A beautifully preserved Victorian sentimental hairwork brooch, crafted in a warm gold-filled mount. The frame displays classic mid-to-late 19th-century ornamentation: sculpted shell and foliate cartouches at the compass points, a popular motif during the High Victorian period.
At its centre sits an oval panel of tightly woven hair, protected under its original cover glass. The weave is exceptionally tight and uniform, indicating skilled mourning-jewellery craftsmanship—these pieces were often made by mourning studios or by hand within a family as a memorial keepsake.
Features
- Era: c. 1870–1890
- Material: Gold-filled brass alloy with classical Victorian reliefwork
- Centre: Original woven hair panel
- Cover: Bevelled or domed crystal/glass lens
- Back: Original pinback