As we continue on our mysterious and magical pursuit through the Victorian period, we’re taking a look at the mini-eras defined during the reign of Queen Victoria. 

Today we’re moving on from the Romantic era into the Grand era, which began with the sudden death of Prince Albert and was defined by advancements in technology, travel and ancient inspiration. Matthew and Alyce explain the ways of the world during this time period and recognisable elements found in jewellery from the U.K., some which have origins further afield. They of course have some trade tips to help you discover and date pieces for your own collection too. 

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

• Tragic changes in Queen Victoria’s life that started The Grand Period 
• The influence of technological advancements in light and travel 
• Worldly treasures brought home by explorers on The Grand Tour 
• Revivals inspired by a fascination ancient world discoveries
• More availability and innovation for diamonds, opals, silver and more 

MORE INFORMATION

Courtville Victorian Collection 

https://www.courtville.ie/victorian/

Gem Pursuit Fine Goldwork episode: 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6K3cvcs5J3pDjtsI3YFtDM?si=645389ef9a354277b 

Social Media

• IG - @CourtvilleAntiques
• FB - @Courtvilleantiques
• Tik Tok - @matthew.weldon    
• YouTube - @courtvilleantique
• Pinterest - @courtville

QUOTES

The most unexpected thing happens, which is the loss of her husband, Prince Albert in 1861. It was a huge shock to the whole family, but in particular to Victoria, who I believe never really recovered from this. - Alyce Ketcher 

What fascinated me about what was going on at this time period was the rate of technological change. - Matthew Weldon 

All of these items, we still see them today, so they are beloved pieces and souvenirs that were collected during The Grand Tour and would have had sentimental value. - Alyce Ketcher 

At this time period, people were super interested, even obsessed, with the ancient world. And there was lots of archaeological finds as well, which spurred this even further. - Matthew Weldon 

KEYWORDS

#jewellery #queenvictoria #victorian #diamonds #victorianperiod #grandtour #silver