Georgian and Victorian jewellery was rarely just pretty. It was a language, and people who received a ring or locket knew how to read it. Learning that language makes antique jewellery far more rewarding to collect, and gives a gift a meaning that goes well beyond its sparkle.
In brief
- Georgian and Victorian jewellery was rarely just pretty: its symbols carried messages.
- Snakes and clasped hands speak of love and eternity; a cross, an anchor and a heart stand for faith, hope and charity.
- Hair, the pansy, black enamel and inscriptions were all used for remembrance.
- Older jewellery often had a protective purpose, and small mottoes, often in French, turned seals into messages.
Love and eternity
The snake. A circle without end, the snake meant eternal love, especially after Prince Albert gave Queen Victoria a serpent engagement ring in 1839. Read more in our history of snake rings.
Clasped hands. The fede ring, with two hands joined, symbolises faith and fidelity and was a traditional betrothal design.
The love medal. The French Augis medal carries the line plus qu'hier, moins que demain, "more than yesterday, less than tomorrow", a promise of love that keeps growing.
Faith, hope and charity
A cross, an anchor and a heart stand for faith, hope and charity. Together they read like a prayer for someone's safe return, and they were especially loved in times of war and sea voyages. They appear on our Berlin iron signet ring of c.1820, set within a lucky three-leaf clover.
Remembrance
Hair. A lock of hair was the most intimate memento possible. Our Vernon memorial locket holds the hair of a lord and lady who died two years apart.
The pansy. Its French name, pensée, means "thought". A pansy says: I am thinking of you, or: remember me.
Black enamel and inscriptions. Names, dates and black enamel mark mourning rings, made to be worn in memory of the dead.
Nature and wonder
Bees and insects. The Victorians loved insects in jewellery as a way of bringing the natural world close; the bee was associated with devotion and industry.
Comets and stars. Celestial jewels often marked real events. We once sold a Georgian diamond cluster made around 1835 to celebrate the return of Halley's Comet.
Protection
Older jewellery often has a protective purpose. Roman Medusa cameos warded off the evil eye; medieval rings carried protective saints; and in the Alps, natural stones were worn as amulets. Our 18th-century Alpine garnet pendant keeps its uncut crystal exactly as it was found.
Mottoes
Small engraved mottoes, often in French, turn seals into messages: l'amitié (friendship), bon soir (good night), or Cupid's promise to light the fire of love. Look closely at any intaglio and you may find one.
Explore our Victorian and Georgian collections to find your own message.