Early Victorian - 1837-1860
Mid Victorian - 1860-1880
Late Victorian - 1880-1901

Periods & Motifs are brought to you by:

Overview:

          Early Victorian - Use of Gothic and Renaissance Styling
                   Mid Victorian - Ranged to the more massive pieces; Algerian and
                            Etruscan influences.
                    Late Victorian -  Delicacy emerged as did naturalism and love of
                                      nature. Last decade known as the "Gay Nineties".

Historical Influences:

• Reign of Queen Victoria
• 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition in London
• 1853 Crystal Palace Exhibition in America
• Invention of threaded post pierced earrings by Kreuuter 1873
• First Department Store -Bon Marche Department store opening in Paris 1938 giving people more access to styles
• Mail Order Catalogs begin
• Civil War in America popularizing much of Victoria's mourning and black jewelry.

Designs and Decorations:

• Bows
• Serpents
• Doves
• Hearts
• Crowns
• Crosses
• Angels
• Monograms
• Feathers
• Knots
• Arabesques
• Hands
• Grapes
• Quatrefoil
• Thistles
• Wheat
• Garlands
• Stars
• Arches
• Arrows
• Crescent Moons
• Ribbons
• Celtic Images
• Eyes
• Scrollwork
• Tassels
• 
• Specifics:
  • Regard and Posy rings and brooches
  • Hair jewelry/mourning jewelry and fashions
  • Souvenir Jewelry - Mosaics from Italy
  • Archaeological Jewelry and reproductions
  • Etruscan revival designs
• Egyptian revival designs
• Algerian knot designs
• Chatelaines, Albert chains, lorgnettes, coral pacifiers
• Sweetheart badges popular during Civil War in America

Materials Used:

• Silver during the daytime only
• Pinchbeck
• Multicolor
• gold from 9 to 22 karat
• gold gilt used in 1844 mercury gilding
• diamonds
• onyx
• shell
• glass
• carnelian
• amber
• coral
• garnets
• enameling
• pearls
• peridot
• ruby
• sapphire
• seed pearls
• topaz
• turquoise
• bog oak
• ivory
• jet
• micromosaid lava
• Marcasite
• Cut Steel
• Tortoise Shell
• Hair
• French Jet (glass)
• Bohemian glass
• gutta percha
• black pearls

Important Designers/Manufacturers:

• House of Cartier established 1841
• Fortunato Pio Castellani (1793-1865) popularized Etruscan revival
• Froment-Meurice in France
• Castellani Family in Italy
• Giuliano in England
• Bon Marche Department Store in Paris
• John Wannamaker Department Store founded in Philadelphia 1861
• Liberty and Company, Strawbridge and Clothier, Bloomingdales
• Godey's Lady's book is on every table 1850
• R. H. Macy founded in 1874, Sears Roebuck and Company in 1893
• Bohemian garnets in pave and clusters were envogue and manufactured in huge quantities by artisans in Bohemia (later Czechloslavakia) for export.