Prince Albert dies, diamonds are discovered in South Africa, silver discovered in Nevada, archeological excavations, women enter the workforce in droves, suffragette movement begins, Suez Canal opens and opal was discovered in Australia; these were some of the events that defined the Grand Years of the Victorian era.
Victoria ascended the throne on June 20, 1837. Queen Victoria ruled for 63 years and 7 months until her death in 1901. Her reign was known as the Victorian era (Victoriana) and was subdivided into three periods, Romantic, Grand and Aesthetic, with each period triggered by major events. The Grand Years, which will be covered in this blog, also known as the Middle Years, run from 1860 to 1885, with some historians noting the start date to be 1861, when Prince Albert died.
The beginning of the Grand Years were marked with sorrow. In 1861 Victoria’s mother died and a few months later her beloved husband, Prince Albert, passed away. After Albert’s death, Victoria went into mourning for the rest of her life. The Victorians had a whole category of mourning jewelry that was subdued and mostly black. It was made from jet, onyx, black enamel, or gutta percha, a type of very dark colored hardened tree sap that could be molded into chain links, lockets and other forms. Garnets, were sometimes used in mourning jewelry as well.
Diamonds Discovered in South Africa
In 1867 the discovery of a diamond on farm land in South Africa was the first event that led to some serious diamond mining, which created a steady and ample supply of these sparkling gems. The Grand Years were a prosperous time for many as the industrial revolution continued full steam ahead, creating more wealth and a solid middle class.
Archeological Revival
Archeology was very important in Victorian times, especially the Grand Years. Archeological excavations that had been started even a century earlier continued in Italy. When the Etruscan cities were uncovered it launched a trend of Etruscan Revival jewelry, especially granulation — an ancient technique that uses teeny gold beads soldered on gold to either create a frame around a piece or a pattern on the top. It is a time consuming technique that requires a steady hand and lots of patience.
Egypt became a place of great interest to the Victorians as the world watched the Suez Canal being built starting in 1859 and opening in 1869. The interest in Egypt also spawned a fascination with scarab jewelry. Scarabs, a type of beetle, were sacred to the Egyptians who believed the bugs had magical powers. The opening of the Suez Canal made it easier for Europe and Asia to trade and one of the benefits for jewelry was much easier access to colored gemstones.
New Hairstyles
During the Grand Years, hairstyles changed to reveal ears, earrings took on a new importance and all sizes and shapes were once again in style. Tiaras and combs were worn in the hair at night. Long rectangular bar pins were a popular choice for brooches as were necklaces with oversized pendants. Sometimes the pendants featured a large central gem that had other gems embedded in it. Lockets were beloved by the sentimental Victorians. Bracelets were often wide mesh, or wide bangles. There were also chain link bracelets, embellished with gems. Buckles were a popular motif for bracelets.
Opals reached a pinnacle of popularity in the Grand Years when a major discovery of these gems were found in 1870 in Australia. Queen Victoria loved opals and wore them often, when she began making rare public appearances about ten years after Albert died. Silver was discovered in Nevada around the same time and became very fashionable with Victorians, especially for day wear. Big necklaces and lockets were made of silver often hand engraved or machine stamped.
Astronomy was important to Victorian culture, with major comet sightings prevalent during the 19th century. You’ll often see stars in Victorian jewelry, inspired in part by comet sightings that had the whole world talking. Crescent moons were another popular style. Crescent moons — representing the divine feminine — were very fashionable and stars harmonized beautifully with moon motifs, it was not uncommon for the two to be worn together.
The end of the Grand Years, saw a rebellion against industrialization and machination. Art for art’s sake became more important and the Grand Years morphed into the Aesthetic Years.
Featured image (top of page): Victorian diamond, natural pearl, enamel and 15-karat gold bracelet and pendant set, 1860-1870.
First: Victorian diamond, natural pearl, enamel and 18-karat gold bracelet, French, by Emile Froment-Meurice, with original box, circa 1865; Second: Victorian Old mine diamond and silver-topped gold Maltese cross brooch, circa 1870s; Third: Victorian zircon and 18-karat gold brooch with granulation, by Carlo Giuliano, circa 1880; Fourth: Victorian diamond, enamel and 14-karat gold star motif pendant earrings, circa 1870s.
Authored by Amber Michelle