Perhaps no other piece of jewelry carries more mystery and allure than an antique locket, a charm with a locking compartment. Only the wearer knows what's secreted inside, but traditionally it's a memento so treasured the owner wants it near at all times. It could be a valuable, a token of love, or a memorial for a deceased loved one.

Lockets come in various shapes—mostly commonly circles, ovals, and hearts—and are attached to rings, brooches, necklaces, and charm bracelets. In ancient times, a locket could carry medicines or herbs needed for spells. The contents of a locket might be intended to ward off evil spirits. Those practicing a darker form of magic might carry poison to use on enemies. Lockets have also been used to carry baby teeth, lip balm, or a cotton ball doused with perfume, designed to mask natural body odors.

Around the 16th century, "memento mori," which is Latin for "be mindful of death," became more and more popular, particularly in the form of jewelry worn to memorialize a lost fa...

In the politically tumultuous Georgian period in England between 1714 and 1837, memorial jewelry often featured funeral scenes painted on ivory, or miniature portraits of loved ones on pendants and brooches. The Georgians were also deeply romantic, favoring lover's eye lockets, which contained a painting of an eye, as well as heart-shaped love-token lockets featuring messages coded in gemstones. Many of these lockets could only be unlocked with a small key and had affectionate notes inscribed on them.

Under Queen Victoria's reign, these sentimental charms became even more popular, as artists became masters of painting portraits in miniature for sterling silver lockets. Lovers gave each other heart-shaped lockets adorned with gems, pearls, and monograms. Engaged couples would exchange miniatures with compartments containing a lock of hair. Even Victoria herself wore a heavy bracelet with a miniature of her husband, Prince Albert, in the center.

When the Queen lost both her mother and her beloved Albert in 1961, she went into a permanent state of mourning. She believed that any widow would feel as aggrieved as she did and remarriage was not plausible. From then on, deaths in the Royal Family were frequently and rigidly mourned, and this strict observance of mourning spread across the country.

Lockets created for mourning jewelry were made out of dark materials like ebony, jet—a shiny black coal-like material formed out of driftwood—or gutta percha, a dark rubber material from the sap of a Malayian tree. Memorial lockets often contained a loved one's hair, woven into a pattern, or perhaps a piece of the dead's clothing. These lockets might also be adorned with pearls, a symbol of tears.

The Victorians were particularly obsessed with the hair belonging to a belated loved one. They would make entire suites of jewelry out of this hair, which might include a necklace with a pendant cross, a brooch shaped like a lover's knot, earrings, and a miniature backed with hair, all mounted in gold. Family and friends would receive gold locket rings containing plaited hair of the deceased.

In the 1860s, the United States, too, seemed overwhelmed with death, as the Civil War casualties mounted, and newborns suffered a high mortality rate. Lockets holding a photograph of the child's dead body and a snippet of the baby's hair comforted bereaved parents. A soldier heading to the war would cut off a piece of his hair, and give it to his family or wife for future mourning jewelry pieces. These Victorian-era lockets are easy to date, as many bear inscriptions that detail exactly who they memorialize and when they passed.

In the 20th century, lockets worn as memorials or token of affection are more likely to contain a photograph rather than a lock of hair. However, in the 1990s, the concept of cremation jewelry extended to lockets, in which a part of a loved one's ashes could be carried at all times.

About our sources | Got something to add?

▼ Expand to read the full article ▼

Interviews & Articles

Tokens for Sweethearts, in Times of War

A keepsake, an item that recognizes a loved one, strikes a deep, sentimental chord in each of us—particularly that of a sweetheart… [more]

Christie Romero on Differences Between Fine and Costume Jewelry Over the Decades

I started out with general antiques and collectibles... I was a dealer for a while and bought and sold all kinds of things. Gradua… [more]



Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

All About Jewels Dictionary

All About Jewels Dictionary

This incredible reference dictionary on jewelry, from Enchantedlearning.com, is both beautiful and comprehensive. S… [read review or visit site]

The Scrap Album

The Scrap Album

Attention paper collectors: don't miss Malcolm Warrington's exquisitely designed tribute to Victorian scraps (stamp… [read review or visit site]

Morning Glory Antiques and Jewelry

Morning Glory Antiques and Jewelry

Jewelry collectors, feast your eyes on this internet gem! It's a goldmine of jewelry information featuring all styl… [read review or visit site]

Stevengraphs Bookmarks and Postcards

Stevengraphs Bookmarks and Postcards

Malcolm Roebuck's tribute to the ornate silk picture bookmarks and postcards ('Stevengraphs') produced by Thomas St… [read review or visit site]

Cathy Gordon's Jewelry Gallery

Cathy Gordon's Jewelry Gallery

With its vast galleries featuring clear images of jewelry and style, this site really covers it all! Divided up by … [read review or visit site]

Jewel History

Jewel History

Since March of 2007, readers of Lori Ettlinger Gross’s JewelHistory blog have been treated to her weekly (sometim… [read review or visit site]



Clubs & Associations: Fine Jewelry

Other Great Reference Sites: Fine Jewelry

Top eBay Auctions

Showing 60. See all 224 by  highest bidmost watchedcompleted
Antique Victorian Gold Filled Enamel Intaglio Locket Fob Charm BraceletAntique 15ct Gold Compass Fob Mourning Locket Ball PendantVictorian Gold Filled Bookchain Necklace With Locket With Seed Pearls Antique Georgian Victorian Diamond Pearl 14k 14ct Gold Charm Heart Locket RingAntique Victorian Style Silver Bohemian Rose Cut Garnet Photo Locket PendantGiant Antique Victorian Sterling Silver Shakespeare "rosalind" Photo Locket H74 Victorian Silver Decorative Collar-bookchain & Locket Necklace-hallmarked****Antique English 18 Carat Gold Double Sided Locket Charm Or Pendant C1900 N/rVintage English Sterling Silver Huge Large Opening Photo Locket Pendant Heavy Uk14k Gold Locket Charm W/ Cameo.weighs 6.3 Grams. Beautiful Condition- 1" H X 1"wAntique C1900s Sterling Silver And Seedpearl Locket Necklace, 8.3 GramsFine Victorian Gold Garnet Locket Back Padlock ClaspHenry Birks & Sons Sterling Silver 1-3/4" Floral Etch Locket Original Chain (b)Antique 15ct Gold Enamel Pearl Mourning Photo Locket Pendant1900 Antique 925 Sterling Silver Wolf Head Shaped Poison Pill Hinged Locket RingVintage Victorian Gilt Or Rolled Gold Ornate Locket Necklace Elaborate Antique 1860s Victorian Necklace & Locket W/rose And Yellow GoldtoneEstate 18kt Solid Yellow Gold Locket Pearl Enhancer Necklace PendantEdwardian Silver Enamel Hinged Locket-pretty*Edwardian Gold+silver Seed Pearl+turquoise Glass Open Photo Locket-original CaseRare Victorian Silver Castle Top Locket And Collar - Circa 1860 - No ReserveFine Antique Georgian Regency 9ct Gold Locket Fob Lion Bloodstone CarnelianLovely Antique Floral Chester Sterling Silver Victorian Locket,c1882,large 5cmsAntique Wwi 1914 Hallmarked 9ct Rose Gold Mounted Round Photo Locket PendantRare Fine Edwardian 9 Carat Gold Pearl & Peridot NecklaceRussian 14kt 583 Gold Antique 1920's Ruby Locket $1 Dollar & Go! Not Scrap GoldAntique C1890 Victorian Sterling Silver Aesthetic Locket, 10.5 GramsVictorian Silver Locket Fully Hallmarked-all Inners Present-13.8grms***Beautiful Antique C1890 Victorian Silver Double Locket, Flying Swallow PatternLarge Victorian Enamel Silver Pansy LocketVintage Mid Victorian Gold Fill Double Photo Locket / Pendant / Watch Chain S.mc L & Co - Rare Victorian American Rose Gold Front Oval Flower Locket NrHenry Birks & Sons 1940s Sterling - 2.5" Floral Etch Locket & Chain Necklace NrVintage (1946) Speidel Sweetheart Mother-of-pearl 6" Bracelet & LocketAntique Victorian Gold Filled Large Locket Opals W Slide Watch Chain Unique RareFine Victorian Silver Filigree Photo Or Vinaigrette Locket Perfect Free ShippingEdwardian Silver Hinged Bevelled Glass Open Photo Locket-good Size****antique 9ct Gold Enamel & Pearl Mourning Locket Brooch C1880*Georgian Silver Enamel Viniagrette Locket-pendantFine Regency 15k Gold Hair Locket/broochVictorian Large Silver Engraved Locket Circa 1880Antique Victorian 9ct Gold Front & Enamel Mourning Hair & Photo Locket PendantMuch Loved Georgian Almandine Garnet & Diamond Locket RingVintage 9ct Engraved Heart Locket, 1.2 GramsAntique 1791 9ct Gold Emerald, Seedpearl, Amythest Locket Back Mourning RingUnusual Antique Sterling Silver Fob Locket Charm BraceletAntique Military Sweet Heart 1/20 12k Gold Filled Heart Locket 3.9 Grams MintAntique Victorian Rose Gold Filled Miniature 2 Photo Locket Charm PendantSolid Ss Sterling Silver 925 6-picture 25.8grams Locket Charm PendantVintage English Sterling Silver Huge Rollerball Belcher Chain Necklace 30in LongVictorian Antique 12k Gf Paste Feathered Pansy Locket Necklace~signed W & H CoAntique Victorian Gold Filled Mourning Hair & Photo Picture Love Token Locket1890-1900s Antique/victorian Large Gold Filled Round Pendant/locket Antique Victorian Marked Ha & Co Gold Filled Locket W/ Engraved Bird SceneVictorian 9ct Gold Horse Shoe Design Oval LocketGood Victorian Sterling Silver Collar Chain For Locket Needs A Bolt RingVintage Victorian Sterling Silver Guilloche Enamel Rose Locket PendantVictorian Sterling Silver Blooming Flower Photo Picture Locket PendantVictorian Faux Tortoise Shell Pique Locket Gold & Silver Floral Inlay No ReserveArt Deco Sterling Silver Locket Ball Opens For 6 Pictures Fabulous Estate Find