Victorian Woven Hair Earrings

Victorian hairwork jewelry seldom survives in such immaculate condition as these earrings; circa 1860 crafted of meticulously woven hair in a teardrop configuration, the delicately varied shades of brown fitted with 10k findings and wires. These may have been intended as mourning pieces, but hairwork jewelry was also created for love token gifts; it was not uncommon for all the women in a family to contribute hair for father's watch chain.

Details: Measuring approximately 2" high, including the ear wire, though one is very slightly shorter than the other. Not marked for gold content but the findings XRF test to 10k. Approximate 1.5 gram weight for the pair.

Condition: In excellent antique condition with subtle patina to the gold.

History: The craft of woven human hair jewelry is centuries-old, thought to have originated in the 16th century in Sweden, although examples of love-token lockets with carefully arranged locks of hair can be found as far back as the Middle Ages. In the 19th century it was taken to its greatest height of popularity, and jewelry made with woven hair (ostensibly from one's own head or that of a loved one) was customarily exchanged between family and friends, representing both sentimental attachment as well as mourning remembrance.

So enthusiastic was the public desire for these pieces, both in the U.S. and abroad, that a thriving cottage industry for weaving hair into various forms sprang up on both sides of the Atlantic; the majority of the weavers were women and it was one of the few ways a 19th century woman could respectably earn a living. The hairwork would be sold to or commissioned by jewelers catering to the retail trade, who then fitted the delicate weaving with the appropriate gold findings to create the finished jewelry.