Victorian Era Braided Hair & Blue Enamel Gold-Filled Mourning Brooch

A memento of braided hair rests beneath the faceted glass window of this Victorian Era mourning brooch.

Gorgeous blue enamel surrounds the decorative hair display. The enamel is still in very good condition with no signs of cracking or chipping.

The gold-filled border has some lovely texture. It does show signs of minor wear at the raised points, but nothing too noticeable. When testing the purity of the metal using an electronic testing device, it reads anywhere from 14K to base metal, depending on the area tested.

The Victorian Era spanned from 1837 to 1901. While mourning jewelry was created prior to the Victorian Era, it reached the height of its popularity in 1861 after the passing of Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert.