Lover's Eye Jewelry

Lover's Eye Jewelry Pendant

Recently a friend of mine's husband asked if I had ever thought about making "Lover's Eye Jewelry."  My answer was, "No" since I actually had never heard of this particular design.  I was none the less curious so set out researching a bit and became fascinated with this unique type of design.

Lover's eye jewelry was popular during the late 1700's and early 1800's.  Usually these designs were miniature portraits of the eye of a loved one framed within a brooch or stick pin setting.  Many of these settings were ornate and elaborately framed with jewels such as pearls and even diamonds.  

There is some controversy over the origins of this design.  Some say they represented the eye of a secret lover, showing only the eye rather than the whole face - thereby keeping secret the actual identity of the lover.  Others contend the eye was one of a dearly departed loved one, keeping the loved one close to the heart and worn as "mourning jewelry."   One thing for certain is that original antique pieces from this era are often highly valuable and often sell for up to $6000 or more.

I thought it might be fun to experiment with creating my own version of Lover's Eye Jewelry. Though not as valuable as an original from the past, here is my first finished design:

In case you are wondering whose eye this is, it is mine.

To see images of original antique Lover's Eye Jewelry from the past, click here.

References/Links:
http://www.georgianjewelry.com/reference/helpful_terms

http://www.janeausten.co.uk/magazine/page.ihtml?pid=202&step=4