wearing – Art of Mourning

Mourning Jewels: How They Were Worn, Part 1

Full-length portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-87), standing in mourning costume, with the Royal Arms of Scotland behind; she holds a crucifix in her right hand, a prayer-book in her left, and wears a cross and rosary; behind her are her two ladies; left a scene of her execution

A question as simple as ‘how was a jewel worn?’ leads to the most complex of answers. The narrative of mourning and sentimental jewellery in the modern age is intrinsically interwoven with the growth of industry and newfound access to wealth , along with the emergence of newly-mobile social class. Fashion is rarely, if ever, adopted arbitrarily. The purpose… Continue reading Mourning Jewels: How They Were Worn, Part 1

Finding The Right Piece to Wear

I don’t really wear anything that I buy, which sometimes gets me down. You’d think that for someone who spends most of their money and passion on old jewellery (something meant to be worn), that I’d get more pleasure out of it than just photographing it and talking about it. It may surprise you to… Continue reading Finding The Right Piece to Wear

Wearing Hair

Wearing hair isn’t something that I would recommend as a daily habit. My only caveat for that is that if the hair is worn as a memento, under glass or protected in some way. Why, I hear you ask? Well, if you want to keep that antique hair supple and lasting another 100 years, you’d… Continue reading Wearing Hair