RARE! 300 years old. Stuart Crystal

This piece of British history is one of my own personal treasures - some 300 years old.

This item: Dating to c.1710-1720, complete with its original red foil, swatch of brown hair, and gold cypher.

History of these pieces: King Charles I ascended to the English throne in 1625 following the death of his father, King James I. He was a member of the Stuart family, whose dynasty would span the years between 1603-1714. (Fun fact: Princess Diana was a descendant of this royal clan.)

England was headed to a civil war which finally broke out in 1642. After a bitter series of battles against the Parliamentarians and two more civil wars, the Royalist army was ultimately defeated and Charles was imprisoned. He was tried in court and beheaded for treason. His death shocked and fractured the nation.

Oliver Cromwell took over. Royalists endured serious oppression at his hands. During these times showing support for the monarch was dangerous, so Stuart supporters found ways to show allegiance to the Stuarts through ciphered writing, literature, cultural resistance, underground networks, and jewelry.

These jewelry items were originally aligned with support of the monarchy but, over time the style became more personal in nature. Later 17th century examples might not be related to Charles I at all. Different subject matter made of hair, gold cyphers, and colorful foil appeared under flat “Stuart crystal” with all sorts of other themes to celebrate a specific event. In general, a skull or skeleton + initials of the deceased = mourning jewelry.

The Charles I jewels were the first examples of mourning jewelry made to memorialize a specific individual. Before Stuart Crystal, Memento Mori jewelry had been popular. These skull / bones / gravedigger / skeleton themed pieces served to remind the wearer that death lurks around the corner, but in a more impersonal, universal way.

All in all, fascinating on so many levels.

RARE. Well-preserved condition, complete with its bright red foil, swatch of dark brown woven hair, and gold cypher still intact over beveled crystal. The initials represented by the gold wire cypher is hard to interpret, but appear to be "J.C." The initials are bordered by a simple gold wire.

This petite memorial jewel likely began its 300-year life as a button. Sometime around 1925, a previous owner added the silver pin finding you see here.

Measures 11mm x 11mm