Article: Jet: coal's glamorous cousin.(GEM PROFILE)

Once upon a not-so-distant time, death marked as important an occasion to buy jewelry as Christmas or marriage. The end of days even had its own preferred gems and distinct genres, all of them suitable for what was known as mourning jewelry. In the 17th century, for instance, mourning jewelry made from or embellished with locks of hair was a fashion staple. When the style staged a comeback early in the 19th century, hair became more valuable than silver, notes Jeanenne Bell in her fascinating book, Collecting Victorian Jewelry.

At no time did mortality and artisanry mingle with more frequency and flair than during the Victorian era. Indeed, when Queen Victoria's ...

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