Precious Black Jewels: The Bijou Material Culture of Black Victorians & Edwardians Paperback – December 31, 2025

For far too long, Black Victorians have been excluded from authentic representation within the decorative arts-especially antique jewelry. Despite enduring inaccurate stereotypes, they appeared in portraits wearing elegant adornments that reflected their individuality, taste, and sentimental symbolism. Precious Black Jewels: The Bijou Material Culture of Black Victorians & Edwardians celebrates their presence, using these portraits as living evidence of antique jewelry styles. Drawing from Tanzy A. Ward's personal archives and expertise as an antique jewelry historian, this volume invites readers to explore vivid, rarely seen images while gaining insight into 19th- and early 20th-century jewelry identification. Both visual and educational, it honors Black Americana bijou culture and reclaims its rightful place in the decorative arts narrative.Tanzy Ward is an antique dealer, historian, and author whose work integrates decorative arts and history education to preserve ancestral material culture. Her research focuses on representing the Black diaspora in antique jewelry and illuminating Black Victorian and Edwardian life. Her previous works include Hidden Legacies: African Presence in European Antiques (2020) and Unsung Portraits: Anonymous Images of Black Victorians and Early 20th Century Ancestors (2022). Her collaborations and featured work include the APEX Museum, Cherokee County History Center, Yale University Divinity School, and National Jeweler Magazine. Read more