Mourning Jewelry

Angela and Lulu here, the newest additions to the Lori McLean jewelry store! 
 
In honor of Halloween, we decided to (belatedly) post about one of our favorite types of antique jewelry: Mourning Jewelry.
 

*** 

Mourning Jewelry became popular in the Victorian Era, when Queen Victoria entered an intense period of grief following Prince Albert's death in 1861. Renouncing ostentatious jewelry and choosing to wear drab, dark-colored clothing, the Queen set the tone for her stark reputation as an austere monarch who shunned opulence and subscribed to a strict code of morality.

Queen Victoria in mourning dress, 1873

Today, the concept of mourning attire strikes many as morbid, but Victorians found the practice deeply consoling, and used jewelry and somber dress as a vivid expression of remembrance and sentiment. The year immediately following the death of a loved one was known as "First Mourning," and dictated black clothes and minimal jewelry. Jet, a lustrous black mineral made from fossilized wood, was used extensively in early mourning jewelry.

Whitby Jet Mourning Ring

The marquis-shaped jet ring (above, c. 1880) is a great example of mourning jewelry  and a recently acquired favorite! 

After the first year began the "Half Mourning" stage, which allowed for the introduction of clothing in muted colors such as gray and lavender, and slightly more ornate jewelry with pearls, garnets and gold. Most jewelry we associate with mourning belongs to this later period, where the expectations for an outward expression of grief were relaxed. 

A great selection of mid- to late-19th century mourning jewelry on display in our vintage case; including a French Jet Ladies Watch Chain and a beautiful Vulcanite Locket (bottom right) and hand and garland brooch.

Also pictured above, and below in detail, is one of our favorite pieces, a late 19th century Piqué Tortoiseshell locket from Italy. Piqué is a technique where gold or silver is inlaid into the surface of horn or tortoiseshell. In this case, silver and mother of pearl spell out the word "Ricordo," which means memory.  

Late 19th Century Piqué Tortoiseshell Locket

Photographs, locks of hair (often taken from the recently deceased),  and velvet, which referenced funeral shrouds, were prized as relics of love and commonly incorporated. The bracelet below is a museum piece dating back from 1866. They were often woven by children whose tiny fingers were better suited for such intricate work! 

Hair Bracelet, c. 1866

We have several pieces in our vintage case which incorporate hair , like the pendant/pin shown below. It contains a tiny blonde lock, and according to the inscription on the back, dates back to 1828 in commemoration of "L.L." who died at only 3 years of age. The pearls symbolize tears, and the black jet border is typical of the style used in Half Mourning jewelry. 

Gold and Pearl Victorian Memorial Hair Locket (c. 1828) - $328

 

***

Despite the ambivalence many people have regarding mourning jewelry, we find these pieces beautiful and compelling! We love how much history they carry with them as well as their sentimentality. Stop by the shop sometime if you are interested...new pieces are constantly arriving courtesy of Lori's incredible eye and we are more than happy to spend the day showing off her finds!

Introducing: The Vintage Watch Department!

 

We're so pleased to announce the Vintage Watch Department!

***

We're of the mind that they just don't make watches like they used to.  These beauties are more like jewelry with function.

 

All the watches have been thoroughly cleaned and some have brand new quartz movement that's guaranteed for one year.  Others maintain their wind-up charm. What's a more perfect time for a new watch than the start of the school year!

***

 Two shop favorites below...

***

Lori's Pretty Sapphire Rings

Pretty sapphire rings by Lori McLean for the shop's own LMc Private Label collection!

I love sapphires because  even though the word sapphire comes from the Greek word sappheiros that means "blue stone" they actually come in almost any color you can imagine. The stones in the rings above are rectangle cabochons, meaning their top surface is shaped and polished rather than faceted.

The rings above to the left are emerald and ruby teardrops.  Rubies are really red sapphires, they get their red color from the higher amount of chromium they have in them which absorbs yellow-green light. The rings above to the right are all rubies or shades of red and pink sapphires.

  

I love the shades of blues in these rings. Some have rose gold bands, the contrast of the warm gold and cool stone is just enough contrast to be intriguing. Lori roughs up the bands so they have this really beautiful and interesting texture.

We love a few stacked together in different shades of the same color and with a different shape or two.  Stop by the shop and find your perfect combination!

Lisa Ziff

A few luxurious pieces from Lisa Ziff.  Working in solid 18 karat gold, Lisa's pieces are weighty with great textures.  We love the over sized rings that make a bold, yet elegant statement.  Her daisy earrings, necklace, and bracelet are not too sweet and perfectly organic.  Her larger zinnia earring and akebia ring are sprinkled with diamonds! Scroll down for more photos and read more about her and the collection here.

Vintage Additions!

Lori's found some special pieces to add to our vintage collection. Take a look below.

Above is a gold filled pocket watch locket with two vintage watch chains linked together to make a necklace. Grandfatherly, yet feminine.

We're so in love with vintage compasses right now. They carry a great meaning and have that old world feel.

These Victorian enamel lockets are so special. Enamel saw a revival in the 19th century and lends whimsy to your otherwise classic gold engraved lockets. They also still have their original glass which is nice, thick and beveled.

The double glass locket above contains edelweiss, the white flower found in the alps. In German, edelweiss means noble white and was used as a political statement against the Nazis.

There's more to be seen in the shop and more on it's way to us. Stop in to see these beauties in person!

Polly Wales' Amazing Technical Wonder World

Last January, I was very excited to have found a new British designer, Polly Wales, for the store. Her work has finally arrived and the long wait was well worth it. Miss Wales is working with lost wax casting in an amazing way. She is taking  the wax models of her original pieces and then manipulating them by pushing gemstones into the wax and then casting the wax into sterling silver or gold. The metal replaces the wax and sets the stones in place. 

My interpretation is that she draws inspiration from both ancient Greek and Roman as well as Victorian styles, creating classic shapes and forms with a modern twist. The result is a sort of structured deconstruction, a rough handled classicism, a precious sloppiness. This marriage of style and technique are like nothing I have ever seen in my fairly long spell of jewelry making and selling. (It is so exciting!!)

 

Sometimes in the process of casting, things go wrong. Stones are lost, metal shifts around, finger prints are left behind. These mistakes add to the exciting process and product. Neither the jeweler nor the caster know when something will succeed or fail. She calls the ring above The Decay Ring. Black diamonds are set in sterling, some are lost and some sink down into the 'remains' of the ring.

Black sapphires are set in oxidized sterling silver in the large pendant above. A bit of Miss Wales' fingerprint was left as an impression in the wax. The holes were left behind when other stones blew out during the casting. A perfect example of the exciting unpredictability in her jewelry.

 

She often works more wax on the top of the model. The resulting piece has gemstones trapped in layers of metal. A few seem to be sliding out from their frame in the gold ring above. Below, light passes through pink sapphires and a single ruby in a sterling ring.

The raw surface of the cast metal below will mellow and shine with wear so that these sterling and crystal rings grow even more special over time.

If you are interested in metal working and of course, beautiful jewelry, I encourage you to stop by and visit Polly Wales' Amazing Jewelry in the shop. She has managed to mix incredible designs with fairly affordable materials in a way that fits our favorite store credo: "Jewelry for the People!"

                                       

Comrade Gidget

I am doing my best to write about our new jeweler Polly Wales, but I keep running into technical troubles. Instead of losing my patience, and in lieu of ignoring the blog for far too long, I would like to introduce you to the simple peasant girl who works here in the store. Her name is Gidget.

Intent in her aim to shake off the shackles of Capitalistic tyranny she is forced to wear, she spends her off hours participating in various worker's organizations. And napping, of course.