Mourning jewellery celebrates the life of loved ones who are no more. It usually consists of jewellery made from gold and black enamel, decorated with memento mori motifs such as skulls and coffins. Our stunning collection includes antique mourning jewellery from the 18th century through to the Victorian period.
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Mourning jewellery is known to have been around since at least the 16th century, however became popular during the Victorian period, following the introduction of mass production methods which made jewellery as a whole more affordable to those in lower classes. Mourning jewellery reached it’s peak in popularity following the death of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband in 1861 when she herself wore black clothing and mourning jewellery for many years.
As a result of this, black mourning jewellery became incredibly popular and fashionable amongst the masses and many pieces were made out of jet, however less-expensive alternatives used included black glass, black enamel, vulcanite or bog oak. To this day, mourning jewellery is still regarded as unique and, at the very least, comes complete with a deep (and sometimes dark) history.
Here at Laurelle Antique Jewellery, we are proud to offer an extensive collection of antique mourning jewellery, all of which has been hand picked by ourselves to offer pieces which are both bespoke and stunning, offering you the opportunity to own pieces which are steeped in history. From rings and brooches through to earrings and necklaces, you’ll find antique mourning jewellery from the Georgian and Victorian eras, with many of the pieces offer made from jet, the original material for this type of jewellery.
Our Antique Jewellery is not kept on the premises for security reasons.
Should you wish to view an item please provide 48hrs notice enabling us to collect from our secure vault.
This has been a first class personal service. Sam was so helpful and went out of her way to ensure I received what I wanted.
