Shadows of October: Victorian Mourning Jewelry and the Rituals of Remembrance

Victorian Mourning Jewelry & Customs

Because it’s the most wonderful time of the year (aka spooky season), I thought this would be a good opportunity to dive into the history behind Victorian mourning jewelry and mourning customs.

While visually, the only thing that really ties certain mourning jewelry and Halloween together is the use of skulls and skeletons—which we see in modern Halloween decorations—the darkness that surrounds mourning jewelry displays some haunting themes.

Queen Victoria and the Culture of Mourning

The Victorian era (1837–1901) is named for Queen Victoria. When her beloved husband, Prince Albert, died in 1861, Queen Victoria was devastated. She went into deep mourning and wore black for the rest of her life, helping to popularize the elaborate mourning customs and jewelry we now associate with the Victorian era. Mourning jewelry dates back much earlier, but we’re diving into the Victorian era specifically.

The Materials and Symbols of Mourning Jewelry

Much Victorian mourning jewelry made use of black materials. Onyx, jet, vulcanite, gutta-percha, and enamel were all popular choices in jewelry making.

Hair jewelry was also extremely popular, ranging from a simple lock of hair encased in a locket to very decorative woven or pictorial work. Names and initials were often engraved into mourning jewelry to memorialize the dearly departed. Urns, crosses, weeping willows, angels, and forget-me-nots were also popular motifs during this era.

The Stages of Victorian Mourning

There were different “stages” of mourning, and how one dressed displayed the stage they were currently in. Widows went through the longest and most severe period of mourning, and if they didn’t follow the “rules” and appropriate timeline, they risked being socially ostracized.

Full Mourning

Full mourning for a widow lasted for an entire year. Clothing was dark black and very plain, and jet jewelry was worn because of its matte nature. Veils were worn as well, covering the face.

Mourning rings—often in gold—were allowed during this period because they frequently incorporated woven locks of hair or initials engraved into the gold.

Second Mourning

Second mourning took place for the next nine months and allowed some return to normalcy. Note that only widows experienced second mourning; everyone else skipped ahead to half mourning.

During second mourning, some socializing was allowed, although it was still not a full return to society. Veils were still worn but no longer covered the face. Lace was allowed, and gray, mauve, and lavender could be included in details such as gloves and collars.

Jewelry also became more varied because there were more acceptable options during second mourning, including gutta-percha, vulcanite, French jet (made of black glass), and onyx.

This onyx mourning necklace would most likely have been worn from second mourning onward because of the use of gold and pearls.

Half Mourning

The final stage of mourning was half mourning, and for widows it lasted at least three months. This is when color was allowed more prominently in clothing, although the palette generally remained within black, gray, lavender, purple, and mauve.

Amethyst became a very popular stone for the half-mourning stage and was often combined with pearls, which could symbolize tears. The locket below would have been appropriate during half mourning and afterward.

Mourning Customs for Men

Men might observe a mourning period of approximately one year but were generally allowed to return to society much sooner—sometimes as early as three months into mourning.

The watch chain below is made entirely of woven hair and gold findings. It is in excellent condition and was probably not worn very often, perhaps also reflecting the relatively brief period of time when men were expected to outwardly display mourning.

Mourning Inside the Victorian Home

The home also displayed signs that a family was in mourning. Mirrors were covered after a death for several reasons. During mourning, covering a mirror kept one from checking their personal appearance—and therefore expressing vanity—so the focus could remain on grief.

There were also superstitions surrounding mirrors and death. Some Victorians worried that the spirit of the deceased might become trapped inside a reflection, preventing it from moving on to the afterlife. Another superstition held that if a living person looked into a mirror in a home where someone had died, bad luck—or even an untimely death—could follow.

Clocks were sometimes stopped at the time of death to respectfully mark the moment of passing. Black ribbons or other mourning symbols might be displayed on the door to alert the neighborhood that a death had occurred.

Viewings and funerals were also commonly held at home during this era, with the deceased often displayed in the parlor.

Spiritualism and the Victorian Fascination with the Afterlife

When you think about it, death touched everyday life much more directly during the Victorian era. Illnesses and injuries that are treatable today could easily prove fatal.

Spiritualism grew in popularity as people searched for ways to understand the afterlife, and séances were conducted in hopes of reaching departed loved ones. While many mediums relied on theatrical tricks or fabricated messages, the experience could still provide comfort and a sense of closure to grieving families.

A Thread to Those Who Came Before Us

So what do you think? Do you feel inspired to dress yourself and your home in mourning attire and host a séance this Halloween?

Either way, we feel lucky that so many mourning jewels have lived on, continuing a thread of a story from those who came before us.