Era: Victorian with Original Box Origin: English Material: 18k gold Gemstones: Cabochon Turquoise Dimensions: 7" length, 1" width of panels, book closed 1 3/8 x 1 1/8" Weight: 48.72 grams Circa: 1860
This cleverly conceived Victorian bracelet folds into a book with ornate chasing on the front, back and spine and a binding composed of turquoise cabochons. The blue of the turquoise is meant to evoke the petals of the forget me not, an important and oft used flower in Victorian era jewelry for obvious sentimental reasons. The gold book expands into a 7" bracelet with exquisite openwork panels that spell out the word "Souvenir". The idea of the souvenir really came into being during the Victorian era, people were moving about the world with greater ease and collecting mementos as they went. Although this bracelet forms the word "souvenir", the meaning of this bracelet is a little different than what we typically think of when we talk about souvenirs. It's helpful to think of it in terms of its French translation of "memory", this wonderful piece would have been given as a love token to commemorate an important event or day in the life of two intimates.
