One of the most romantic and sentimental pieces of jewelry, the locket has evolved through the years to become a meaningful and personal piece of jewelry to celebrate a mom on her birthday or Mother’s Day, a romantic partner, or even as a first jewelry gift. It’s the kind of keepsake that can be worn and loved today and passed down to the next generation to be loved some more as it chronicles a family or relationship story.
Let’s start by defining a locket. A locket is a small hinged case that opens to reveal an empty space to place very small objects — sometimes secretly. In today’s world lockets generally hold photos of loved ones. Lockets are frequently worn as necklaces, but they can also be found on bracelets and rings. Originally, lockets were worn by both men and women. Like many jewelry items, early lockets were highly labor intensive, decorated and embellished with engraving and gems, often as beautifully adorned on the back as the front, they were reserved for the aristocracy and the uber-wealthy because they were very expensive to make.
Lockets for Protection
Lockets are thought to have evolved from ancient amulets that held good luck charms. The evolution of lockets continued over the years and by the Middle Ages and Renaissance lockets were very popular items that were worn to ward off evil spirits. Lockets were also used to carry medicinal herbs — or sometimes poison. They also functioned as an air freshener. Cleanliness and hygiene in previous eras was not what it is today and streets often had a foul odor. Those fortunate enough to own a locket doused a teeny piece of fabric in perfume and tucked it inside the case, which often had piercings, to allow the fragrance to waft out as they walked through town.
Queen Victoria’s Lockets
Lockets continued to gain popularity in Europe and while they promised romantic or familial love, they also became associated with mourning jewelry. The jewel hit the height of its popularity during the Victorian era, when lockets commonly held a lock of hair or even ashes of a deceased loved one, a way of holding those near and dear close. This of course had to do with Queen Victoria wearing lockets and as Queen she was the ultimate trendsetter. Prince Albert gifted Victoria a bracelet with eight lockets, one for each of their children, with each locket holding a lock of the child’s hair. When Albert died, Victoria donned a locket with his portrait and a lock of his hair.
Lockets For All
It was also during the Victorian era that lockets became more obtainable to the general public. The industrial revolution made it possible to mass manufacture lockets, making them less expensive and accessible to more people. Photography was also becoming available in the early to mid 1800s and photos began to replace hair and miniature painted portraits inside the case. Glass lockets also became popular, showing off what was inside the locket — dried flowers were a popular item.
There was another surge in popularity of lockets during World War I (1914-1918) when soldiers gave their sweethearts and other loved ones a locket with their picture as a reminder to wait for them. Conversely, those left behind gave lockets to soldiers to wear so they could keep their loved ones close even though they were far away. It was a tradition that had been followed years earlier during the American Civil War and was revived again during World War II.
Today, lockets are a treasured jewel that is worn as a token of love, keeping photos of family, lovers, or even beloved pets close to our hearts.
Featured image (top of page): Victorian old-mine cut diamond, seed pearl and 18-karat gold locket.
First: French Victorian era diamond, natural pearl, silver and 18-karat gold locket; Second: Victorian diamond, 18-karat gold and blue enamel locket; Third: Victorian diamond, sapphire, 18-karat gold and enamel locket; Fourth: French Victorian era diamond, ruby and 18-karat gold locket.
Authored by Amber Michelle