Please remember to rate my guide when you are finished.  Thank you, ShinyPrettyThings2.

Symbolism was extremely important to the Victorians.  Highly romantic, they found hidden meaning in the colors, shapes, and textures of the jewelry they wore. 

As befitting an era called "Sentimental," love tokens, mementoes, and souvenirs were all the rage.  Lockets were much-loved accessories and were made of every type of material.  They often held painted miniatures or (in later years) small photographs, as well as locks of hair.  (Lockets were sometimes worn under the clothing to protect the portrait or hair token from prying eyes.)

Brooches were extremely popular and were worn in a variety of ways; on the shoulder, of course, but also at the neck, waist, in the hair, and on ribbons as necklaces and bracelets. In addition to silver, gold, and base metals, jewelry was created from Pique, Tortoiseshell, Mother-of-Pearl, and "Lava" (carved mud to form cameos).

Religious symbols were mainstays of jewelry design in both the Georgian and Victorian eras: crosses, ivy, doves, and Greek letters were some.

Snakes, symbols of eternity, were created as rings, bracelets, brooches and necklaces. Queen Victoria's engagement ring from Prince Albert was in the form of a serpent.

Both sentimentality and symbolism were important elements of Victorian design. Jewelry could be read like books, the design telling of the giver's feelings or hopes.

Examples of Symbolism:

Pearls = Tears                                     Fly = Humility
Dogs = Fidelity                                    Butterfly = Soul
Daisy = Innocence                               Fern = Fascination
Mistletoe = A kiss                                Doves = Domesticity
Bluebells = Constancy                          Wishbone = Wish and Hope
Lilac = First feelings of Love                 Harp/Ireland or Constant Love
Flaming Heart = Passionate Love          Forget Me Nots = Remembrance
Arrows = Love (Cupid's arrows)         Crowned Heart = Love Triumphant
Ivy = Friendship, fidelity, marriage       Clasped Hands = Friendship, Lasting Love
Salamanders, Lizards = Passionate Love (it was believed that this animal could survive fire)
Roses = Many meanings, depending of the type of bloom and color.

Specific gems could have specific meanings:
Amethyst = Devotion                          Diamond = Constancy
Emerald = Hope                                 Ruby = Passion

Gems could be used as a type of code to spell out words. The first letter of the gems' names would stand for letters. In this way, a piece set with a Diamond, Emerald, Amethyst, and Ruby (in that order) would spell the work "DEAR". Other examples of this "code" can be found spelling out: Fidelity, Gratitude, Ever Thine, Baby, Mother, and individual names. This practice went on in various countries, and languages - which can make deciphering the code tricky.

 "MIZPAH", a word taken from the Bible, means, "The Lord watch over me and thee when we are parted one from the other." Today's collector can come across these pieces in a variety of materials and all forms of jewelry.

Fine jewelry in the Victorian era was more than just a show of wealth. It was intended to reflect the social standing and status of the wearer and their family. Rigid rules determined what jewelry was deemed "appropriate". In Europe, only the simplest of jewelry was worn by young, unmarried women - crosses, pearls, chains, and mourning jewelry. Married women "of a certain age" were the only ones thought suitable as wearers of diamonds and gems. American women, not being raised with these strict rules, were often criticized for wearing "inappropriate" jewelry when they visited Europe. In spite of such censure, rich American heiresses were in great demand as brides of impoverished European nobility - their dowries and rich jewelry making their fashion errors forgivable.

Victorian jewelry designers loved natural themes and flowers as did earlier generations. An interesting design innovation is a piece set en tremblant - a French word that means, "trembling". In jewelry of this sort part of the design is mounted on a spring - this way the jewelry has a twinkling effect, moving slightly as the wearer moves.

The Victorians were practical in their jewelry designs. As with the Georgian era, many pieces were made to come apart to form a myriad number of wearable items. A necklace could have a metal rod added, making it rigid and wearable as a tiara. A necklace could come apart to make bracelets and earrings. Early Victorian designs are generally small and delicate unlike the larger, heavier, and more ornate pieces made later.
Another fashion of the Victorian era (which some people find disturbing) is Hair Jewelry. Pieces of jewelry were made to incorporate locks of hair, as love tokens or as mementos from deceased loved ones. The hair is placed inside a crystal, sometimes just a curl, or weavings. Elaborate designs and pictures could be made out of hair or the hair, itself, was could be used to make chains, rings, earrings. Virtually every type of jewelry was made of hair, some very complex in the weaving techniques used. 

                                                                                            
In the early Victorian era, Diamonds and Pearls were rare and expensive, available only to the rich. But many alternatives were available to the middle class such as: Amethysts, Opals, Turquoise, and Freshwater Pearls.

Looking at gems or stones set into a piece of jewelry can be a major clue to determining a date. It's either a reproduction or a "married" piece" when you find one with a gem that's "wrong" for the time period.

Stones Commonly Found in Victorian Jewelry:

 Agate                   Diamond
Onyx               Glass
Carnelian              Emerald
Amber             Coral
Opal                  Peridot
Ruby                    Sapphire
Turquoise          Garnet
Pearls (seed, baroque, freshwater, natural, & blister) 

Some materials Commonly Found in Victorian Jewelry:
Bog                                                        Oak Enamels
Cut Steel                                                Human Hair
Jet                                                Ivory
Pinchbeck                                                Tortoiseshell
Micro-Mosaic (very small tiles)        Silver
Gold (9, 10 , 15, 18, 22 karats) Rolled Gold or Gold Fill
 
Cameos (Shell, Stone, Lava, Gemsto