Quatrefoil
Antique French mourning button in quatrefoil shape
gold gilt collar with black glass center
sterling plated pewter ring
The quatrefoil can represent good luck and the four corners of the earth
The Victorians had a mourning dress tradition which was simply a symbol for letting others know they had lost a loved one. Queen Victoria's mourning buttons were made from expensive jet, a petrified wood found in bogs outside London, not the typical black cloth covered button. To meet the fashion demand for a new affordable black button Paris began the production of 'French Jet', black glass buttons.
*always remove antique button rings before entering water*