One of the most attractive aspects of collecting jewelry is the connection to the past that each piece holds. Sometimes those associations are difficult to trace and even harder to imagine. But within a subcategory collectors have nicknamed “sweetheart jewelry,” the link to history is immediately evident and sometimes soul stirring.
If you haven’t heard of this type of jewelry before, the definition is endearing. Basically, sweetheart pieces are sentimental items that were worn by women waiting for the return of enlisted service men during wartime. Whether that special someone was a wife, girlfriend, or mother, many women owned and wore this expressive jewelry as a way to show support for their loved ones.
U.S. Navy sweetheart pin from World War II in sterling silver. Value: $30
Image courtesy RubyLane.com
Some pieces from World War I surface occasionally but these items that encompass nostalgia, sentimentality, and patriotism mainly date to the World War II era. Examples include brooches, bracelets, and necklaces made by major manufacturers like Trifari, Coro, Boucher, and Accessocraft that were sold in retail stores. Others were hand crafted by soldiers serving in the trenches as one type of “trench art,” and then shipped back home. Collectors of both jewelry and militaria seek all types of sweetheart jewelry items today.
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