The Victorian era is defined by the life and reign of Queen Victoria. She took to the throne at the age of 18 in 1837, and ruled until her death in 1901. So drastic were the changes that occurred in England during her lifetime, that this period is considered one of the most influential on our culture today.

Queen Victoria was such a prominent part of the era that the ways jewellery changed during her reign were directly linked to her life. Any styles that the queen enjoyed immediately became very popular. When she entered mourning for her husband, much of the British Empire joined her. The jewellery of the Victorian era is typically split into three separate periods, and you can read more about their unique distinctions on our Victorian jewellery history page

One of the most popular Victorian ring designs is the five stone ring. These rings feature a row of five gemstones all set in a horizontal line. Although the design did exist before the Victorian era, the quality of jewellery crafting was not as advanced, and the surviving pieces from this time are usually too delicate for use. Victorian five stone rings, however, are still popular today. They can be worn as engagement rings or simply as dress rings.

The discovery of gemstone deposits throughout the British Empire during Queen Victoria’s reign led to an increased popularity of cluster rings. Advanced stone cutting techniques made it easier to create rings with large, high quality feature gemstones. You will notice several of our Victorian rings prominently display large precious gemstones such as amethysts, emeralds, and sapphires. These cluster rings often use a surrounding halo of diamonds to complete the design. Victorian ring designs with these features are among the most beautiful antique jewellery pieces.

Jewellery for men was very popular in the Victorian period. Although they mostly wore suits and tuxedos for their clothing, they were able to customise their accessories to some degree. Pocket watches, watch chains, and cravat pins were just some jewellery items that were unique to Victorian menswear. Men’s Victorian ring designs also created the option for men to express their individuality.

Signet rings were incredibly popular for Victorian men. Having been worn in cultures since Ancient Greece, signet rings were symbols of status, power, and wealth. For a lot of Victorian gentlemen, a signet ring could be used to stamp their personal seal onto letters of correspondence. Equally, signet rings were often passed down through family lines. These heritage jewellery pieces were typically given from father to son, particularly those carrying on a family business of some kind.

Another very popular style of men’s ring in the Victorian period is the snake ring. In Victorian times, snake imagery was considered romantic. The linear body of a serpent was representative of a love that was eternal. As such, a lot of men wore rings depicting one or two snakes intertwined. These rings were sometimes worn as a replacement for the plain gold band we associate with wedding rings today. The style retained popularity well into the 20th century, being especially popular with men in the 1940s and 1950s.

The importance of mourning jewellery in Victorian society cannot be understated. Mourning rings utilised dark materials like onyx, jet, and black enamel to represent the loss of a loved one. Some rings were engraved with the departed’s name, or simply the expression ‘in memory of’ along the band. Victorian mourning rings also often featured materials that would be considered unusual today to say the least.

Pieces of hair were commonly removed from the departed before their burial to be used in mourning jewellery of all kinds. Sometimes the hair was plaited, and other times it was glued into place in a stylised pattern. These make for distinctly unique collector’s items today. Although they may seem strange to us, they were entirely accepted and even coveted as a way to keep someone’s memory alive.