Antique Victorian Vulcanite and French Jet 60 Inch Beaded Mourning Necklace

Purchased from an antique dealer in London, this beautiful black necklace measures sixty inches long and has a clip closure similar to a watch chain. It has long vulcanite beads and small round French jet beads (glass). The entire necklace is hand-knotted. It is in very good antique condition.

During part of the the Victorian period from about 1860 to 1880, mourning jewelry was the height of fashion, and black was a stylish color. Often made of jet, vulcanite, bog oak, and pressed horn, each carried special meaning as a memento of a loved one. While some black jewelry was meant to be worn during mourning, black jewelry was fashionable as well and worn for its beauty and sentiment.