Odd mourning stickpin with hair

Found this stickpin for $5 and thought it was odd as it has hair intertwined in it. Looks like solid 10k gold. Obviously a mourning piece and I haven't quite seen anything like it. Not the prettiest piece in the world but still nice for the collection.

 

Looks like animal hair

 

Maybe there was once more hair and it was woven into a sort of wreath or flower (forget-me-not) around the turquoise?

 

Obviously a mourning piece and I haven't quite seen anything like it.

Please explain..?

 

OP is speculating that's the remains of human hair & that it was originally this sort of thing:

https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/bro...ning-brooch-pin-engraved-mother/id-j_7182591/



Bluumz proposes that the turquoise cabochon could have been the center of a forget-me-not with woven hair petals. Holly is skeptical & sees animal hair. Does that answer any of your questions?

 

Not obvious to me.
Turquoise is not generally a stone used for mourning.
If the hair is human hair, I would call it commemorative, made to remember a loved one who was alive at the time. If the hair was originally woven into forget-me-not petals, it would certainly be commemorative. Maybe a lover's gift.

Hair is not always from deceased relatives. It could be from a lover, or a lock of hair from a child kept close to the heart.
The hair used to make woven hair jewellery often came from women who sold their hair for money.

 

In recent weeks, I've been doing much searching on Victorian "mourning" pieces and, as well as the usual black/gold, I've seen a lot of so-called mourning pieces that incorporate turquoise... so much so that it surprised me.
From The Art of Mourning website: "Turquoise is another common material that blurs the line in the latter stages of mourning jewels. Without a clear marking of mourning, they must be relegated to sentimentality. Queen Victoria had much to do with popularising jewellery, from sentimental to mourning, during the 19th century. Turquoise in particular was popular, as Victoria gave her twelve bridesmaids turquoise brooches in the shape of a Coburg eagle, which symbolised Albert’s family. Their blue colour is familiar to that of a forget-me-not and this is a motif used in both mourning and sentimental jewels."
These are some of the beauties I've been admiring. I'm sure many are sentimental pieces rather than for mourning but "mourning" is the popular key word.
(I imagined hair woven around the turquoise of OPs piece rather like the gold is around the center stone of the stick pin below.)

 

Gorgeous pieces, bluumz.
I don't really like hair jewellery, but love turquoise and have quite a few 19th century pieces. Also some with those small cabochons. No hair though, just forget-me-not shapes, etc.

 

Great find at $5 with 10K gold.

 

Great to see representative examples all together. And love your new avatar.

 

In my opinion it is a pin from the Biedermeier aera, Germany. They used to work with human hair, little turquoise stones and rose gold.

 

Welcome, and thank you, @Susanne Serowiecki .

 

Thanks for posting all the lovely examples Bluumz! The contrast of the turquoise with the black is really stunning! I didn't realize they used so much turquoise with mourning pieces either.
Leslie

 

Although possibly for mourning... it may have indeed been a gift. It is too bad the hair is quite gone. Would you want to pull out the rest and have a new flower made for it?

Leslie

 

Darn... I see this is an old post again! Mad at myself!

Leslie

 

not a problem.......sometimes ya just gotta comment on an interesting thread....
happens to us all !!

 

Don't be mad, you can reply to any post or thread you want, and certainly enjoy it. And as you see, some people notice. I am sure @spartcom5 will see it next time he logs in.

 

Great minds.

 

besides...Oct....wasn't that long ago !!

 

The stickpin is sitting in my little display case with my others. I didn't want to mess with it and kept it the way I found it!