no marks, total weight .32. One tiny
amethyst is chipped, visible only under magnification. Rings similar to
this can be seen in "Sentimental Jewelry" by Ann Louise Luthi page 8-9;
and in "Georgian Jewellery" by Davidov and Collins page 160.
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View #V34828

VICTORIAN large gold filled with black enamel basket weave
brooch with two colors of hair… brownish-blonde and blondish-gray. This
memorial brooch also has a pendant hook on back, 2-1/8".
View
#V29245

VICTORIAN 1867
memorial set, 15 ct karat yellow gold banded agate and diamonds set: pendant,
brooch and earrings dated 1867. The pendant has a seed pearl in the middle, the
pin has seven small rose cut diamonds, pendant and pin both engraved in mourning
"In Memory of E. Johnson, Obt 24 June 1867", pendant 1-7/8" earrings 2" pin 1" ,
22" chain marked "JS 375".
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View #V35498

VICTORIAN black and
white enameled Classical urn motif brooch with glass covered hair
compartment, circa 1840, some enamel missing, 3/4" by 1". Bell’s
"Collector’s Encyclopedia of Hairwork Jewelry" page 94.
View #V31385

VICTORIAN gold and
black
enamel palette worked hair plumes, seed pearls and golden wire work
memorial brooch with engraving
on back, "Alex McDonald, obt. 23rd Dec, 1850, Agnes Sanderson, 14th
Nov.
1871. Note that each side of the curled hair is a different color, one for
each of the people memorialized in the engraving on the back. View
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View #V31130

VICTORIAN lady
wearing a lovely hair brooch with woven and braided hair.
View #Vpho1

VICTORIAN sentimental triple knot hair brooch in yellow
gold
settinng, circa 1880, 1-5/8". Hair jewelry was a popular sentimental
item
throughout the 1800s. This is an unusual design, and may have been
done by
siblings in a family. A very similar brooch can be seen in this
Victorian-era photograph
View.
View
#V28119

VICTORIAN
memorial locket with a seed pearl cross motif on a black enamel background on
the front and a gold filled 16" chain. There are the initials "KML" on one side.
Inside is a photo of a lady, a bit worn, along with a hair plume curl with seed
pearls, so this could have been a mourning piece.
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#V38113

VICTORIAN 14k yellow gold
mourning ring with black "In Memory Of" enameling, plaited brown
hair under glass front, engraved
inside "Caroline Ryland, obt 11 Nov 1855, age 45", size
9. A similar piece is seen in Christie Romero’s book
"Warman’s Jewelry, 2nd Ed, page 36.
View
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#V29762

VICTORIAN hair memorial brooch with a dangling puffy heart, 1-7/8" by
1-1/2". The top knot is an open tubular weave accented with tiny gold tone
ends and flowers. The dangling heart is centered with another tiny black
enamel heart.

View #V38664

GEORGIAN hair pin surrounded by
two rows of tiny seed pearls, braided brown hair under a beveled glass cover,
circa 1810, 7/8" by 5/8". Pieces like this are called "handkerchief pins" in
Romero’s book "Warman’s Jewelry Edition 3" on page 34 and I have also seen them
called "lace pins". View
#V35964

GEORGIAN 15 karat and glass
pearl matching bracelets with hair compartment and later-added costume glass
seed pearl strands, 7-1/2" length with 1/3" by 1/3" clasps. I believe these
may have originally been woven hair bracelets and the glass pearls replaced
the worn hair in the early 20th century, allowing the bracelets to continue
to be worn. View
View #V35926

GEORGIAN garnet and moss
agate tiny pin circa 1810, 3/4" by 5/8". Pieces like this are called
"handkerchief pins" in Romero’s book "Warman’s Jewelry Edition 3" on
page 34 and I have also seen them called "lace pins".
View #V35965

VICTORIAN Whitby jet
with plaited hair locket, 1-1/2" by 1-1/3" locket with
1/3" loop, fittings and plaited hair inside.
View
View #V32221

GEORGIAN early 1800’s
14k yellow gold, garnet and pearl lace pin
with hair enclosure, 3/4" by 5/8".
View
#V32198

VICTORIAN puffy
heart
padlock charm with hair enclosure, 1". A similar piece can be
seen
on page 36 of Bell’s "Collecting Victorian Jewelry".
View
#V31587

VICTORIAN hair brooch,
ornate
silver setting with pastes, palette work hair curls and seed pearls,
1-1/2".
This is an unusual setting for a hair piece.
View
#V27578

VICTORIAN
jet and seed pearl hair brooch with plaited blonde and brown hair under
glass, 1-3/4". Seed pearls in Victorian mourning jewelry often
represented tears.
View
#V29447

GEORGIAN memorial hair
ring
with pearl surround and blonde hair. Size 7-1/4 and engraved,
"
Joseph Dixon died 16th Jan.y 1815 aged 50".
Engraving #V15165

REGENCY 18k yellow gold
2-1/2" by 2" oval pendant with 5/8" loop, engraved
on the back, "To The Memory of My Wife and Child, Arietta S. Jenkins obt.
Nov. 25th, 1832, John W. Jenkins, Sept 3rd, 1832". Both died of yellow
fever
and were buried in Chestnut Street Cemetery (Old City Graveyard) in
Apalachicola, Florida. It is marked on the inside back, "W.M. & C., 18".
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#V29714

"Chestnut Street
Cemetery (Old
City Graveyard) of early Apalachicola.
Chestnut Street Cemetery dates prior to 1831. Interred are some of
Apalachicola’s founders and molders of ehr colorful history. Also buried
here
are many soldiers of the Confederacy and victims of yellow fever and
shipwrecks.
Seven of the Confederate veterans served with Pickett at Gettysburg in the
gallant Florida Brigade."
Tombstone of Arietta S.
Jenkins. Tombstone of
John W. Jenkins.
"Sacred to the Memory of John W. Jenkins who dies Sep. 5, 1832, aged 5
years."

VICTORIAN 14 karat yellow
gold brooch with brown, blonde and red hair. The setting has lovely
branches, leaves and tendrils and the hair is held in place by tiny seed
pearls and golden threads interspersed with golden thread wheat stalks,
symbol of prosperity and abundance, circa 1880, 2" by 2-1/4". This would have been a sentimental friendship
brooch, not a memorial piece, and it has a compartment on the back as
well. Total weight .82 ounces.
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#V32449

CAMEO
swivel brooch with hair compartment on the back, circa 1880, 2".

View #Q28120

VICTORIAN
18k hair brooch/pendant, oval with braided hair in two shades of
blonde
and brown hair,
basket woven hair back, 2" wide.
View #V18982

VICTORIAN 14k yellow gold
and black enameled "In Memory Of Eliza"
hair brooch, 7/8".
View
#V27614

GEORGIAN/VICTORIAN
"In Memory Of" hair brooch with the name "Sarah" in
hair
compartment, 7/8". This is circa 1840, early Victorian. A brooch like this
piece can be seen on page 8 in the book "In Death Lamented; the Tradition of
Anglo-American Mourning Jewelry" by Sarah Nehama, which was a companion
volume to the Fall Exhibit at the Massachusetts Historical Society 2012.
View #V27608

GEORGIAN man’s lace
brooch
with hair insert, engraved "Susanna Bush, obt 12 Aug 1807 alt
30",
an unusually early date, 1".
View
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#V29477

VICTORIAN gold
pierced hair ring with
shield front, size 9-1/4. #V21550

VICTORIAN 14k hair
ring engraved "SB",
woven hair on sides. See Bell’s "Collector’s Encyclopedia of
Hairwork Jewelry"
page 187. A similar piece is seen in Christie Romero’s book
"Warman’s Jewelry, 2nd Ed, page 36.
View
#V23358

VICTORIAN 14k yellow
gold
etched design ring with woven hair inside, circa 1880, size 7-1/4. This
can be seen in an
1870 A. Bernhard catalogue of Victorian Hair
Jewelry. and Bell’s "Collector’s Encyclopedia of
Hairwork Jewelry" page 185.
View
#V15458

VICTORIAN hair set
in
pierced gold ring with etched design and initials "MPH" on the
front, size 6-1/2.
View #V31359

VICTORIAN hair
double
dangle earrings of table work and gold fittings, screw back fittings
probably replaced the original pierced ones in the early 1920s, slight
unraveling at tops of one earring,
2-1/4". View
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View #V31360

VICTORIAN hair woven
on
gold cross pendant, 1-1/4" cross on 1/3" loop. See Bell’s
"Collector’s Encyclopedia of Hairwork Jewelry" page 124.
View
View #V31361

VICTORIAN 14k yellow gold
hair purse pocketbook charm, circa 1880, 7/8". See one like this in Bell’s
"Collector’s Encyclopedia of Hairwork Jewelry" page 197. This is shown in
the reprint of "The Art of Hair Work, 1875" by Mark Campbell, page 159. A
similar design can be see in the
A. Bernard & Co 1870 Catalogue on
page 7 and PAGE 13. View #V31399

VICTORIAN hair plume
palette
work brooch with seed pearls and curled wire work, table work hair frame
and gold fittings,
circa 1870, 1-5/8" by
1-1/4". Similar brooch seen in the 1870
Edition of A Bernhard & Co. Catalogue. View
View
#V31354

VICTORIAN black and
white enameled Classical urn motif brooch with glass covered hair
compartment, circa 1840, some enamel missing, 3/4" by 1". Bell’s
"Collector’s Encyclopedia of Hairwork Jewelry" page 94.
View
#V31385

VICTORIAN woven hair jewelry brooch with brown bow and two hair dangles, 2"
by 1-1/4".

View #V38126

VICTORIAN antique hair memorial mourning brooch in an diamond shape with two
colors of braided hair. It is beautifully engraved on the back, "My Mother died 5th April, 1861,
and Father died 7th April 1867", 2-1/2" by 1".
View
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#V40073

VICTORIAN woven hair bracelet 6-1/2" by 5/8". This is in amazing condition
for it’s age and frailty with only some tiny hairs fraying out at the edges. The
knot on the bracelet itself doesn’t seem to slide, so in
order to wear it, you must be able to slide it gently over your hand, and you would need
to have a small petite hand. It is very delicate. It could also be used in a Victorian display with
vintage photos and ribbons.

View

View #V38093

VICTORIAN hair
bracelet in an open weave with gold stations and clasp, beautifully made,
two hair portions unraveling on back, circa 1870, 7-1/4" by 3/4".
This
bracelet can be seen on page 28 of the
A. Bernhard & Co 1870 catalogue of hair
jewelry.
Similar to one shown in the reprint of "The Art of Hair Work,
1875" by Mark
Campbell, page 285.
View
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View
Catalogue
Page #V31353

VICTORIAN hair bow
pin
with acorn drops with the :knot" of the bow of gold tone inscribed
with the
name "Lizzie", some unraveling at bottoms of acorns. This is
shown
in the reprint of "The Art of Hair Work, 1875" by Mark Campbell,
page 144. View
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#V31362

VICTORIAN braided
hair
watch chain with gold fittings, unraveling about 2" on one side,
10-1/3".
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#V31355

VICTORIAN hair
large
hoop earrings, gold filled fittings, 1-7/8" long and 1-5/8" wide.
Bell’s
"Collector’s Encyclopedia of Hairwork Jewelry" page
141. These
earrings are shown in the reprint of "The Art of Hair Work, 1875"
by Mark
Campbell, page 160. #V31386

VICTORIAN hair brooch with
cross
pendant and gold filled fittings. This is shown in the reprint of "The
Art of
Hair Work, 1875" by Mark Campbell, page 145.

VICTORIAN hair earrings with
open
weave table work and gold fittings.

VICTORIAN hair pin
with
orange cabochon center stone framed with plaited hair and set in gold,
monogrammed "MBF",
a small but extremely unusual piece, 1". View
View
#V31356

VICTORIAN hair bow
bracelet of "plain open braid" weave table work with engraved
initials "AVP"
on clasp, delicate at point where it joins the center fitting. This pattern
is shown in the reprint of "The Art of Hair Work, 1875" by Mark
Campbell,
page 110.
View
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#V31357

VICTORIAN table
worked hair
in two tones with gold tone leaves and berries
dangle pierced earrings, kidney wire findings, circa 1870, 1-1/4".
These earrings are shown in the reprint of "The Art of Hair Work,
1875" by
Mark Campbell, page 160. View
View
#V31358

VICTORIAN woven hair pendant set
in 14 karat yellow gold with a glass cover, engraved on one side "Adele
ob 16 Jan, 1835, age 6 years 3 months", a memorial for a child, total
length 1-7/8" by 1-1/3" wide, tests 14k.
View
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#V37549

VICTORIAN
1870s brown woven hair bracelet with a flat intricately woven band and a catch
with a red faceted stone and 9ct gold fittings (tested), 5-7/8" wearable size
and about 5/8" wide. This is in very good condition with tiny flea bites on the
red stone and some edge wear on the band. Similar clasps can be seen in this jpg
of a catalogue we own, 1870 A Bernhardt Catalogue of hair jewelry,
seen
HERE. View
View
#V38101

VICTORIAN basket woven human
hair brooch with beveled glass cover, setting tests as 10 karat yellow gold, 1-1/4" by
1". I have tested this a few times, and while I would not think it is karat
gold, it tests as 10k. I am pricing it as gold tone, so no matter either way. View
#V37548

VICTORIAN hair
brooch
with table worked open frame and palette worked woven hair center set in
yellow gold filled, 1-1/8". This is shown in the reprint of "The
Art of
Hair Work, 1875" by Mark Campbell, page 159.
View
#V31468

VICTORIAN hair bracelet
with etched design locket front, 6-5/8" by 7/8".
View
View
View
#V31408

VICTORIAN hair and
wire
work flowers with artificial pearls.
View
View

A.
Bernhard
&
Co. Catalogue, 1870
PAGE 9 of
Victorian hair jewelry: brooches in fancy designs, including florals and
initials.

VICTORIAN blond
hair bow brooch of open table work with drops, 2" by 1-3/4". This
brooch, sadly, has major damage, but I am sure it was treasured and worn by
someone many years ago.
This is shown in the reprint of "The Art of Hair Work, 1875" by
Mark
Campbell, page 144.
View
View
View
#V31395

A.
Bernhard
&
Co. Catalogue, 1870
PAGE 16 of Victorian
hair jewelry:
bracelets and brooches.

VICTORIAN woven human hair
vest watch chain showing two styles of weaving, with yellow gold tone
findings including a locket fob (as is with finish wear) and slide
engraved with the initials "H.D.J" on one side, circa 1870s, total length 10",
hair braiding in excellent condition. To see an original 1870 Hair
Jewelry Catalogue with many examples of this work, please click
HERE.
View
View
#V37536

VICTORIAN woven human hair upper
arm bracelet, tube woven with lovely yellow gold findings with a roses and
scrolls design, hair braiding in excellent condition, wearable length 10-3/4" by
about 7/8" wide. Each tube is woven in a hollow tube and then loosely braided
like pig tails in young girls hair, and the entire bracelet is in excellent
condition. There are a total of 6 tubes. To see an 1870 Hair Jewelry
Catalogue with many examples of this work, please click
HERE. View
View
View
View #V37535

VICTORIAN woven human
hair necklace with gold tone stations and findings woven hair work in excellent
condition, total length 22", long for this type of necklace, circa 1870s.
To see an 1870 Hair Jewelry Catalogue with many examples of this work, please
click HERE.
View #V37537

VICTORIAN
antique sentimental or memorial woven
hair earrings set in 9 or 10 karat yellow gold and converted for pierced
ears, earring itself 3/4" by 1/2". On the back side it looks
like these were remade into studs at some point.
View #V41557

VICTORIAN
woven hair watch chain and gold filled fob with watch fittings, a swivel
hook on one end and a bar on the other, made of hair it is 7-1/3" and 10" with chains.
View
View
#V38335

GEORGIAN antique memorial or mourning hair ring, an antique
1802-dated 9 karat yellow gold, seed pearl and hair mourning ring
inscribed inside "En Thornton obt 8 Nov 1802 at 54". The size is 8-3/4
and it is 1/2" along the finger at the front. The total weight is about
.13 ounces. There are 20 pearls around the center compartment, all
beautifully matched and prong set. There is a tiny faint spot of
scratches on the crystal, visible only under very close examination, but
the braided hair can still be seen through it, and the setting is in
very good condition. This is a real treasure from another age.

View

View

View

View

View

View #V36262

VICTORIAN hair
set in etched and enameled gold pierced earrings with three pendants,
kidney
wire findings, 1-3/4"
top to bottom. Earrings like these, circa 1870, can be seen on page 45
of Romero’s Warman’s Jewelry, Ed. 3. Similar earrings are on page
143
of Davidov & Dawes "Victorian Jewelry".
View
#V27335

VICTORIAN hair
brooch, basket weave hair enclosed in golden glass covered compartment with
Greek key motif around the edge, 1-3/4".
View
#V27353

VICTORIAN
brown hollow acorn braid woven hair acorn earrings,
1-1/8". Earrings like
these, circa 1870, can be seen on page 45 of Romero’s Warman’s Jewelry,
Ed. 3. This pattern is shown in the reprint of "The Art of
Hair
Work, 1875" by Mark Campbell, page 121. View
#V27607

LADY wearing gold earrings
and
a woven hair necklace with a photograph pendant. Carte de viste marked
"Robertson & Brooks, Franklin, KY."

VICTORIAN lady wearing a
memorial hair brooch at her collar. Marked on the back "Elliott &
Fry, 55
Baker Street, Portman Square, London W.".
View
View
View

VICTORIAN
hair brooch with loop for pendant, "In Memory Of" in
gold tone
around the edge on black enameled 1-1/2" x 2".
View
#V21552

VICTORIAN
hair
brooch with black enamel sentimentally engraved "In Memory of Wee
Jeanie",
1-5/16".
View
#V17492

VICTORIAN
hair
brooch with "In Memory Of" in gold tone around the edge on
black enameled
1-1/2" x 2". View
#V17215

VICTORIAN hair brooch, black
enameled frame with
scrolled design, 2".
View
#V27574

VICTORIAN
10k yellow gold and black enamel with seed pearls forget-me-not front, hair
compartment back, gray-blond hair, engraved "John Sweeting died 24
March
1845 aged 85". View
#V27605

VICTORIAN basket weave hair
brooch, black enameled frame "In Memory Of" scrolled design,
dents on back, 2".
View
#V27575

VICTORIAN large hair
memorial
brooch with pendant hook on back, 2-1/8".
View
#V29245

VICTORIAN hair
brooch, basket weave in glass covered compartment, scalloped design, back
indented, 1-1/2".
View #V27354

VICTORIAN 14k woven brown hair
earrings in a lovely looped design, one with slight unraveling which the
magnified picture exaggerates, each 2" total length with wires for pierced ears,
circa 1870. View
View #V36392

VICTORIAN hair
double
dangle earrings of table work and gold fittings, screw back fittings
probably replaced the original pierced ones in the early 1920s, slight
unraveling at tops of one earring,
2-1/4". View
View
View
View #V31360

VICTORIAN antique hair brooch in 10k and chalcedony. It is a
mourning hair brooch with two colors of hair beautifully and simply braided, 1-5/8"
wide. The frame tests 10k, and the brooch is in very good condition.
View
#V40072

VICTORIAN hair
brooch, glass covered hair compartment set in chalcedony, 1-3/4".

View
#V27355

VICTORIAN chalcedony
brooch
with plaited hair in compartment, 1-3/4".
View
#V29258

VICTORIAN
braided
hair bracelet, engraved inside "CLVR", 6" by 1/2".
View #V25845

GEORGIAN hair
1/2" pendant engraved on the back "Benj’n Hawkins, b. 19th Jan
18__,
AE {age} ’59", framed with seed pearls which are symbolic of tears,
on a
newer 20" chain marked "585". This was probably once
a ring or a lace pin.
View
#V27361

VICTORIAN HAIR
RING
14k with seed pearls surrounding woven hair under a crystal, size 4,
circa 1880.
View
View
View #V17771

VICTORIAN IMO
memorial or mourning brooch with hair enclosure and the words "In Memory
Of" in gold on the black enamel front. There is a loop on the back so it
can be worn with a safety chain, 2-1/4" by 2" .

View #V37290

VICTORIAN gold filled memorial or mourning hair pendant with black enameled edge,
a 3/4" pendant on a newer 17-1/2" chain.

View

View #V15460

VICTORIAN 9 carat yellow
gold mourning In Memory Of stickpin with tiny braid of hair inside and black
enameled lettering, partially legible initials and date lightly scratched on
the back say, "CSM ECS ae_9, __ 4", 2-1/4" long and in it’s original box.
View
View
View #V36633

VICTORIAN swivel
brooch, lady wearing locket photo on front and woven hair on back,
2-1/4".
View
#V27783

VICTORIAN gold filled brooch
with hair compartment on back, 1".
View
#V28857

VICTORIAN hair
brooch, carved and pierced bone deer insert, hair compartment on back,
engraved hoops
frame, carving shows some breaks, 2-1/8". This type of carving was
done
in Erbach, Germany. See Bell’s "Collecting Victorian Jewelry"
page 21.
View
#V27360

VICTORIAN hair
locket brooch with etched flowers and embossed scrolls, engraved on back
"FHN".
View
View
#V27368

VICTORIAN hair brooch, black
enameled frame
"In Memory Of", engraved on the reverse, "FR obt Nov 13,
1856".
View
#V27579

VICTORIAN locket brooch with
scrolled edging, engraved castle front,
1-5/8". View
#V27580

VICTORIAN
locket with hair compartment inside.
View #V18646

VICTORIAN yellow gold oval
swivel brooch with substantial setting,
2-1/2". View
#V28804

VICTORIAN jet brooch with hair
compartment, etched design, 1". #V27603

VICTORIAN sentimental
woven hair watch chain in the twist chain braid design, 14". These
were
often done by a lady for the men in her family. This pattern is shown
in the reprint of "The Art of Hair Work, 1875" by Mark Campbell,
page 38.
View #V16355

VICTORIAN black
glass oval 2-1/8" pendant with
hand painted white flowers and a hair compartment on reverse.
View
#V24441

VICTORIAN
hair
locket pin with seed pearls, hinged on back, 1-1/3".
View
#V27778

VICTORIAN gold filled
closed
pocket watch style locket pendant with daguerreotype of a lovely lady and a
curl of blonde hair inside.
View
#V29592

VICTORIAN
375
(9 ct) hair 14" watch chain with fob engraved with initials and
marked "WA
.375". View
#V21554

VICTORIAN
gold filled hair 3/4" pendant on 17-1/2"
chain. #V15460

VICTORIAN
octagonal hair pendant on chain, redone from a brooch long
ago.
View
#V15461

VICTORIAN woven brunette
hair
sweetheart or memorial watch chain with dog’s head fob.
View
View
View
#V29605

VICTORIAN rolled gold
sweetheart photo pendant with girl photo on one side and lock of hair on
the
other, 1-1/4" on a 22" chain. View
#V29599

~
Small pins like
the
ones below are often referred to as "lace pins". They were worn
not only by
women, using them to fasten lace around the collar, but also by men of
the Regency/Georgian era… those who wore velvet jackets, lace-trimmed
shirts with
ruffles, make-up, wigs and high heels. Examples of this style of dress can
be seen
HERE.

GEORGIAN hair
brooch, tiny rectangular with black faceted stone frame, curved shape,
1".
View
#V27357

GEORGIAN dainty blonde hair
brooch with seed pearls, 3/4″. View
#V25998

GEORGIAN
handkerchief pin with plaited brunette hair, gold frame,
1". #V27585

VICTORIAN hair
brooch, engraved on back "R.M., Mother", oval 7/8".

View
#V27359

VICTORIAN hair
brooch, tiny two-sided glass covered compartments, snake frame, 1". In
Victorian times, the snake was the symbol of eternal love.
View
#V27356

VICTORIAN
hair brooch, oval with glass hair compartment, tiny
1".
View
#V27358

VICTORIAN 14k enameled
hair
brooch engraved "HRK", 1-1/8".
View
#V18608

VICTORIAN
hair brooch 1-7/8". View
#V16359

VICTORIAN tiny
hair
brooch, 3/4" oval engraved on the back "MG".
View
#V17217

VICTORIAN gold rectangular
brooch
with blond hair compartment, 1".
View #V27606

VICTORIAN rectangular entwined
hair brooch with
double etched gold frame, engraved on reverse “Solomon Howe Ae 53, died
July
29th 1830; Sarah Howe Ae 48 died Sept 2 1837.
View
#V27613

VICTORIAN hair brooch with black
enamel
frame, engraved on reverse "Walter Carley died 14 Feb 1886 aged 13
months",
1-1/8". View
#V27609

VICTORIAN woven hair jewelry memorial brooch with golden blonde hair in a
basket weave design under a beveled glass cover set in gold with a
reinforced pin back, a tiny treasure of a lace pin at 3/4" by 1/2".

A
doll collector friend of mine loves these for her Victorian dolls to wear
because they are genuine but scaled down to doll size. When these were
originally made, they were worn by both men and women on a lacy collar or hanky,
often near the neckline.

View #V38184

REFERENCES:

A.
Bernhard & Co. Catalogue, 1870

Mourning Art & Jewelry by Maureen Delorme

In Death Lamented; the Tradition of
Anglo-American Mourning Jewelry by Sarah Nehama,
a companion volume to the Fall Exhibit at the Massachusetts Historical
Society 2012
(NOTE: This book has a photographic demonstration of
how a Georgian enameled band ring would have been made.)

Art of Mourning

Morbid Outlook: Fashion History

Collectors Encyclopedia of Hairwork Jewelry by
Jeanenne Bell