Is snake jewelry bad luck?

Not in the tradition these pieces come from. In nineteenth century European jewelry the serpent stood for eternity, love and protection, which is why it was used for engagement and memorial pieces alike.

Are all serpent pieces Victorian?

No. The motif predates the Victorian period and has been revived many times since, including in Art Nouveau, in the 1960s and 70s and by modern houses. Hallmarks and construction date a piece, the motif does not.

Symbolism & meaning

Snake and serpent jewelry: meaning and history

The Victorian symbol of eternal love, and why Prince Albert put one on Victoria's finger.

Written by our in-house jewelry team · Updated August 7, 2026 · 6 min read

Victorian yellow gold locket and seed pearls on aged linen with old letters — Snake and serpent jewelry: meaning and history

In short

In nineteenth century jewelry a serpent swallowing its own tail, the ouroboros, stood for eternity and unending love, and a coiled serpent also carried older associations with wisdom and protection. The motif became widely fashionable in Britain and across Europe after Queen Victoria was given a serpent engagement ring by Prince Albert in 1839, and it stayed popular through the Victorian period and into Art Nouveau.

Nothing surprises American buyers more than how many snakes there are in Victorian jewelry. It is not sinister. In the nineteenth century the serpent was a romantic symbol, and one of the most common ways to say forever.

This page covers what the motif meant, the forms it takes, and how to look at a serpent piece without romanticizing its condition.

Shop the pieces: Victorian, curated and available now.

What the serpent meant

The ouroboros, a snake biting its own tail, is an ancient symbol of a cycle without end. Nineteenth century jewelers used it to mean eternal love and lasting memory, which is why it appears on both engagement rings and mourning jewelry.

A coiled or upright serpent, separate from the ouroboros, carried older associations with wisdom, healing and protection. As with all sentimental jewelry, meaning was personal: the same motif could be a love token in one household and a memorial in another.

Victoria and Albert

Queen Victoria received a serpent ring from Prince Albert on their engagement in 1839, set with her birthstone, an emerald. Her tastes were reported and copied across Europe and the motif spread quickly through the jewelry trade.

That is a documented royal association rather than the invention of the motif. Serpent jewelry existed well before 1839; the royal connection is why so much of what survives is Victorian.

The forms you will meet

Serpent rings wrap the finger once or several times, often with a gem-set head and cabochon or rose cut eyes. Serpent bracelets coil the wrist and are frequently articulated so the body moves. Serpent necklaces are usually a graduated articulated body with a locket compartment behind the head.

Art Nouveau took the motif somewhere else entirely around 1900: sinuous, plique-à-jour enameled, and often paired with a woman's face or a flowering vine.

Ouroboros ring or brooch: eternity
Coiled serpent bracelet: often articulated, look at every joint
Serpent locket necklace: check the glazed compartment and the hinge

Loose antique cut garnet, emerald, sapphire and diamond stones on a paper parcel — Symbolism & meaning — from the pieces and workshop notes behind this guide.

What to check on a serpent piece

Articulated bodies wear at the joints and at the pin connections. Open the piece out gently and look for a link that has been replaced in a different color of gold, and for stretch in the scales.

Enamel is the other pressure point. Chips and losses are common and can sometimes be restored, but a restored enamel surface is never invisible to a specialist. We photograph enamel damage closely rather than shooting around it.

Frequently asked questions

Is snake jewelry bad luck?: Not in the tradition these pieces come from. In nineteenth century European jewelry the serpent stood for eternity, love and protection, which is why it was used for engagement and memorial pieces alike.
Are all serpent pieces Victorian?: No. The motif predates the Victorian period and has been revived many times since, including in Art Nouveau, in the 1960s and 70s and by modern houses. Hallmarks and construction date a piece, the motif does not.

Written by our estate jewelry team and reviewed by our in-house gemologist. We have been buying and selling European antique jewelry since 1973.

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