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Titanic Jewelry Collection
Published: January 2012
For four magical days, the Titanic’s elite passengers reveled in every modern luxury known at the time. During the early part of the 20th century, it was considered quite sophisticated for wealthy families to spend portions of their time in Europe which meant crossing the Atlantic at least once per year. Even to these jaded travelers, the Titanic ship was like no other. Not only was it the most impressive ship of its time draped in every luxury imaginable but so were its passengers.
The women of the Titanic would plan for months to bring the right fashionable apparel aboard such a luxurious ship. Along with extensive outfit planning came accessorizing: large hats, mink stoles, gloves and of course, the jewelry. Jewelry of that time was depictive of the Art Nouveau and Edwardian eras. Art Nouveau jewelry was influenced by naturalism involving unusual designs within a symmetrical frame often encompassing foliage, leaves, enamel, pearls, crystals and gemstones. Edwardian designs included more formal jewelry: tiaras, brooches, rings, pendants, earrings, bracelets and sautoir necklaces. Many were set with brilliant gemstones, including diamonds, crystals and of course, pearl.
Join JTV as we embark upon a journey of adventure and elegance and mark the 100th year of the Titanic’s maiden voyage. Shop the Collection
Meet the women of the Titanic
| Alice Fortune | |
Miss Alice Elizabeth Fortune was 24 when she boarded the Titanic as a first class passenger in Southampton, England. She was born May 10, 1887, and was the daughter of Mark and Mary Fortune. She had been invited on a grand tour of Europe with her parents, two sisters and her brother. Just two months before she departed on the Titanic, while sitting on the veranda of a hotel in Cairo, Egypt, she was approached by a fortune teller who warned her “you are in danger every time you travel on the sea, for I see you adrift in an open boat…. you will lose everything but your life.“ Alice gave the man some money, and he disappeared in the crowd. Alice returned to her home in Manitoba, Canada and married Charles Holden Allen just two months later.
Buy Alice's Cascading Chandelier Necklace |
 Photo Credit: Alan Hustak |
| Margaret "Molly" Brown | |
Margaret was an American socialite, philanthropist and activist who help others into Lifeboat No. 6 after the Titanic struck the iceberg. She was eventually forced to board the lifeboat herself, and then urged the crew to return to look for other survivors. She became known as “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.” Her fame as a survivor helped her promote issues close to her heart - - workers and women’s rights, children’s education and literacy, and the well being of Titanic survivors.
Buy Margaret's Socialite Chandelier Necklace |
 Photo Credit: Denver Public Library, Western History/Genealogy |
| Ida Straus | |
Ida Straus was born February 6, 1849 in Germany. She was married to Isidor Strauss, a German-American businessman and co-owner of Macy's department store. Ida and her husband wintered in Cap Martin, a small resort in the Riviera, then traveled to the Holy Land and spent time in Jerusalem. This couple always traveled together, but on occasion Mr. Straus would travel alone on business. While he was away, the couple often exchanged letters daily. They had seven children together. On April 10, 1912, Ida and Isidor boarded the Titanic from Southampton with their maid Miss Ellen Bird and manservant John Farthing. Isidor and Ida Straus were seen standing near Lifeboat No. 8 in the company of Mrs. Straus's maid, Ellen Bird. Although the officer in charge of the lifeboat was willing to allow the elderly couple to board the lifeboat with Miss Bird, Isidor Straus refused to go as long as there were women and children still remaining on the ship. He urged his wife to board, but she refused, saying, "We have lived together for many years. Where you go, I go." Her words were witnessed by those already in Lifeboat No. 8 as well as many others who were on the boat deck at the time. Once Ida made this decision she gave her fur coat to her maid Miss Bird and the couple truly in love was last seen alive sitting together quietly on deck chairs on Titanic's boat deck.
Buy Ida's Precious Pearl Brooch |
 Photo Credit: Straus Historical Society |
| Marian Thayer | |
Marian Thayer was born November 9, 1872 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She married John Thayer, vice president of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Marian and John traveled to Europe to reunite with their 17-year-old son, Jack Thayer. On April 10, 1912, they boarded the Titanic in Cherbourg, France with Jack and their maid Miss Fleming. While on board they met their friends George and Eleanor Widener and attended the private dinner party with other distinguished guests including Captain Edward J. Smith. The family was preparing for bed when the collision occurred. Jack went up immediately to wake his parents, who accompanied him back to the port side of the ship. Noticing that the Titanic was developing a list to port, they returned to their rooms and put on warmer clothes and life vests. They returned to the deck, but Jack lost sight of his parents and after searching for them, assumed they had boarded a lifeboat. Jack soon encountered Milton Long, a fellow passenger he had met hours before over coffee. Both Milton and Jack tried to board a lifeboat but were denied because they were men. Eventually, as the ship was sinking quickly, the two men decided to jump and attempt to swim to safety. Milton went first; it was the last time Jack ever saw him. Once in the water, Jack reached an improperly launched and overturned collapsible lifeboat, on which he and a number of other men were able to balance for some hours. After spending the night on the overturned collapsible, Jack was picked up by Lifeboat 12. He was so distraught and freezing that he did not notice his mother in nearby Lifeboat 4, nor did she notice him. Lifeboat 12 finally made its way to the rescue ship and upon their reunion Marian asked her son 'Where's daddy?' and Jack answered 'I don't know, mother.' After they disembarked from the Carpathia Marian, Jack and Margaret Fleming made their way to Jersey City, NJ where they boarded a private train back to Haverford.
Buy Marian's Medallion Necklace |
 Photo Credit: Randy Bryan Bigham |
| Dorothy Gibson | |
Dorothy Gibson was a first class passenger who boarded the Titanic in France at the age of 22. Dorothy Winifred Brown Gibson was a well-known movie star in 1912. She lived in Hoboken, New Jersey before she was "discovered." Dorothy worked as a singer and dancer in a number of Broadway musicals and got even more attention as the original "Harrison Fisher Girl." Her face appeared on everything from magazine covers and postcards to several kinds of merchandise. Dorothy Gibson would likely bow and accept this beautiful rose as her standing ovation.
Buy Dorothy's Broadway Rose Brooch with Red and White Crystals |
 Photo Credit: Randy Bryan Bigham |
| Madeleine Talmage Force Astor | |
Madeleine Talmage Force Astor was quite the charmer! She and her husband were the most talked about couple on the Titanic, not because he was the richest man aboard or because Madeleine was a year younger than his 19-year-old son or because he was more than twice her age. People had always talked about everything John Jacob Astor IV did just because of who he was, which is why Madeleine planned for weeks preparing for their extravagant trip and why she knew everyone would be anxious to see what jewels she would be wearing! You can almost hear the gasps from the ladies wishing they could look just like Madeleine Astor...the Titanic Princess.
Buy the Madeleine Edwardian Necklace |
 Photo Credit: Cedar Bay Entertainment LLC |
| Lady Duff Gordon | |
Lady Duff Gordon boarded the Titanic incognito to avoid those wretched photographers awaiting her arrival in New York. Of course, if you were as famous as she was, you must expect such intrusions. Lucy, Lady Duff Gordon, was an international superstar known for her couture fashion designs. But it wasn't always that way. Lady Duff was practically penniless until her skill as a seamstress helped her raise enough money to open Maison Lucile in a ritzy part of London. She also attracted the attention of Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon. They married and he introduced her to the society of European royals. That is exactly why you might have seen Lady Duff Gordon adorned in this Couture Cameo Collection, which is perfect for fashion forward ladies of style.
Buy Lady Duff Gordon's Couture Cameo Necklace |
 Photo credit: Randy Bryan Bigham |
| Lucile Carter | |
Lucile Carter, wife of William Carter of the Philadelphia Carters, was one of the most prominent families in the city. "Billy" and her two children were returning to the states with her maid, Mr. Carter's manservant, his chauffeur and a brand new Renault automobile. Of course, they never went anywhere without their beloved Airedale and King Charles Spaniel. Everything she had heard about this magnificent ship was true. Lucile was especially enamored with the Grand Staircase because it provided her the opportunity to make a dramatic entrance into the first-class saloon. She knew that the internationally famous couturier, Lady Duff-Gordon, was on the Titanic and wagered that half of the women in first class would be wearing her gowns. Lucile wondered what she would be wearing. And of course, could not out shine her! Lucile may have pictured herself wearing the most dramatic item of all...the Lucile Carter Nobel Heart Necklace. Lucile may have pictured herself wearing the most dramatic item of all...the Lucile Carter Nobel Heart Necklace.
Buy Lucile's Nobel Heart Necklace |
 Photo Credit: Craig Sopin Collection |
| Edith Rosenbaum | |
Edith Rosenbaum was a journalist and had been reporting on French fashions until she decided to return to the states. The Titanic was the obvious transportation choice. Edith posted a letter in Queenstown, Ireland, describing Titanic as "the most wonderful boat you could think of. To say that it is wonderful is unquestionable, but not the cozy ship-board feeling of former years. She is new, it’s her maiden voyage and she is the talk of the world." During the voyage, Edith could have been pictured wearing the latest in fashion trends, including this long, elegant chandelier style necklace.
Buy Edith's Chandelier Necklace |
 Photo Credit: Stanley & Laurel Lehrer Collection |
| Helene Baxter | |
Helene Baxter was a descendant of the fabled French-Canadian heroine, Madeleine de Vercheres. Helene reared three children who all spoke French. Her children were required to only speak English to their late father, the infamous "Diamond Jim" Baxter. Helene's husband built what might be described as Canada's first shopping mall. He also opened his own bank and many Canadians describe him as "the country's largest private banker and a philanthropist who devoted a large share of his wealth to improving outlying districts of Montreal." Her husband was a family man and took very good care of them. After he passed, Helene sold their mansion and department store and decided to take their daughter and her husband on the vacation of a lifetime. One of their vacation stops was a jaunt on the Titanic where they were happily ensconced in two of the Titanic's most expensive suites. And what may Helene be wearing aboard this glorious ship? This Cristaux Canary ring...in honor of her late husband, "Diamond Jim" Baxter.
Buy Helene's Cristaux Canary Ring |
 Photo Credit: Alan Hustak |
| Nellie Bessette | |
Nellie Bessette was a first class passenger aboard the Titanic. She was completely overwhelmed by the Titanic's size and could not wait to explore every inch of it. She was the personal maid to Mrs. Ella White who stayed in her cabin the entire voyage giving Nellie plenty of time to ramble around the ship. Mrs. White was only 59 years old but was so physically out of shape that it took both her manservant and Nellie to get her to the ship’s deck. Because she had taken such excellent care of Mrs. White, this ring may have been a gift to her...the Guardian ring.
Buy Nellie's Guardian Ring |
 Photo Credit: Cedar Bay Entertainment LLC |
| Genevieve Cassebeer | |
Genevieve Cassebeer was of New York City and sometimes Paris. She traveled solo and was quite comfortable looking out for herself. You see, Mr. Cassebeer and Genevieve grew apart and instead of divorcing they agreed to a marriage of convenience, an arrangement the French describe as tres sophistique...very sophisticated. Fact is, she got married as a teenager and had a son. Their marriage was brief and eventually ended in divorce and a second marital strike-out was simply out of the question for her. Genevieve was used to traveling alone and may wear the Cercle de la Vie (meaning “Circle of Life” in French) as a symbol of her independence and “such is life” attitude.
Buy Genevieve's Cercle de la Vie Necklace |
 Photo Credit: Cedar Bay Entertainment LLC |
| Eleanor Widener | |
Eleanor Widener was a first class passenger of the Titanic. Eleanor and her husband weren't the richest passengers on board--that honor went to John Jacob Astor--but were not far behind. Her husband was the heir to the largest fortune in Philadelphia and with that comes a certain social responsibility. Consequently, they were very well-known for their lavish parties and their enviable guest lists. Once aboard the Titanic, they made it a point to meet the right people and invite them to their private parties. Speaking of being social...you might find Eleanor wearing this social butterfly brooch while waiting to chat with her fellow passengers.
Buy Eleanor's Social Butterfly Brooch |
 Photo Credit: Cedar Bay Entertainment LLC |
| Irene Harris | |
You could say show business was Irene Harris' life. She lived and breathed it every single day. She was the wife of Henry Harris, one of New York City's most powerful and talented theatrical impresarios. Henry built the famous Hudson Theatre on Broadway and managed the careers of a number of legendary actors and actresses. They shared a wonderful world of glamour, sophistication, wealth and privilege and were absolutely in their element aboard the Titanic. Imagine Irene wearing the Cabaret Collection on opening night or coming down the grand staircase of the glorious Titanic.
Shop Irene's Cabaret Collection |
 Photo Credit: Randy Bryan Bigham |
| Constance Willard | |
A young woman traveling alone on a mighty ship like the Titanic is certain to raise eyebrows, but Constance Willard couldn't care less. She was a headstrong, liberated and fearless lady. Actually, she was not totally alone on the voyage. Her dear aunt persuaded the very wealthy William and Lucile Carter to keep an eye on her during the voyage. Avant-garde, radical, unconventional and forward-thinking were adjectives that best described Constance. You could most likely see her wearing this bold style (which she would have inevitably purchase for herself) as she entered the first class reception area to greet the Carters’ and their other high society friends.
Buy Constance's Avant-garde ring |
 Photo Credit: Cedar Bay Entertainment LLC |
| Elisabeth Walton Allen | |
People said the Titanic was the largest, most elegant ship afloat, but Elisabeth Walton Allen, age 29 from Missouri, had to see it for herself. One day at sea was all it took to make Elisabeth a believer! Elisabeth had crossed the ocean a time or two before but never as glamorously as that. She was on board with her aunt and cousin after spending the winter in England. Elisabeth and her relatives were returning to St. Louis where her fiance was waiting for her. Elisabeth could certainly be known as an upcoming “newbie” to the socialite arena, which is precisely why she may have been wearing the Ingenue Earrings.
Buy Elisabeth's Ingenue Earrings |
 Photo Credit: Michael Poirier |
| Emily Ryerson | |
| Emily Borie Ryerson of Haverford, Pennsylvania was vacationing with her husband, Arthur and three of her five children in Europe. While on vacation, she received a telegraph that her 21-year-old son, Arthur Jr. was killed a car crash back home. Emily completely fell apart, but her maid, Victorine, her youngest son’s governess was a godsend who cared for the children while her husband arranged passage about Titanic. She seldom left her cabin after boarding. Emily was quoted, “Nothing mattered, and no amount of money could have bought us peace or comfort. Had we been able to sell the expensive properties we owned in Chicago, Philadelphia and Otsego Lake, the sum would never have been enough to buy back our dear son’s life.”
You may have seen Emily grasping onto this necklace as she heard the news of her beloved son Arthur Jr. After her extended vacation, Emily was quite the socialite and did eventually begin to resume her former position of one of Chicago’s more delightful society leaders and hostesses. She endowed a scholarship in her son’s name to young men of promise, was appointed by President Herbert Hoover to work on American Fund for the French wounded during World War I and also traveled with the president on his goodwill tour of South America. While living in Chicago, Emily returned to her “roots” of being an artist of much promise and now plans taking up work in this line again. She has leased the studio on Pearson Street, occupied until last spring by Mrs. Marshall Clark, and will devote herself to metal work and jewel setting. Along with her roots of jewelry making was travel. During a trip to the Orient, Emily met her second husband in Peking. She married Forsythe Sherfesee and lived in a villa on the French Riviera. You may have seen her touring along the French Riviera while wearing this French inspired ring. Buy Emily's Crystal Cross Necklace |
 Photo Credit: Cedar Bay Entertainment Collection |
| Annie Stengel | |
| Annie Stengel was a first class passenger aboard the Titanic. She and her husband loved to travel and had been vacationing for a month in Europe. The couple had the ability to travel because Charles Stengel was principal of the leather-manufacturing firm Stengel & Rothschild. A very profitable business Mrs. Stengel would say. The Titanic experience was like an extension of their European trip; because each day was filled with fine dining, live concerts, cocktail parties and interesting people. That evening the couple retired around 10pm, within minutes they were making a dash for the lifeboats, Annie in her kimono over her nightdress and Charles not fully dressed either. The couple was separated and Annie was placed in a lifeboat without her husband. Just when she sat down, a man leapt into the boat on top of her, cracking some ribs. She said the pain was awful but the agony of possibly losing her husband was far more excruciating. During the many cocktail parties you may have seen Annie wearing this exquisite necklace and it almost resembles the black leather from her husbands notable company. Buy Annie's Cocktail Necklace |
 Photo Credit: Brian Hawley Collection |
In April 2012, the world marks the 100th Anniversary of the Titanic’s maiden voyage.
There will be global attention on this historic event.
JTV and the Titanic Museum will celebrate this anniversary with an exclusive jewelry collection found only on JTV and JTV.com
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