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A. Bernhard
&
Co. Catalogue, 1870
Manufacturers of
Diamond Work & Ornamental Hair Jewelry
importers of German Jewelry,
Watches, Diamonds, etc.
169 Broadway, Gilsey Building, Rm. 3
New York
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Click on each picture for a larger view.
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Whether fashioned by a home crafter professionally by a hair weaver or a jewelry maker, hair
jewelry was the height of the romanticism and sentiment that characterized
the Victorian era. Some pieces were done as mourning pieces or "momento mori"
("remember you must die").
While some may find this morbid, for
the Victorians death was a common and accepted part of everyday life
especially due to
the higher infant mortality rate of the time and the devastation of the Civil War.
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Hair jewelry was not always mourning jewelry, however, as it was also
crafted as love tokens from sweethearts, family members and cherished
friends. Rings might be engraved with loving messages and memorials
either on the face or inside the band, and might also have hidden
compartments for the hair.
Brooches came in all sizes from the
daintiest lace pin to a larger 3" oval meant to be worn at the neck. Watch
chains and bracelets often show the most ingenious hair weaving techniques with more
than one color of hair often used, as perhaps a chain given by three
daughters to their father. |
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PAGE 2 of Victorian hair jewelry:
bracelets, brooches and earrings.
A. Bernhard & Co. Catalogue, 1870 |
VICTORIAN hair plume brooch
with seed pearls and curled wire work, table work woven hair frame and gold fittings 1-5/8" by
1-1/4". Similar brooch seen in the 1870 Edition of A Bernhard & Co.
Catalogue. View
View #V31354 |
PAGE 1 of
Victorian hair jewelry: bracelets, brooches and pendants. |
PAGE 3 of
Victorian hair jewelry: brooches and earrings. |
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PAGE 42 of
Victorian hair bracelets, brooches and earrings. |
VICTORIAN hair two-tone
dangle earrings with gold leaves and berries fittings, 1-1/4".
View
View #V31358 |
PAGE 45 of Victorian hair
bracelets, brooches and earrings. |
VICTORIAN palette work hair flower bouquet in
gold with black enameling lover's knot brooch, 2".
View
View
View #V29441 |
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PAGE 48 of
Victorian hair bracelets, brooches, stickpins and earrings. |
VICTORIAN
table work snake bracelet with
a14k yellow gold head and tail set with Persian turquoise garnets, 9-3/4"
uncoiled. See Bell's "Collector's Encyclopedia of Hairwork Jewelry"
page 158. View
View
View
View
Courtesy of
Valerie
Trzeciak |
PAGE 47 of Victorian hair brooches,
rings and earrings. |
VICTORIAN hair woven on
gold cross pendant, 1-1/4" cross on 1/3" loop. See Bell's
"Collector's Encyclopedia of Hairwork Jewelry" page 124.
View
View #V31361 |
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PAGE 21 of
Victorian hair jewelry: bracelets of intricate design. |
VICTORIAN HAIR bracelet with a faceted purple stone in a cannetille
work clasp. Four colors of hair made up this bracelet, which makes me
wonder if it might have been made by four daughters for their mother. It
is 7" long and 1-1/4" wide. #V1957 |
PAGE 18 of
Victorian hair jewelry: bracelets and pendants in plume, bow and floral
designs. |
VICTORIAN gold and black
enamel palette worked hair plumes, seed pearls and golden wire memorial brooch with engraving
on back, "Alex McDonald, obt. 23rd Dec, 1850, Agnes Sanderson, 14th Nov.
1871. Note that each side of the curled hair is a different color, one for
each of the people memorialized in the engraving on the back. View
View
View #V31130 |
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PAGE 49 of
Victorian hair bracelets, brooches, stickpins and earrings. |
VICTORIAN hair bow pin
with acorn drops, gold "knot" of the bow is inscribed "Lizzie". View
View #V31362 |
PAGE 50 of Victorian hair brooches
and earrings. |
VICTORIAN hair pin with
orange cabochons center stone, hair frame set in gold, monogrammed "MBF",
1". View
View #V31356 |
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PAGE 7 of Victorian hair jewelry:
stickpins, brooches, earrings and pendants. |
VICTORIAN 14k yellow gold earrings, each a foil-backed closed collet
set dark
citrines suspending an acorn-shaped hair pendant, 1-1/2". #V32067 |
PAGE 25 of Victorian hair jewelry:
brooches and bracelets. |
PAGE 46 of
Victorian hair bracelets, brooches and earrings. |
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PAGE 61 of Victorian hair rings.
A. Bernhard
&
Co. Catalogue, 1870 |
VICTORIAN hair set in
gold ring with initials "MPH", size 6-1/2.
View #V31359 |
PAGE 4 of Victorian hair jewelry:
watch chain, brooches, earrings and pendants. |
VICTORIAN puffy heart
padlock charm with hair enclosure, 1". A similar piece can be seen
on page 36 of Bell's "Collecting Victorian Jewelry".
View #V31587 |
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PAGE 30 of
Victorian hair jewelry: necklaces and bracelets. |
VICTORIAN hair jewelry, a
14k yellow gold framed bracelet of fifteen tubular hollow links, each a
beautifully woven memento with varying tones of hair, and each link
inscribed with the source monogram, 6 3/4" x 1 1/2". This is probably
the loveliest token of friendship I have ever seen, and one of the most unusual.
View
View
View
View
View #V32065 |
PAGE 28 of Victorian hair jewelry:
brooches, bracelets and crosses. |
VICTORIAN hair bracelet
with gold stations and clasp, two broken portions on back, 7-1/4" by 3/4".
This bracelet can be seen on page 28 of the A.
Bernhard & Co 1870 catalogue of hair jewelry.
View
View
View #V31353 |
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PAGE 23 of Victorian hair jewelry:
brooches, bracelets and earrings. |
VICTORIAN yellow gold filled mourning brooch with curled hair in
three
shades accented with tiny seed pearls against a pale pink background, 2-1/4" by 1-7/8".
View #V31345 |
PAGE 27 of Victorian hair jewelry:
necklaces, bracelets and watch chains. |
VICTORIAN
hair bracelet, engraved inside "CLVR", 6" by 1/2", hair as is and
delicate in one place where it joins the clasp.
View #V25845 |
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LADY wearing gold earrings and
a woven hair necklace with a photograph pendant. Carte de viste marked
"Robertson & Brooks, Franklin, KY." |
VICTORIAN sentimental
woven hair watch chain, 14".
View #V16355 |
PAGE of Victorian hair jewelry:
necklaces and bracelets. |
VICTORIAN hair bracelet
with etched design locket front, 6-5/8" by 7/8".
View
View
View #V31408 |
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PAGE 22 of Victorian hair jewelry:
brooches and bracelets. |
VICTORIAN hair brooch with cross
pendant and gold filled fittings. |
PAGE 24 of Victorian hair jewelry:
brooches, bracelets and earrings. |
VICTORIAN hair bow
bracelet with engraved initials "AVP" on center.
View
View
View #V31357 |
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PAGE 6 of
Victorian hair jewelry: bracelets, brooches, earrings and pendants. |
VICTORIAN hair large
hoop earrings, gold filled fittings, 1-7/8" long and 1-5/8" wide. Bell's
"Collector's Encyclopedia of Hairwork Jewelry" page 141. #V31386 |
PAGE 8 of
Victorian hair jewelry: earrings, brooches and pendants. |
VICTORIAN table worked hair
set in etched and enameled gold pierced earrings with three pendants, 1-3/4"
top to bottom. Earrings like these, circa 1870, can be seen on page 45
of Romero's Warman's Jewelry, Ed. 3. Similar earrings are on page 143
of Davidov & Dawes "Victorian Jewelry".
View #V27335 |
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PAGE 9 of
Victorian hair jewelry: brooches in fancy designs, including florals and
initials. |
VICTORIAN gold, black enamel
and palette worked hair flowers in lover's knot brooch, 2".
View
View
View #V29441 |
PAGE 16 of Victorian hair jewelry:
bracelets and brooches. |
VICTORIAN blond
hair bow brooch of open table work with drops, 2" by 1-3/4". This
brooch, sadly, has major damage, but I am sure it was treasured and worn by
someone many years ago.
View
View
View #V31395 |
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VICTORIAN
brown hollow table worked woven hair acorn earrings, 1-1/8". Earrings like
these, circa 1870, can be seen on page 45 of Romero's Warman's Jewelry,
Ed. 3. View
#V27607 |
PAGE 10 of Victorian hair jewelry:
brooches and earrings including acorn-shaped, fleur-de-lis and garters. |
VICTORIAN 14K rose gold
Victorian earrings, with braided chestnut hair inserts caged with twisted
gold ropes and polished gold backs. Measuring 1 ¼" from the top of the
locking, pierced earwires, they are finished with a gold ball drop.
View
Courtesy of Nora Schild of Megan McGee |
PAGE 40 of
Victorian hair jewelry: clasps and bracelets. |
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View Victorian
hair ring as shown at right #V15258, and on page 13 of the catalogue. #V15458. |
VICTORIAN 14k ring with woven
hair inside, size 7-1/4. See Bell's "Collector's Encyclopedia of Hairwork
Jewelry" page 185.
View #V15458 |
PAGE 13 of Victorian hair
jewelry: bracelets, brooches, charms and pendants.
A. Bernhard
&
Co. Catalogue, 1870 |
VICTORIAN hair ring with
shield front, size 9-1/4. #V21550 |
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VICTORIAN hair
purse pocketbook charm, , 7/8". Bell's "Collector's Encyclopedia of Hairwork
Jewelry" page 197. View #V31399 |
PAGE 13 of Victorian hair
jewelry: bracelets, brooches, charms and pendants. |
VICTORIAN hair
lyre charm, gold fittings, 1-1/4" by 5/8". Bell's "Collector's Encyclopedia
of Hairwork Jewelry" page 120. #V31388 |
PAGE 41 of Victorian hair jewelry:
clasps and bracelets.
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PAGE 19 of Victorian hair
jewelry: bracelets, brooches, watch chains, earrings and pendants |
VICTORIAN hair
double dangle earrings, screw back fittings probably replaced the original
pierced wires in the early 1900s,
2-1/4". View
View
View
View #V31360 |
PAGE 17 of Victorian hair jewelry:
bracelets, earrings, crosses and pendants. |
VICTORIAN table work hair caged bead brooch, 1-1/2".
View #V5459 |
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PAGE
32 of Victorian hair jewelry:
watch chains. |
PAGE 31 of Victorian hair jewelry:
watch chains. |
VICTORIAN hair braided
watch chain with gold fittings, 10-1/3".
View
View
View #V31355 |
PAGE 33 of
Victorian hair jewelry: watch chains. |
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PAGE 34 of
Victorian hair jewelry: watch chains. |
VICTORIAN woven brunette hair
sweetheart or memorial watch chain with dog's head fob.
View
View
View #V29605 |
PAGE 36 of Victorian hair jewelry:
watch chains and necklaces. |
VICTORIAN 375
(9 ct) table worked hair 14" watch chain with fob engraved with initials and marked "WA
.375". View
#V21554 |
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PAGE 26 of Victorian hair jewelry:
brooches, bracelets watch chains and earrings. |
VICTORIAN hair brooch
with table worked open frame and palette worked woven hair center set in
yellow gold filled, 1-1/8".
View #V31468 |
PAGE 55 of Victorian hair
earrings. |
VICTORIAN hair earrings with open
weave table work and gold fittings. |
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PAGE 14 of
Victorian hair jewelry: charms, initials and pendants. |
PAGE 15 of Victorian hair
jewelry: cufflinks. |
PAGE 35 of Victorian hair jewelry:
watch chains. |
PAGE 39 of
Victorian hair jewelry: watch chains. |
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Not everyone would have used a palette or table work to create jewelry from
a loved one's hair. This locket appears to be hand lettered inside, with
crimped and hand-sewn hair work curls and hand written paper inset, both probably done by
an amateur. |
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This looks like a hand made amateur setting, although one with great charm,
and it is probably a one-of-a-kind piece.
The child's photo on the front is combined with the lock of hair and tiny
baby ring on the back. |
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VICTORIAN gold hair
locket with black enameled "IMO' on front, "Hannah Taylor, born June 23,
1872 died July 30, 1876, Rest in Jesus" and hair curls inside, 1-5/8" by
1-1/4". View
View
View #V29823 |
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VICTORIAN large sterling silver hand made
pendant with a tin type photo of a little boy on one side, and a lock of his hair
tied with a blue ribbon and his baby ring on the other, frame marked "925",
3-5/8" by 2".
View
View #V29576 |
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VICTORIAN hair brooch
with brown, blonde and red hair, brooch frame has lovely branches,
leaves and tendrils, 2" by 2-1/4".
View
View
View #V32449 |
VICTORIAN lady wearing a lovely
hair brooch with woven and braided hair. #Vpho1 |
VICTORIAN sentimental triple knot hair brooch in yellow gold
settinng, circa 1880, 1-5/8". Hair jewelry was a popular sentimental item
throughout the 1800s. This is an unusual design, and may have been done by
siblings in a family. A very similar brooch can be seen in this
Victorian-era photograph
View.
View
#V28119 |
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Note: These items were photographed from private collections, and are for
reference only. They are generally not for sale. Jewelry that is available
for sale can be accessed at the links below.
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Jewelry that is for sale is accessible below.
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