Mourning jewelry as fashion began with Queen Victoria and her fantastic love for her husband, Albert. When Albert died at only 42, the Queen was devastated and spent the next 40 years (of her 64 year reign total) in mourning. This included wearing all black all the time, and creating jewelry to remind her of her lost love. Black onyx, jet, diamonds and pearls – which were seen to represent tears – were used to create a black and white palette of solemnity. Extra sentimental pieces included engravings of names, dates, or pieces of hair, woven into braids and worked into the jewelry.

In addition to the traditional significance of pearls worn in mourning, Queen Elizabeth had a personal fondness for them Throughout her reign, she often wore a three-strand pearl necklace that was a gift from her father and inspired by Queen Victoria. Victoria gave each of her daughters and granddaughters a pearl on every birthday so that by the time they turned 18, they would have enough pearls to make a single strand. Elizabeth’s father, George, loved the tradition so much he gave her two pearls for every birthday. The three strand necklace was an extra-sentimental piece created from those gifts that she was rarely seen without.

The pearls on display on the family members of Queen Elizabeth are extra sentimental as they are part of the family jewels or gifts from the Queen herself. For a comprehensive look at some of the most symbolic jewelry seen during the mourning rituals, tune into the amazing coverage by Marion Fasel of The Adventurine here.