Featured Victorian fancy locket

I have this piece - apparently the hair belonged to some long forgotten relative.

It is certainly a locket with a bling factor.

 

would this be considered a mourning locket or do those only hold tears/fluid?

 

Yes it is. The stones could be Bohemian garnets. Where was your family from?
The bail looks decorated, could we see a photo of it?

In the Netherlands this would be a mourning locket, since it is silver with garnets or glass garnets. Overhere garnets were worn for a later stage of mourning, although there are regional differences.

In most other countries this would be a sentimental locket, since it has no mourning symbols, or colours that are connected with mourning in those countries.
Mourning lockets don't hold fluid, as far as I know.

 

Thanks I wasn't sure. I have seen some lockets that hold fluid for 'tears' or holy water. I have seen them listed as mourning lockets or pendants.

 

SWEET! Is it marked anywhere?

 

Family is British, and well travelled back in the day.
Here is the bail and thanks for the info.

 

No markings on this piece that I have found.

 

Agree with origins. I have my Great Grandfather's bracelet with similar construction that he brought with him when he escaped the pogroms in the 1890s in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The story goes that each family member gave him something of value that he could sell upon arrival here to get started. The bracelet is one of the items he did not part with.

 

An arrow, lovely. Very 19th century. Often associated with Cupid's arrow, so this could have been given by an admirer or a fiance.

In that case it is not a mourning locket. These were traded all over the Western world, btw. I asked about the origin of your family to see if it could be mourning connected. These lockets were used differently in different countries.

 

I'll bet Bohemian garnets, Jabolonec. Nineteenth century.

If you want to clean that, an old soft toothbrush with either a drop of gin/vodka on it or a spray of window cleaning stuff. Then use a Sunshine cloth on the metal.

 

OBB, weren't these mostly base metals?

 

Again, thank you for the info. This was a family heirloom - it is very unfortunate that the actual story behind it has been lost.

 

They were mounted in all metals that were fashionable at the time, also gold and silver.
The Bohemians even used a special low fineness 'garnet gold', .250 if I am correct.

 

That's an especially nice one with the large center stone. Beautiful!

 

I've garnets in silver, gold washed silver and brass, it did vary as aj says. They also sometimes mixed glass stones with real. A Sunshine Cloth will work on anything.

 

I've never heard of that either. There are the so-called lacrymatories or tear bottles, but that charming story has been debunked.

 

A legend... These are perfume bottles called "corsetière" worn inside the dress under the corset on the bosom.

 

Teehee.. you said "bosom"... Speaking of, I've seen a few 18th century sweetheart busks in my day, carved by a gentleman for his lady to wear in the same manner. Oh those sailors....so charming!
https://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/how-sailors-love-tokens-got-into-womens-underwear/