An early nineteenth century sentimental watch chain, comprised of woven brown hair with 14k gold end caps decorated with acanthus leaves, featuring a delicate anchor also made of hair with gold accents and a gold watch key, 12.5 in long, 8 grams, circa 1830. 

A long tradition of jewelry containing or made entirely of hair dates back to the eighteenth century. It is a common misconception that jewelry featuring locks of hair was entirely made for mourning purposes, when in fact hair jewels were commonly given as love tokens, familial reminders, or promises of friendship. This sentimental jewelry comes in a huge variety of forms from brooches and rings featuring braided locks of hair to bracelets, necklaces, and earrings made entirely of elaborately woven strands. The wonderful variations in color and style makes for an endless array of objects for the modern collector.