Victorian Jewelry, The Industrial Revolution and Hair Jewelry

Victorian Hair Snake

The Victorian Era of the1800’s brought some amazing changes not only to industry, but to jewelry as well.

The Early Victorian period began in 1837, when Queen Victoria ascended the English throne., She reigned for 64 years, and during that time she witnessed the growth of cities and of the industrial revolution. Factories were being built in record numbers, Goodyear patented the rubber making process in 1837, and a few years later, the California gold rush started in 1848.
The Jewelry industry benefited from mass production techniques. Machines were developed to make stamping whole pieces of jewelry from thin sheets of metal. First applied commercially in the 1840’s, electroplating for jewelry was introduced.
With the introduction of faux stones (paste) and mass production making jewelry that imitated the pieces worn by the wealthy, people of all classes were now able to afford jewelry.
Queen Victoria loved jewelry and this harkened in the age of sentiment. She brought the Cameo back in style as well as romantic jewelry, containing a lock of a loved ones hair. It was not considered unnatural for Victoria to wear a bracelet made from her children’s baby teeth.
Hair-work jewelry was not only a decorative accessory; it was an outward expression of people’s innermost feelings and became an important part of the jewelry of this era. Many ladies would buy kits to make everything from watch fobs to rings containing hair.
To prepare the hair required first boiling it in soda water for 15 minutes, and then dividing it into strands of 20 to 30 hairs each, by length. You could even send your hair to companies that would make a wide variety of items out of it, for a fee ranging from $4.00 to $15.00. This became the second largest jewelry industry at one time, making hair more valuable than silver per oz.

The exquisite photo is from: http://whitneybria.blogspot.com/2011/05/victorian-hair-jewelry.html

Every Piece of Jewelry Here Is Made of Human Hair (bellasugar.com)

About Russell Trusso

"Russell is a true trendsetter in the art of fine jewelry," says Nancy McCann, senior vice president of marketing and public relations for Forest City Enterprises and Trusso fan. "When you own a piece of his collection, you join the likes of Madame Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Oprah Winfrey, women of power and dignity who have been inspired by his work and breathtaking craftsmanship." But making headlines isn't unusual for Trusso. In the 1990s, he left his post as chief of anesthesiology at St. Luke's Hospital to launch a successful fashion career, creating sumptuous gowns for socialites that were sold next to the likes of Oscar de la Renta. He then turned his attention to jewelry design, melding the scientific, meticulous part of his mind with the artistry and creativity in his soul. His jewelry was soon snapped up by Gump's, and the celebrities who shop there. He was featured on "The Early Show" with Bryant Gumbel. Bette Midler is a longtime fan. So is Winfrey, whose magazine stylists borrowed a pair of earrings for a photo shoot, then called later to see if she could buy them.

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