Victorian Shell Cameo
Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Victorian Drop Earrings
Gold, Yellow Gold, 10k Gold
Antique 19th Century Italian Victorian Brooches
Gold, 10k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Late 19th Century Italian Late Victorian Collectible Jewelry
Sterling Silver
Antique Late 19th Century Italian Victorian Brooches
Silver
Antique 19th Century Unknown Belle Époque Cocktail Rings
14k Gold, Gold
Antique 19th Century Unknown Belle Époque Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
Antique Late 19th Century Italian Victorian Brooches
9k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century Unknown Victorian Brooches
14k Gold
Antique 1890s Unknown Victorian Brooches
Natural Pearl, 15k Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century Unknown Victorian Bangles
14k Gold
Antique 1880s Unknown Late Victorian Drop Earrings
Yellow Gold
Antique 19th Century Italian Victorian Brooches
15k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Choker Necklaces
Antique 19th Century Italian Victorian Brooches
15k Gold
Antique 19th Century Italian Victorian Brooches
9k Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Victorian Brooches
15k Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century British Victorian Brooches
15k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Victorian Brooches
15k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 19th Century Italian Victorian Brooches
15k Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Early Victorian Brooches
9k Gold
Antique 19th Century Unknown Victorian Pendant Necklaces
Antique 19th Century Italian Victorian Brooches
15k Gold
20th Century Unknown Late Victorian Brooches
Gold, 9k Gold, Rose Gold
Antique 19th Century Italian Victorian Brooches
15k Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century Scottish High Victorian Brooches
9k Gold
Antique 1890s Russian Victorian Link Bracelets
Other, 14k Gold, Gold
Early 20th Century Unknown Victorian Brooches
Pearl, Gold, 9k Gold, Rose Gold
Antique Late 19th Century Italian Victorian Brooches
18k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century Unknown Victorian Brooches
Diamond, 14k Gold, Platinum
Vintage 1940s Italian Victorian Brooches
Natural Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 19th Century Scottish Victorian Collectible Jewelry
Antique Late 19th Century British Victorian Brooches
18k Gold
Vintage 1950s British Victorian Brooches
Rose Gold
Vintage 1960s British Victorian Brooches
Carnelian, Gold
20th Century Unknown Late Victorian Stud Earrings
Gold, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Unknown Victorian Brooches
Gold, 9k Gold, Rose Gold
Antique 19th Century Victorian Brooches
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Late 19th Century Italian Victorian Brooches
10k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century American Victorian Brooches
Natural Pearl, 14k Gold
Antique 19th Century Italian Victorian Brooches
10k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century Late Victorian Cufflinks
Coral
Antique 1880s Unknown Victorian Brooches
Yellow Gold, 10k Gold
Antique Early 1900s Dutch Victorian Brooches
Silver
Antique Mid-19th Century Unknown High Victorian Drop Earrings
Other, 9k Gold
Antique 19th Century Italian Neoclassical Revival More Furniture and Col...
Shell
Antique Late 19th Century American Victorian Brooches
Gold, 10k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1860s British Victorian Brooches
Other, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Indian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Brown Diamond, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver
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Victorian Shell Cameo For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Victorian Shell Cameo?
A Close Look at Victorian Jewelry
The reign of Queen Victoria encapsulates a quickly evolving period of history — and jewelry styles were no exception. No single period has seen such a diverse group of jewelry attributed to it than the Victorian era. Today, there is a vast collection of authentic antique Victorian jewelry and watches on 1stDibs.
Victorian jewelry is named after Queen Victoria, whose reign lasted from 1837 to 1901, making her the second longest-ruling monarch. (She was surpassed by Queen Elizabeth II in 2015.) During this time, different styles of fashion and jewelry came and went. Thanks to our fascination with royalty and swoon-worthy melodramas like Netflix’s The Crown — which is rife with evocative fashion, jewelry and interiors — and the 2017 feature film Victoria Abdul, we are all familiar with her story. After the death of Victoria’s father and three childless uncles, she ascended to the throne at age 18. In 1840, Queen Victoria married the love of her life, her first cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Queen Victoria loved serpentine jewels, and she had even more power to shape trends than Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle do today. The British monarch’s best-known piece in this mold is the gold coiled-snake engagement ring she received from Prince Albert — the sinuous reptile was considered a symbol of everlasting love.
The Queen's 63-year reign has been divided by historians into the Romantic period, the early happy years, circa 1837–60; the Grand period, marked by the deaths of the Queen’s mother and husband, circa 1860–80; and the late Victorian or Aesthetic period, which lasted from about 1880 until 1901 and ushered in the Belle Époque. Queen Victoria wore her heart on her sleeve, and her fashion and jewelry reflected her emotions.
Romantic period jewelry, which featured common decorative motifs and was embellished with seed pearls, coral and turquoise, was a celebration of the young monarch’s love. Everything changed with the death of Prince Albert, and the Grand period is most often associated with mourning jewelry. Jewelry was smaller, lighter and more dainty during the late Victorian period. During this era, diamonds came into fashion, and semiprecious gems such as amethysts and opals became prevalent, too. Using gemstones for their natural beauty and not their worth was something that jewelers of the era felt passionate about, and this ideology would really become relevant in Art Nouveau jewelry.
Find a collection of authentic antique Victorian jewelry — from rings, necklaces and brooches to a range of other accessories — on 1stDibs.
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Representing everlasting love, serpentine often appear on fashionable gems from the era on Queen Victoria.
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