The jewels of the second half of the 19th century are rich jewels, intended for an elite of the time. Many stones, many diamonds. The discovery of the Premier mine in South Africa (later renamed the Cullinan mine after the discovery of the largest rough diamond in the world) and its immense quantity of diamonds made this stone accessible to a wealthy bourgeoisie. There was also a lot of enameled jewelry during this period.
As in England, sentimental jewelry also had its place in the 19th century. These are jewels that were made in memory of a loved one or missing person. Often these creations bear inscriptions or symbols, or even elements recalling the person to whom the jewel was intended. This can be hair or even teeth. The mourning jewels of the Napoleon III period are often made of yellow gold and black stone (onyx, jet).
In the context of love, there are hidden messages, flaming hearts but also locks of hair, names. And they often include words like “friendship” or illustrations of flowers of thought “Think of me”. The richness of jewelry from this period can be found in the selection of 19th century jewelry from Maison Mohs.
