New Book Illuminates the Rich Jewelry Heritage of Black Victorians and Edwardians

Uncovering a Neglected History

Historian, antique dealer, and preservationist Tanzy Ward is shedding light on a vital yet often overlooked aspect of American history with her latest book, Precious Black Jewels: The Bijou Material Culture of Black Victorians & Edwardians. The forthcoming publication aims to integrate Black individuals into the narrative of antique jewelry, correcting historical omissions and challenging inaccurate stereotypes.

Ward, who also authored Hidden Legacies: African Presence in European Antiques and Unsung Portraits: Anonymous Images of Black Victorians & Early 20th Century Ancestors, noticed a significant gap in antique jewelry catalogs and historical accounts. Her extensive experience with antique jewelry led her to observe the scarcity of Black representation, particularly of Black Victorians and their distinct styles.

“Despite enduring inaccurate caricatures and stereotypes, they appeared for portraits in elegant adornments that reflected their individuality, taste, and sentimental symbolism,” Ward stated in her synopsis. She believes her book offers an opportunity to not only identify antique jewelry but also to emphasize Black Victorian material culture.

A Glimpse Through Portraits

Precious Black Jewels delves into the bijou material culture of Black individuals from 1837 to 1910. The book utilizes portraits from Ward’s personal archive, the Tanzy A. Ward Antique Photography Collection, to offer readers an authentic look at the jewelry worn by Black Victorians and Edwardians. These images showcase a diverse range of personal styles, from understated pieces to layered accessories, all reflecting an unparalleled sense of poise, elegance, and dignity.

“When I started collecting and preserving Black ancestral photos, I noticed there were so many beautiful photos where our Black ancestors had beautiful jewelry,” Ward shared. “They had good quality jewelry in that era. It was an era of high craftsmanship and Black Victorians were definitely a part of that.”

The book places a special emphasis on photographic jewelry—brooches, pins, and other portrait pieces featuring Black ancestors. It also dedicates an entire chapter to memento jewelry, exploring the symbolic ways Black communities honored their loved ones during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. This includes mourning jewelry, keepsake pieces, sweetheart bracelets, photographic brooches, and scarf pins, mirroring the traditions embraced by their contemporaries across racial lines.

Preserving and Representing Material Culture

Ward’s research highlights that Black individuals of the era embraced the same sentimental jewelry traditions as others, creating keepsakes to honor loved ones. Popular styles like mourning jewelry, memento mori pieces, and photographic pins were widely adopted. The book also features other forms of antique jewelry, including:

• Lovely scarf pins
• Prince Albert chains
• Watch fobs in various styles
• Intricately designed necklaces
• Delicate earrings

The work seeks to provide accurate Black Americana by using vivid, original antique portraits to illustrate historical jewelry looks for identification and reference. Ward stresses the importance of primary sources and the role of gatekeepers in preserving ancestral material culture and stories.

“Each generation should have a gatekeeper to make sure that we preserve our ancestral material culture and stories,” she said. “The research starts in the field at home with people and their collection and their stories, because that’s how historians get their information.”

A Legacy of Elegance

Ward, who is also the founder of Zanathia Jewelry, an online antique jewelry store and educational platform, believes that the material culture left behind by Black ancestors deserves to be studied and thoughtfully represented. She points to the influence of popular culture, such as the Netflix series Bridgerton, in sparking wider interest in Black historical narratives, which can, in turn, lead to greater appreciation for Black Victorian material culture.

Precious Black Jewels: The Bijou Material Culture of Black Victorians & Edwardians is scheduled for release in January 2026. The books retail between $35 and $38 and are available for purchase on the Zanathia Jewelry website.