Condition: 2831 is perfect; 2832 has a chip on the tip of one finger
Year: 1850-70
Price: sold
Description: These Victorian mourning brooches were made from vulcanite; a by-product of rubber. During the Victorian era, mourning jewelry was in high demand and the "discovery" that vulcanite could be used to make jewelry was an important development for the jewelry industry. It was a light weight, inexpensive material that could be used to replace Whitby jet, which was difficult to work with, costly and in very short supply.
