Mourning jewelry dates back to the 1400s but it became popular in the mid 1800s.
During this period, works of art and jewelry were created out of hair and other materials to commemorate the loss of loved ones. These mourning pieces served as an eternal memorial and reminder of the lost loved one.
Art of Mourning
Mourning Jewelry Museum
Victorian Hair Artists Guild
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6 comments:
I love mourning jewelry and my mother when she was alive found the most fantastic pieces with hair from the deceased inside, like lockets...and of course, Jet is gorgeous in mourning jewelry. Thanks for the beautiful post, Jeanne.
Mourning jewelrey has always kinda creeped me out, quite frankly. There's a lot of it to be seen in small town prairie museums here. But what about the modern equivalent, where some ashes of the dearly departed are transformed into diamond zirconia and made into jewelry? By comparison, that doesn't bother me somehow.
Debra ~ My Tuesday post is about the "Forever Diamond" of which you speak.
I have a hair pin tray that was my Grammie's, and the pattern of flowers are silk, and the background filler is hair, presumably, as told to me by my Dad, it was clippings from his Grandmother's hair. It is secured under a thin piece of glass.
Deb, you crack me up! lol You drew the line of using pencils make of ashes, you don't like mourning jewelry, but you DO like the diamonds! I can hear you channeling Marilyn Monroe now, "Diamonds are a girl's best friend!" rofl
Note to self. .check for typos before hitting the send. .made, not make. sigh
I think it's a lovely idea, a wonderful reminder of someone.
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