Mourning jewelry reached the height of its popularity in the Victorian era, driven by Queen Victoria’s near-endless mourning for her husband Albert. There were several motifs used (weeping willow trees, urns) and human hair was often braided and included in lockets or pendants with a rock crystal back so the hair could be seen.

Perhaps inspired by the last two years of Covid, Ashley Zhang Jewelry has a complete mourning collection. Here, a lily of the valley necklace with your choice of black or white enamel. The site notes, “The Lily of the Valley Necklace is part of our Mourning Collection inspired by Georgian and Victorian era pieces of the past. The necklace is 16 inches in length, and features five gold Lily of the Valley flowers dangling from the chain. Lily of the Valleys were often used in mourning jewelry, as the flowers were seen as steps to heaven and a return to happiness. The flowers are lightweight and sit comfortably on the neck. They each feature a pear cut diamond with cold enamel painted around it. The mixture of the enamel and diamonds gives this piece a modern and chic feel. We love to wear this necklace alone as a statement piece, or layer it with other pieces from the collection and other personal favorites for a more is more look. Each necklace is custom hand-made to order in 3-4 weeks.”

The gold is 14k, and the diamonds total .35 in weight.

This is priced at USD$4,200.