Black Glass Mourning Bracelet with Purple Medallion

Victorian Early / Crinoline · 1850s · French

A rigid mourning bracelet featuring a central oval medallion set within a border of clear paste stones. The medallion displays a purple glass ground with an intricate gold serpentine or rope motif executed in small beads or applied decoration. The bracelet band is black, likely jet glass or similar mourning material. The construction demonstrates mid-Victorian jewelry techniques with foiled glass stones creating brilliant reflections around the perimeter. The serpentine motif may represent eternal bonds or memory, common in mourning jewelry symbolism. The piece exemplifies the Victorian fascination with elaborate mourning accessories that combined somber materials with decorative richness.