Victorian Woven Hairwork Earrings with Gold. 

Large bow (with Indian Gold Beads) 2.75" long. / Knot 2" long.

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Hairwork jewelry encompasses all adornments made with human hair. As early as ancient Egypt, collections of hair were used to symbolize tokens of love and eternity. In the Middle Ages up to the 17th century, hair was braided and woven to incorporate into jewelry, mostly for an intimate exchange between family members and lovers. The beheading of Charles I in 1649 was a turning point in hairwork jewelry, with a new focus on remembrance and mourning the dead. Royalist sympathizers against the new Commonwealth created commemorative pieces and secular relics as poetic gestures. They often used hair and fabrics in their jewelry as symbols of the former King and a continued allegiance to the monarchy. The ideas of love and loss became permanently merged and established the social framework that would be amplified later in the 19th century.

In 1861, Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert unexpectedly died. Devasted, she remained in mourning till her death, wearing all black clothes and a lock of his hair around her neck. This quickly developed societal rules for mourning among all classes of people in Britain and the proliferation of Victorian hairwork jewelry. The hair of a loved one became a permanent tangible record that could be kept forever. As popularity increased, this expensive artisan-only luxury was soon fabricated by many women as a domestic craft and hobby. While not necessarily rare today, finding complete hairwork pieces in pristine and undamaged condition is often unusual.