A lovely pair of Mourning Bracelets from the Victorian era, made of yellow gold, onyx, and seed pearls. The bracelets are in fantastic condition for their age and a wonderful romantic tradition from Victorian England. They are a perfect pair, excellent example of antique Victorian craftsmanship. Like many antique jewelry, the gold components tests differently; the finely and tightly woven bracelets are made of 12 karat gold, the backs are 14 karats and the star that surrounds the half-seed pearl is 18 karats of yellow gold. The bracelets fit a size 6-1/4" wrist, from medium to small size. The weave is superb, with nice texture and flexibility. The bezeled onyx square that decorates the top of the bracelets, and where they come to clasp together, is a deep rich black that has no chips of scratches. The onyx square measures 3/4 of an inch; the width of the weave made of gold is 1/2 an inch. The two bracelets weighs weighs 41.50 grams combined.
Mourning Jewelry such as this pair of mourning bracelets were created to commemorate the deceased and often carried deep emotional and symbolic meaning for those left behind. Onyx was often used in its black form to symbolize grief and pearls tears. Today this pair offers a simple and stylish gothic look.
There are some small gentle bends or folds in the woven gold of the bracelets, most likely from storage and is not noticeable when worn.
