Antique Glass Locket
These antique glass locket pieces combine precious metals and glazed compartments to hold portraits, hair, or mementos close.
Antique Glass Locket
When you search for an antique glass locket, you encounter wearable keepsakes designed to hold miniature portraits, woven hair, or sentimental tokens behind transparent covers. The selections on this page span Georgian, Victorian, and Edwardian periods, appearing primarily as pendants, necklaces, and portrait miniatures.
The forms range from heart-shaped paste charms and teardrop necklaces to screw-top frames and shaker lockets containing loose elements. Gold and silver mountings frame glazed viewing windows, often incorporating bows, floral motifs, or detailed metalwork characteristic of their era.
Materials and construction
Goldsmiths and silversmiths utilised nine-carat and eighteen-carat gold, sterling silver, and gold-on-silver plating to form the structural surrounds of these pieces. Metal components were cast, chased, or worked into bezels designed to secure glass panels tightly over internal cavities.
Glass elements include faceted crystals, plain glazed windows, and shaker compartments enclosing miniature items, occasionally paired with paste stones, garnets, pearls, or enamel work to enhance the decorative border.
Antique Glass Locket Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for glass locket among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Assessing craftsmanship and finish
The distinction between standard and superior pieces rests on the precision of the metalwork and the integrity of the glass settings. Finer examples feature substantial gold or silver weight, secure bezel closures, and intricate hand-carved details such as floral intaglios or delicate bow motifs.
Murrle Bennett·John Barry·Elizabeth Hudson
The Antique Glass Locket Glossary
- Glass locket
- A hinged or screw-top pendant featuring transparent glazed panels designed to display portraits or hair work internally. This core form defines the category across multiple eras.
- Paste
- Hand-cut glass or lead crystal used to imitate gemstones like amethysts or garnets. It is set into metal mountings to provide sparkle.
- Shaker locket
- A double-glazed pendant containing loose decorative elements, such as seed pearls or small trinkets, that move freely between the glass plates.
- Mourning jewellery
- Sentimental pieces incorporating hair work, enamel, or glazed compartments to commemorate deceased loved ones, popular during the Georgian and Victorian periods.
- Plique-à-jour
- An enamelling technique where enamel is applied without a backing, resembling miniature stained glass that allows light to pass through.
- Portrait miniature
- A small, detailed painting on ivory, vellum, or glass, frequently housed behind the glazed window of a pendant or locket.
Antique Glass Locket: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I open an antique glass locket?
Many examples utilise a small hinge, a snap clasp, or a threaded screw bezel to secure the glazed window. Care must be taken not to force older mountings.
Consult the specific construction of the frame before applying pressure, as Victorian and Edwardian mechanisms vary significantly between pendant designs.
What is inside a shaker locket?
Shaker pieces enclose loose decorative materials, such as seed pearls, tiny metal beads, or microscopic sentimental items, between two glass plates.
These elements are free to move when the pendant is shifted, creating a dynamic visual effect popular in the Edwardian era.
How can I tell a Georgian locket from a Victorian one?
Georgian pieces often display closed-back settings and specific memorial motifs executed in lower-profile gold work. Victorian designs tend to be heavier, incorporating varied chased details and more expansive glazed compartments.
Stylistic shifts in the surrounding metalwork and the type of portrait or hair work inside provide clear chronological clues.
Can I wear an antique glass locket every day?
While these pieces were made for regular wear, the presence of glass panels and delicate internal hair work or miniatures requires mindful handling. Contact with water, perfumes, and heavy impacts should be avoided.
Storing the pendant separately from other jewellery prevents scratching on the exterior metal and the glass faces.