Here's a little excerpt about Victorian jewelry from a fascinating blog , Morning Glory Antiques, that I ran across while researching lockets!
"Early Victorian, Romantic Jewelry (1837-1850)
Like jewelry of the Georgian era, early Victorian era jewelry features nature-inspired designs. Frequently, these designs would be delicately and intricately etched into gold. Lockets and brooches were popular everyday jewelry during the early Victorian era whereas colored gemstones and diamonds were worn during the evening.
Mid-Victorian, Grand Jewelry (1860-1880)
Because the Grand or Mid-Victorian era corresponded with the death of Queen Victoria’s husband, many jewelry pieces have solemn, grave designs. Known as mourning jewelry, the pieces feature heavy, dark stones. Jet, onyx, amethyst, and garnet are frequently found in jewelry from this period. The jewelry also became especially creative during this period. More colorful designs were born featuring shells, mosaics and colorful gemstones.
Late Victorian, Aesthetic Jewelry (1885-1900)
During the Late Victorian or Aesthetic period, jewelers used diamonds and feminine, bright gemstones such as sapphire, peridot, and spinel. Star and crescent designs as well as elaborate hat pins were also popular."