The Lovers Eye

Pamela Tuohy Jewelry is designed and created by Pamela Tuohy-Novinsky and artist Edward Novinsky...an artistic match made in heaven! I'm particularly crazy about these gorgeous one-of-a-kind 'Lovers Eye' peices!



Portrait miniatures were the photographs of their day, and were tiny paintings of family, loved ones and of those departed and were usually extremely personal remembrances often set in jewelry and worn close to the person. Miniature portraits of just an eye were often refered to as a "lover's eye". In this case they focused on only the eye, often represented with eyebrow and lashes. A wisp of hair, the suggestion of sideburn or the bridge of a nose would hint at the owner's identity but never reveal it. These were often exchanged in secrecy between lovers involved in a love affair of the clandestine variety. The anonymous eye portrayed emotions such as Bliss, Envy, Serenity and Passion. (The eye after all, is said to be the window to the soul!) In the 18th century, if you couldn't afford ivory, you could commission less expensive paintings on vellum, a paper thicker than parchment. The tiny painting was then placed in a gold or silver setting, wreathed with jewels and sometimes with hair under crystal or glass on the reverse. The jewels chosen for the setting were symbolic too. For example, a wreath of garnet and turquoise pansies with pearls...the pansy is a pun meaning “think of me” from the French word pensée. The turquoise, owing to its color, was symbolic of the flower “forget-me-not,” and the pearls symbolized tears. Pamela Tuohy's Lovers Eyes are as captivating, evocative and romantic as the ones created during 18th century!