14ky Antique Garnet & Pearl Earrings

Sourced from our Estate collection

$2,200.00 (CAD)

Visit our Showroom

Estate pieces are exchange only.

Details

Material

14k Yellow Gold

Stones

Cabochon Garnet, Seed Pearls

Weight

6.10g

Size

17.40mm

Condition

Restored to new

Want to try it on? Come visit us at Halifax, NS

Created:2024/01/05 16:19

About

Victorian Era

(1837 - 1901)

This beautifully elegant era got its name from Queen Victoria, who reigned over Britain at the time. Best known for its motives inspired by nature and easily recognized for its use of snakes, birds and flowers. However, the era is most popularly known for the influence that Queen Victoria’s mourning period had on the world of fashion and Jewellery after the passing of both her mother and husband in the same year.

The Victorian Era consisted of three distinct periods. The Romantic Period, which spans from 1837 to 1861. This period took inspiration from the Renaissance, the Middle Ages and the natural world using delicate, intricate designs.

Gold was the standard material used in jewellery, and was often twisted into serpents, trees, lotus flowers and birds. Moving into the Grand Period (1861-1885), jewellery pieces took on a bolder design. Lockets took over as casual day wear along with brooches, bracelets and earrings. Mourning jewellery, often made with the hair of a deceased loved one, became popular after the death of Prince Albert in 1861. Queen Victoria took to wearing pieces such as mourning lockets, jet, and various other black jewellery while mourning.

The Aesthetic Period takes us from 1885 to the end of the Victorian Era in 1901. With women becoming more involved within the world of business, politics, and sports, they wore much less jewellery. Instead, they opted for accessories that would keep their hands free such as lorgnettes, watches, and long chains to hold their coin purses. When jewellery was worn, the items were much lighter to fit their active lifestyle. Motifs such as hearts, bows, horseshoes, and crescents were prevalent in the Aesthetic Period. In 1901, Queen Victoria’s passing brought an end to the era.

Browse other pieces in our collection

More Victorian Pieces Learn more about the Victorian era

Garnet - Silicate Minerals

Although the red variety of garnet is the most familiar, they can be found in other colours such as orange, brown, yellow, pink and blue. Rare green garnets are known as Tsavorites and were only introduced to non-mineral specialists in 1974 when famous jewellery company Tiffany & Co held a marketing campaign, bringing the stone to the public. Garnets were first discovered around 3100 BC in the Nile Delta in Egypt. A variety of garnets can be found across the world. Garnet is the traditional birthstone for January and ranks between 7-7.5 on the Mohs hardness scale.

Browse other pieces in our collection More Garnet pieces