Everyday Jewellery 1600-1850

Jewelry Discussion
1

Hi All!

Would anybody know of any reference works for the everyday and best
jewellery worn by middle-class people between 1600 and 1850 in
England and North America? Most things I’ve seen in books are the
super-expensive stuff the aristocracy wore. I’m after stuff I can
make for myself & friends for living history events and as prizes at
rendezvoux.

Andrea Willett
Australia

2

Andrea

Try looking at historical pictures of the period you are interested
in, history of jewelry is like history of music, you get the classics
that have survived for centuries but not what the common person wore
or listened to.

Also, any sketches that were done, a lot of times they pretty well
reproduced what people wore. Some of the early sketches of our
Plains Indians were surprising in how well they captured the detail
of the ‘jewelry’ when photos were introduced and taken of the same
types of adornment.

Terry

3

Hi Andrea,

In the UK there are books of detector finds to inform metal
detectorists. These are of all periods up to Victorian times and
show common pieces, after all,that is what was lost or thrown away by
the masses. I could find a couple of titles if you like. The good
thing about them is that they use photographs rather that
archaeologists drawings.

regards Tim Blades.

4 
Would anybody know of any reference works for the everyday and
best jewellery worn by middle-class people between 1600 and 1850 in
England and North America?

My area of study is in the pre 17th century eras, where there has
been a lot of recently released stuff on finds from the working and
middle classes from places like London and York; so I don’t have a
lot of early modern resources.

You could try Colonial Massachusetts Silversmiths and Jewlerers by
Patricia E. Kane
http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books/us/product/0894670778.htm

The bibliography in that one may give you some good leads.

Based on my medieval and renaissance sources, much the same forms
can be found in everyday jewelry, just in lesser metals and stones.
At least for the early modern era, you have a lot of portraiture to
work from, even of not so wealthy people.

You could also contact the people at Colonial Williamsburg
(Virginia, USA).

Ron Charlotte – Gainesville, FL

5

Have you done any research on “The Cheapside Hoard” It might be just
a bit earlier than your time frame.

Jim

6 
Have you done any research on "The Cheapside Hoard" It might be
just a bit earlier than your time frame.

Ah! That’s the one I was forgetting. The Cheapside Hoard is dated
from 1600-1640, and while it had some high end pieces, the bulk of
it was the sort of stuff lesser nobles and well to do merchants would
have bought.

Ron Charlotte – Gainesville, FL