Now all but forgotten, the art of wearing mourning jewelry was once a common practice for hundreds of years. Popular in the time before photography, mourning jewelry was created to serve as a keepsake to remember a lost loved one. 

Many pieces would include a lock of the deceased's hair or, later, their photograph. 

During the 19th century, there was a strict mourning etiquette to guide the bereaved through the healing process. During the first two to three years of the "deep mourning" period, Victorian mourning jewelry was dark in color -- usually black. As one moved through the bereavement process, one's jewelry would change color to represent the different stages of grief.

This exquisite locket is covered in a vibrant shade of blue enamel, which indicates that it was worn during the final stage of the mourning process, when colors were allowed to be integrated back into the wardrobe. It is set in a complimenting 14k yellow gold. 

The locket is inset with a simple five-pointed star outlined in black enamel and 14k gold. In the Victorian era, stars represented guidance for the spirit on a quest in the physical realm or to heaven in the afterlife. Positioned in the center of the star is a tiny seed pearl to symbolize that the original owner of the piece lost a child.

This sweet piece comes on a new gold filled chain.