The Brooch that provided a clue

This brooch in the photo on display represents a clue within my mystery plot for book 3, The Brooch from Chihuahua. Actual historical woman, Sarah Addis, wore a similar brooch.

My brooch is an authentic Civil War Immortelle from the 1860s. However, I don’t know whose hair it contains.

Human hair jewelry known as immortelles refers to Victorian-era mourning jewelry and sentimental keepsakes crafted from human hair. Although primarily used for mourning in the 19th century to keep a part of a deceased loved one present. It was also exchanged between living friends and family as a token of affection or to represent a bond.

Skilled artisans—and often women at home—would braid, weave, knot, and curl the hair into intricate designs. Sometimes they would treat the hair by boiling it in sugar to make it more manageable. The hair was then fashioned into brooches, necklaces, bracelets, rings, and watch fobs. It was frequently placed under glass in lockets or, in more elaborate examples, shaped into 3D flowers or wreaths.

Hair represented a physical part of the person, serving as a “memento mori” (a reminder of death) or a symbol of immortality. In the Victorian era, gifting an immortelle was a highly valued, respectable way to express love and grief.