Lavender Eye Set in 22k Gold w/ 7 White Sapphires 6 Australian Opals and a Pear Shaped Pink Tourmaline
Historians trace the beginnings of lovers eye jewelry to 1785, when a lovesick Prince George of Wales sent a miniature painting of his eye to Maria Anne Fitzherbert who, as a Catholic, could not become a monarch under royal law. The prince (illegally) married her anyway, although ultimately the union was later torn asunder by his father George III.
Popular through the 1830s , the eye portrait could be of a spouse or a lover , whose identity could be concealed since only a small part of the beloved’s visage was revealed. Often fashioned into brooches, rings, pendants or lockets, they could be worn close to the possessor’s heart.
Being obsessed with all things eye related, I have three of these in my collection, all featuring actual miniature oil paintings - each with a different color eye. Two of these are fairly traditional style lover’s eye pendants, which were often embellished with colored stones and pearls (the latter which sometimes signified tears for a departed subject) The last is a more modern take on the subject, in Argentium silver with gold accents and blue diamonds.
Please note that it may be possible to have a miniature eye painting commissioned from a photograph of your lover’s eye, with significant lead time. Please contact me if this possibility intrigues you!
