Love in the Time of War: Sweetheart Jewelry

Sweet Heart Jewelry

This locket with jump wings of a paratrooper belonged to my grandmother. It was a gift from my grandfather during WWII. It falls into the category of “Sweetheart Jewelry”. During the war men would buy pieces of machine made jewelry while they were abroad to send home. However, there were some pierces made by the men themselves and this is often considered trench art. This sending home tokens of affection tradition, started during the first world world war and continued into the second. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, patriotism was at a high and what better way to show that patriotism than displaying the love for your beau, brother or son? .There were many pieces that included the word Mother and would have a star for each son serving. The jewelry often had emblems of their branch and other elements that would represent her soldier. This jewelry came in the form of broaches necklaces and bracelets. Materials were limited as everything was going into production for for the war effort, so the jewelry was made of silver and organic materials like the mother of pearl on this locket or even wood!

I hate to seem as if I’m romanticizing the war. There is nothing romantic about Hell. But the love letter that accompanied this locket, finger waves, men in uniform and pop culture still has me sighing, “How romantic!” when I look at the photos and think about the history of pieces like mine.

I love this locket so much, from the beautiful mother of pearl to the handsome photo of my grandfather inside. The history and the sentiment make this priceless to me. I’m so proud to wear this.

Want to see more Sweetheart Jewelry?

https://www.etsy.com/search?q=wwii%20sweetheart%20jewelry&ref=auto2&as_prefix=wwii%20sweet

More info?

https://www.thespruce.com/sweetheart-jewelry-from-world-wars-148937

https://www.collectorsweekly.com/costume-jewelry/sweetheart

http://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/2014/02/the-fashion-patriotism-and-romance-of-world-war-ii-sweetheart-jewelry.html