A New Era for Wire Wrapped Jewelry

The Victorian era (1837-1901), named for Queen Victoria's lengthy reign, represented a transformative period for wire wrapped jewelry. This was an age of industrialization, social change, and romantic sentimentality that profoundly influenced jewelry design and production.

Wire wrapping flourished during this period, becoming more accessible to the middle class while simultaneously achieving new heights of intricacy and artistry. The era can be divided into three distinct periods, each with its own aesthetic and cultural influences.

Early Victorian Period (1837-1860): Romantic Naturalism

The early Victorian period, also called the Romantic Period, was characterized by:

• Nature-inspired designs featuring flowers, leaves, and vines
• Wire-wrapped lockets containing portraits or hair of loved ones
• Delicate gold wire work combined with seed pearls
• Snake motifs symbolizing eternal love (popularized by Queen Victoria)
• Sentimental jewelry with hidden messages and symbols

Young Queen Victoria's engagement ring—a gold serpent with an emerald-set head wrapped in gold wire—sparked a fashion for snake jewelry that showcased wire wrapping techniques.

Mid-Victorian Period (1860-1880): The Grand Period

Following Prince Albert's death in 1861, Queen Victoria's extended mourning influenced jewelry fashion dramatically. This period saw:

Mourning Jewelry:

• Black jet, onyx, and gutta-percha wire-wrapped pieces
• Hair jewelry featuring intricate wire wrapping around braided hair
• Memorial lockets with wire-wrapped frames
• Crosses and religious symbols in dark materials with wire decoration

Etruscan Revival:

• Archaeological discoveries inspired ancient-style wire work
• Granulation and filigree techniques combined with wire wrapping
• Bold, architectural designs in gold
• Revival of ancient loop-in-loop chain techniques

Late Victorian Period (1880-1901): Aesthetic Movement

The late Victorian period embraced lighter, more delicate designs:

• Crescent moon and star motifs in delicate wirework
• Art Nouveau influences beginning to emerge
• Lighter, more feminine wire-wrapped designs
• Increased use of semi-precious stones in wire settings
• Japanese-inspired asymmetrical wire patterns
• Bar brooches with wire-wrapped gemstones

This period also saw the rise of Arts and Crafts movement, which valued handcrafted jewelry and traditional techniques like wire wrapping over mass production.

The Democratization of Wire Wrapping

One of the most significant developments of the Victorian era was the spread of wire wrapping beyond professional jewelers:

Amateur Craftsmanship:

• Ladies' magazines published wire wrapping tutorials and patterns
• Wire work became an acceptable hobby for genteel women
• Craft books dedicated to wire jewelry techniques appeared
• Wire wrapping supplies became commercially available to hobbyists

Industrial Advances:

• Machine-drawn wire became more consistent and affordable
• Standardized wire gauges were established
• Improved tools made wire manipulation easier
• Mass production of wire findings (jump rings, ear wires, etc.)

Notable Victorian Wire Wrapped Styles

Several distinctive styles emerged during the Victorian era:

Scottish Jewelry: Wire-wrapped cairngorm (smoky quartz) and Scottish agates became popular, often set in silver wire with Celtic-inspired patterns.

Archaeological Revival: Inspired by discoveries at Pompeii and Troy, jewelers created pieces mimicking ancient Greek and Roman wire techniques.

Sentimental Jewelry: Lockets, brooches, and rings with hidden compartments or messages, often incorporating intricate wire frames and wrapping.

Regard Rings: Rings spelling out sentiments using the first letter of each gemstone's name, held in place with delicate wire wrapping.

The Arts and Crafts Movement

Emerging in the late Victorian period, the Arts and Crafts movement (1880-1910) profoundly influenced wire wrapped jewelry:

• Rejection of mass production in favor of handcrafted pieces
• Emphasis on visible tool marks and handwork
• Use of affordable materials like copper and silver wire
• Integration of cabochon stones in simple wire settings
• Natural, organic designs inspired by medieval craftsmanship

Influential designers like C.R. Ashbee and the Liberty & Co. artisans created distinctive wire-wrapped pieces that bridged Victorian and Art Nouveau styles, emphasizing the beauty of handcrafted metalwork.