Perhaps the most sentimental and enduring of jewelry styles, lockets, a distant cousin of ancient amulets, were de rigueur in 16th century Europe and again in the Victorian era. In their earliest days, pendants were filled with painted portraits, a dash of poison, and snippets of perfumed fabric to counter noxious smells in public places (an idea we’d like to revive). The mystery of what a locket contains has always given lockets a sense of intimacy and secrecy.
Upon her death, it was discovered that Queen Elizabeth I’s jeweled ring hid within it a miniature portrait of her mother, Anne Boleyn. Keeping family close through jewelry was continued by Queen Victoria who wore a bracelet with eight lockets each filled with a lock of hair of her eight children. After her husband Prince Albert’s death, she wore a mourning locket containing a photo of him. View our Pinterest Board for more inspiration.
5 Things to Fill Your Locket With: a photo of a loved one (children, grandkids, spouse, grandparents, soul mate); a handwritten love note; a wedding photo; a mantra or favorite quote; or a photo of a furry friend.
