Zelda Fitzgerald was quoted as saying, “Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the human heart can hold.” It’s a beautiful quote. However, in a different creative medium — jewelry — designers have used hearts in an array of styles and motifs to convey multiple meanings throughout history.
If we look back to Georgian and Victorian jewelry, hearts reflected specific sentiments and were rendered in a variety of shapes, from double-bowed hearts signifying “two hearts together as one” to the earlier witch’s heart, which first protected babies from evil and then went on to represent “bewitching a lover.” There were also crowned hearts for “love triumphant” and winged versions suggesting “protector of my heart,” to name just a few.
Over the past few years, hearts have become one of the most popular motifs. Even women who weren’t fans have been wooed by designers revamping and rejuvenating hearts in styles that include feminine, bold, daring, edgy and chic.
by beth bernstein