History of memorial jewelry

May 17, 2022

What is the History of Memorial Jewelry?

Those who are new to memorial jewelry may find it difficult to get a decisive answer on when and where the tradition of memorial jewelry began. This is because the tradition of memorial jewelry has evolved throughout time. In ancient times, memorial jewelry would be worn by the deceased during burial. Later the concept of modern memorial jewelry, also called mourning jewelry, is widely thought to have been popularized around the 19th century. Below we will cover some of the major periods in the history of memorial jewelry.

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egyptians regarded personal jewelry and clothing to be of high importance. In day-to-day life, jewelry was worn by men and women regardless of their social class. Egyptians believed that jewelry had the spiritual capacity to ward off evil spirits and bring the bearer good health and luck. For this reason, ancient Egyptians would adorn their dead in full jewelry during burial with the intention of giving them an auspicious send off to the afterlife.

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Rome

Ancient Roman jewelry pieces are well known for their intricate designs despite the fact that archaeological findings of jewelry from this era is extremely rare. Unlike in Egyptian society where it was common to do a full burial, the Romans would cremate their dead leaving less physical belongings behind. This is made up for in written records, which help to create a picture of what life was like during the rule of the Roman Empire. Jewelry from this era has been found to include bones and teeth in the design. Unfortunately, there is not enough evidence to say conclusively whether this was an early form of mourning jewelry, or a trophy from vanquished foes.

Ancient Rome

Memento Mori

Memento Mori, latin for “remember death” became a popular style of jewelry in the 16th Century. At this time the jewelry pieces were not so much a form of memorial jewelry, but rather a reminder to live a good and moral life so as not to incur God’s wrath upon death. These jewelry pieces were well known for having death related imagery such as skulls, bones, coffins, and crosses. Although it was not the intended purpose in the beginning, these jewelry pieces would later become the first documented designs to be used by consumers as mourning memorial jewelry.

Memento Mori

Hair Jewelry

In a similar time and geographic location as memento mori jewelry, hair jewelry would become especially popular during the 19th century. Sometimes used as memorial jewelry, these pieces were also shared between the living as a sign of friendship and love. It is believed that part of the reason for the rise of hair jewelry was a result of underemployment among hair artisans as the powdered wigs worn by nobles during the 17th and 18th centuries became unfashionable. At first, the pieces would be made for the upper class in partnership with goldsmiths and jewelry makers. During the second half of the 19th century, instructional guides were released that made it possible for the lower class to also create their own hair jewelry.

Hair Jewelry

Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria is the primary figure in history associated with the rise of mourning memorial jewelry. After the death of her husband, Prince Albert, Queen Victoria would go on to spend the remaining four decades of her life in perpetual mourning. Prince Albert died at age 42, after having been married to Queen Victoria for 21 years. While it had already been common expectation for women to wear black after the loss of a loved one, Queen Victoria would popularize additionally wearing mourning jewelry. It was common for these pieces to be predominantly black, and draw stylistic influence from memento mori and hair jewelry. After Queen Victoria’s loss of Prince Albert, it became an expectation for fashionable women to mourn the loss of their loved ones with special brooches, lockets, necklaces, or rings.

Queen Victoria

Daguerreotype Lockets

In the mid-19th century, early inventions of the camera began to be commercially accessible to the general public. At this time it was still considered to be an expensive luxury reserved for special occasions. One example would include hiring a photographer after the death of a loved one. Although it may seem morbid by today’s standards, the common practice of the time was to take pictures of the deceased’s body to preserve their memory in the future. Some families would even pose with the deceased to create one last family photo. Today, this tradition is carried on through locket memorial jewelry using photos of the deceased while they were still alive.

Daguerreotype Lockets

Cremation Memorial Jewelry

The practice of cremation in the United States was very rare until the 20th century. Crematoriums were only invented towards the end of the 19th century, and there are said to have only been about 20 within the United States near the beginning of the 20th century. If you fast forward to today, cremation is now one of the most popular burial methods. Since the adoption of cremation, it has become increasingly popular to keep some of the deceased’s remains stored within a piece of cremation jewelry. Those who are interested in cremation jewelry may be interested to read more about the relationship between memorial jewelry and some of the most common world religions here (clickable link to the religion and memorial jewelry post). For those that wish to be buried in the ground, or find the concept of cremated remains within jewelry disconcerting there are other options for filling the container, such as a small piece from an article of the deceased’s clothing or some dirt from the burial ground.