The History of Suffragette Jewelry

The Art Nouveau era was a relatively short period (c. 1895-1910) that produced some of the most unique, creative, and even risqué jewelry of all time.

Suffragette jewelry refers to jewelry worn by the suffragettes in the early 20th century.

In the early 1900s, women were still unable to vote.  In 1903, a political organization was formed, called the Women's Social & Political Union (WSPU).  The WSPU's motto was "Deeds, Not Words".  This more aggressive, militant attitude differentiated the WSPU from women's rights groups before them.  The WSPU would disrupt political events, sometimes creating chaos to get their point across.  In 1906, these political activists were dubbed Suffragettes by the Daily Mail, which would quickly be a term they would embrace.  In 1908, Mrs. Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence wrote an article in the Votes For Women magazine that included the following quote:

"Purple as everyone knows is the royal colour, it stands for the royal blood that flows in the veins of every suffragette, the instinct of freedom and dignity...white stands for purity in private and public life...green is the colour of hope and the emblem of spring.  I wish I could impress on every mind as deeply as I feel myself the importance of popularising the colours in every way open to us."

Purple, white and green became the colors of the suffragette movement.  People would show their support for this new movement through fashion and jewelry.  Suffrage jewelry of the Art Nouveau and Edwardian eras were usually set with amethyst, pearl and peridot, and/or enamel.

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