(via 5000 Years of Gems and Jewelry) Frances Rogers and Alice Beard writes:
7. The Victorian Period
There was nothing even remotely reminiscent of the classic about a wasp waist, enormous puffed sleeves and wide skirts.
The year 1837 brough Victoria to the English throne, and whether or not that royal lady was responsible for the attitude of mind that marked her reign, the term ‘Victorian’ has come to mean a certain point of view and code of manners. It was the age of romance, or rather, it might be called the age of romantic posing—the day when sweet Alice wept with delight when you gave her a smile and trembled with fear at your frown. Sensibilities were cultivated to excess, and the perfect lady was expected to faint gracefully on the slightest provocation. By the same token men were under obligation chivalrously to protect and guide delicate, fragile, and preferably unintelligent womanhood. ‘Be good sweet maid and let who will be clever.’
Jewelry faithfully followed the trend. The cameo still held a place but rather as a demure jewel of refinement than because of its classic origin. The lapidary of the period supplied his customers with designs based on the Greek but prettified to meet the taste of the day. In accordance with the sentiment of chivalry there was a revival of Gothic design—knights in full armor, elegant lords and ladies of King Arthur’s Court made their romantic way back to earth in miniature on jewels of the period. And as crowning victory of sentiment in ornament came hair jewelry, more elaborate than that which had existed, to a limited extent, in former times. Further details concerning it will be given when we discuss the American version of ‘hairwork’.
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