Victorian hair jewelry: bracelets and rings woven from the dead

Mourning jewelry, mid-19th century, American, gold, glass, hair, Gift of Miriam W. Coletti, 1993 (Object Number: 1993.423.16)

Victorian hair jewelry, like the ones in these photos, was one of those old traditions that feels both beautiful and maybe a little eerie today. At the time, though, it was considered deeply sentimental and romantic. Hair didn’t d…