Victorian garnet jewellery came to the fore during the reign of Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria came to the British throne in 1837 and jewellery from that period is classified by its inclusion of romance and nationalism. Jewellery was delicate and extremely decorative and used a wide variety of gemstones with the inclusion of garnets being one of the firm favourites in Victorian jewellery.

It was Queen Victoria herself who made prevalent the idea of mourning jewellery. This came in many guises, such as bracelets, brooches and rings. They were usually decorated with enamel and gemstones and sometimes even contained a lock of hair of the deceased. In Victorian society both men and women in positions of power displayed their wealth and status by sporting functional jewellery.
Courtship rings also became popular with couples during this period. All of these types of Victorian jewellery are proving to be a firm favourite with collectors worldwide.

There were many different styles and types of mourning jewellery and each piece had to befit the occasion. The Victorian era also saw the introduction of the Dearest Ring. It is so called as it is made up from the initials of the stones used; diamond, emerald, amethyst, ruby, emerald, sapphire and topaz. Garnets were also a popular choice due to their deep red colour. Garnets are manufactured in other colours, however, during the Victorian era the deep red was the dominant colour. Garnets have stood the test of time and are still popular in jewellery today. That fact that they come in several different colours only adds to their appeal.