The ordinary people of Jane Austen’s time often wore a sentimental type of jewelry, which was accessible and inexpensive. The sentiment of such jewelry fell into two categories: the sentiment of love and the sentiment of death. In this presentation, Candice will explore both types, including symbols and iconography of mourning and of romance, all of which would have been well understood by people of the time.

Candice’s Powerpoint presentation will include lots of detailed images of mourning jewelry and love tokens from museums, including a mourning brooch with a lock of Jane Austen’s hair from the Jane Austen’s House Museum, as well as many examples from her own collection, including lover’s eyes, such as the one shown here. Items from her collection will be on display for attendees to examine.

A lady’s blue eye painted in miniature on ivory, in a gold eye-shaped setting. ½” x ¾” Early 19th century.