The Widow's Tear Brooch

An ornate black teardrop crystal brooch framed in antiqued silver, inspired by Victorian mourning jewelry, sentimental keepsakes, and the beauty found in remembrance.

Curator's Note

In the nineteenth century, jewelry could speak when words could not.

Mourning ornaments transformed grief, memory, and devotion into objects that could be carried close to the body. Black stones, lockets, brooches, and sentimental motifs became part of an elaborate visual language of remembrance.

The Widow's Tear Brooch draws upon that tradition with a dramatic black teardrop crystal surrounded by an ornate antiqued silver frame. Its dark center catches the light rather than disappearing into it, giving the piece the quiet drama of an heirloom discovered at the bottom of an old jewelry box.

Pinned at the throat of a high-necked blouse, fastened to a velvet jacket, or worn on a scarf or lapel, it brings a distinctly Victorian sensibility to a modern wardrobe.

Selected for Curated Adornments, it reflects House of Moonlight's fascination with the objects we use to remember, adorn, and tell our stories.

Inspired By

• Victorian mourning jewelry
• Nineteenth-century sentimental adornment
• Antique jet jewelry
• Mourning dress
• Keepsakes and remembrance
• Faded portraits and old jewelry boxes

Details

• Black faceted teardrop crystal
• Ornate antiqued silver-tone frame
• Lead- and nickel-free silver-plated white metal casting
• Approximately 2½" long × 1⅞" wide
• Made in the USA
• Carefully selected for House of Moonlight's Curated Adornments collection

Style Notes

Fasten The Widow's Tear at the collar of a crisp white blouse, against black velvet, on the lapel of a tailored jacket, or at the center of a lace scarf. I especially like the idea of photographing it at the throat of one of your Victorian-inspired looks—it would immediately communicate the historical reference without looking costume-like.