One of the key styles of Victorian earrings is the chandelier earring. As the high collars and ruffs of the Georgian era fell out of fashion, women preferred wearing their hair up and away from their faces, leaving their ears exposed. Chandelier earrings are large, dangling earrings with ornate designs that generally widen towards the ends. These earrings fell out of fashion at the start of the 20th century, finding popularity once more in the early 2000s.

Much of Victorian fashion was influenced by the natural world. It is common to find motifs of birds, flowers, and vines in Victorian earrings. It was also popular for clasped hands to be included in a lot of jewellery. These were romantic motifs that featured heavily in jewellery given between lovers.

Mourning jewellery was also very significant in the Victorian era. Publicly displaying that you are mourning the loss of a loved one was a crucial element of Victorian culture. It was not uncommon for some women to wear black for multiple years as an indicator of their mourning status. Some earrings from this period are made with dark materials like onyx, jet, agate, and black enamel, demonstrating their use as pieces of mourning jewellery.

Jewellery in the Victorian era is often split into three separate eras. The first is the Romantic period. At this time, Queen Victoria was a young woman, freshly crowned and married to Prince Albert. The couple were deeply in love, and this was reflected in many of the Queen’s fashion choices. Earrings from this early period are often brightly coloured. Animals and flowers are often prominent motifs also.

The second phase of Victorian jewellery is called the Grand period. Lockets and heavy rope designs are featured a lot during this time. A lot of the motifs are continuations and extensions of the Romantic era that had come before. Earrings from this period are large and heavy, made with thick gold. The final era, marked by the death of Prince Albert, was called the Aesthetic period.

Toward the end of Queen Victoria’s reign, stud earrings gained popularity. In a widespread movement that went against the increasing presence of mechanical manufacturing, stud earrings prioritised simplicity and craftsmanship. Styles like Art Deco and Arts and Crafts found their roots in this time. Shifting away from the enormity of the Industrial Revolution, many people supported manmade jewellery, preferring stripped-back designs that were simple to create.

The Victorian era, spanning more than 60 years, was replete with distinctive styles. Collectors of jewellery are often interested in Victorian pieces for these features. An era that changed everything in Britain, the Victorian period is known for its beautiful jewellery of all kinds. Anyone wanting to add more variety to their own antique jewellery collection would be delighted with Victorian earrings.