Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 until her death in 1901, and she not only wore beautiful jewelry, but she designed it and gave it away to people throughout the empire in order to show off the skills and craftsmanship of British jewelry makers. As a result, antique Victorian jewelry in Austin is very much sought after today for its beauty and design.
In the same way, the Industrial Revolution of the late 1800s and early 1900s served to heighten the talents of the jewelers of the day. It allowed for the development of manufacturing techniques that trimmed costs substantially, so that common people were finally able to own a selection of jewelry. Much of the jewelry in Austin today is manufactured using similar techniques to those from the Victorian age; most notably, pressed glass, cast and stamped precious metal for the settings and machines to make volumes of chain.
When Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, died in 1861, it was a turning point for the Queen. She went into mourning and never came out of it, wearing nothing but black clothing and adding only black jewelry to her designs. Vendors who sell Victorian jewelry in Austin know this black jewelry as jet, a black fossilized piece of driftwood. This material was in abundance along the coast of Yorkshire in England, and before long, jewelers began to duplicate almost every piece of jewelry that was historically produced using jet.
Even after her death, Queen Victoria’s influence did not stop. For example, what we all know as the charm bracelet was the result of her creativity. At the beginning of each new year until her death, she had charms made and gave them to her closest friends, just as people commonly do for their friends and families today.
The age of Victoriana is long gone, but the influence she had on the design and production of jewelry is still with us. Jewelry in Austin is as fine as any in the world, thanks to the original works from the Victorian age.
Jewelry Austin – Jewelry in Austin has always been an essential component of personal style. While the designs and manufacturing techniques may change with time, they all take inspiration from the past.
