A Closer Look: Victorian Pendants

Victorian pendants come in a wonderful variety of forms, from sentimental heart lockets to richly coloured gemstone and enamel designs. Spanning Queen Victoria’s reign from 1837 to 1901, the period saw major changes in how jewellery was made and worn. New sources of gemstones, advances in manufacturing and a growing fascination with the wider world introduced new materials, motifs and styles, while jewellery remained deeply personal and rich in symbolism.

Our collection includes a wide selection of Victorian pendants and lockets, each offering a glimpse into the fashion, craftsmanship and sentiment of the period.

Victorian Garnet Heart Locket c.1870

Mourning and remembrance played an important role in Victorian jewellery, particularly following the death of Prince Albert in 1861 and Queen Victoria’s subsequent decades of mourning. Jewellery offered a tangible way to remember the dead, and lockets and rings were made to hold hair, portraits, or inscriptions of lost loved ones.

This Victorian garnet heart locket is a beautiful example. To the reverse is a glazed locket compartment designed to hold a lock of hair, allowing the wearer to keep a physical reminder of a loved one close. The heart shape adds another layer of sentiment, symbolising love.

Victorian Enamel Scarab Locket c.1858

The Victorians were fascinated by the ancient world. Archaeological discoveries influenced jewellery and the decorative arts during the 19th century, with Egyptian motifs including scarabs, sphinxes and lotus flowers commonly found in Victorian jewellery. Jewellers reinterpreted them, combining ancient symbolism with contemporary Victorian design.

Dating to 1858, this colourful enamel scarab locket comes from the early years of this growing fascination. In ancient Egypt, the scarab was associated with the rising sun, regeneration and rebirth, and consequently became a symbol of immortality and the eternal cycle of life.

The Victorians were also enthusiastic students and collectors of the natural world, making the scarab especially intriguing: both an ancient symbol and an object that appealed to a contemporary fascination with insects and natural history.

Victorian Turquoise Heart Locket c.1900

Turquoise was one of the most recognisable gemstones in 19th-century jewellery. Its vivid blue colour worked well set against yellow gold, and it appeared in everything from rings and brooches to lockets and elaborate suites of jewellery.

Like so many gemstones during the period, turquoise also carried meaning. It was associated with love, affection and good fortune, making it especially appropriate for sentimental jewellery. Small turquoise cabochons were arranged into flowers, forget-me-nots and other romantic motifs.

Combined with the heart, another favourite symbol of love, this turquoise locket is a wonderfully sentimental Victorian jewel. Pieces such as this could be worn for their beauty while also carrying a private significance understood by the wearer.

Victorian Amethyst and Pearl Pendant c.1880

Amethyst has long been favoured by aristocrats and royalty for the richness of its purple colour. For centuries it was a rare and valuable gemstone, but the discovery of large deposits in Brazil during the early 19th century dramatically increased the amount of amethyst reaching the European market.

Rather than diminishing its appeal, its new availability helped make amethyst a popular choice for 19th-century jewellery. Its intense colour worked well with yellow gold, and adding contrasting gemstones such as pearls made for beautiful pieces.

This pendant, dating to around 1880, pairs a rich purple amethyst with delicate pearls, a combination that perfectly captures the Victorian love of colour and opulent gemstones.

Victorian Champagne Diamond Pendant c.1890

Diamonds occupied a rather different place in the Victorian jewellery box. During much of the 19th century, diamonds were traditionally considered evening jewels. Before electric lighting became widespread, their ability to reflect candlelight and later gaslight made them particularly spectacular after dark.

Diamond necklaces, pendants, brooches and tiaras formed an important part of formal evening dress. At dinners and balls, the wearer's movement allowed old-cut diamonds to catch the flickering light.

The discovery of major diamond deposits in South Africa from the late 1860s also transformed the diamond trade, bringing far greater quantities of the stones onto the market during the later Victorian period. By the time this pendant was made around 1890, diamonds were a prominent feature of fashionable jewellery.

From jewels created to remember loved ones to designs inspired by archaeological discoveries and the natural world, Victorian pendants reveal just how much meaning could be contained within a small piece of jewellery. More than a century later, they remain beautiful, wearable objects, and they also offer a fascinating glimpse into the tastes, traditions and preoccupations of the people who first wore them.