Susan -
 
If you have time for some reading, most books on Victorian
jewellery will provide you with information on the use of hair
ornaments and their accessories during the period.  The most comprehensive
may be Shirley Bury's -Jewellery 1789-1910-, Volume II pp. 680-698.  It
was published by the Antique Collector's Club in 1991.  Bury is the former Keeper of
Metalwork at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
 
The incorporation of locks of hair in sentimental jewellery predates
the Victorian era.  During this period, however, such pieces enjoyed
great popularity, especially during the mourning for Prince Albert. Many
pieces were produced at home by women of artistic sensibilities.  Some firms' advertisements touted their honesty
in using the hair provided by their customers rather than hair from stock
which was more coarse and easier to manipulate.  Therefore, horse hair
rather than human hair was often used during this period.  The Industrial
Revolution played a part in the production of hair ornaments, as some
were machine plaited.  The Victorian taste for the exotic pops up in the
fad for elephant hair ornaments in the late 19th century.  Bury's section
on hair ornaments includes a depiction of the incorporation of false hair
pieces in styles of, I believe, the 1840s, and a second illustrating the
methods and tools used to produce hair ornaments.e
 
Bonni-Dara Michaels
Yeshiva University Museum, New York
[log in to unmask]