Edwardian Locket Pendant
An edwardian locket pendant holds a miniature portrait or token, combining silver or gold craftsmanship with personal sentiment.
Edwardian Locket Pendant
When you examine an edwardian locket pendant, you encounter miniature hinged chambers designed to hold photographs, hair, or small mementos close to the heart. These personal objects often take the form of geometric ovals, circles, or puffy hearts, carrying the distinct aesthetic sensibilities of the early twentieth century.
The items listed on this page span from the late nineteenth century into the Edwardian era proper, alongside related Victorian and later survivals. Alongside standard hinged lockets, you find glass-topped display pieces, stamp cases, and sovereign holders that share the same wearable format.
Gold and silver predominate the physical forms, often styled with bows, flowers, or fine hand-engraving. They appear both as standalone charms and suspended from period neck chains, serving as intimate personal keepsakes.
How they were made
Metalsmiths constructed these pieces primarily in sterling silver, 9ct gold, and 18ct gold, utilising both solid precious metal and gold back and front techniques where a base metal core adds structural rigidity. Enamel work, particularly translucent guilloche patterns over engine-turned backgrounds, adds colour and texture to the metallic surfaces.
Gemstones such as diamonds, seed pearls, turquoise, paste, and amethysts are flush or star-set into the metal frames. Artisans also employed hand-engraving, filigree wirework, and carved mother of pearl to decorate the exterior cases before assembling the tiny internal hinges and bezels.
The listings on this page span silver, 9ct gold, and 18ct gold pieces, incorporating seed pearls, diamonds, glass, and enamel.
What varies in quality
Quality rests upon the crispness of the hand-engraving and the complexity of the internal engineering, such as multi-photo frames and tightly sealing snap-closures. Pieces featuring complex enamel work, fine gemstones, or solid gold construction represent the upper tier of period manufacturing.
Lighter rolled gold or gold back and front examples sit at a different tier of production, designed for everyday durability rather than luxury goldsmithing. The depth of the relief work and the preservation of delicate glass panels or original bezels distinguish standard production from finer artisan pieces.
CRISFORD & NORRIS·ALBERT ERNEST JENKINS
The Edwardian Locket Pendant Glossary
- Back and front
- A method of construction where the outer plates are made of precious gold and the interior mechanics utilise a base metal for strength.
- Guilloche
- A decorative technique where a mechanical lathe engraves a precise, intricate pattern beneath translucent enamel.
- Paste
- Hand-cut and polished lead glass used historically to imitate genuine gemstones in period jewellery.
- Seed pearl
- Very small, naturally occurring pearls often stitched or set in clusters to form floral or geometric motifs.
- Sovereign case
- A small, hinged metal container designed to hold British gold sovereign coins securely on a chain or fob.
Edwardian Locket Pendant: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I open a stuck locket?
Many older pieces rely on a thumbnail notch or a tiny push-button release mechanism near the hinge or side. Applying gentle, even pressure with a fingernail usually breaks the seal without straining the delicate metal.
Avoid inserting sharp metal tools into the seam, as this scars the precious metal and damages the flush alignment of the edges.
Can I put a modern photo inside?
Original inserts often included paper frames and thin mica or glass covers to hold miniature paper photographs. Modern printed photographs can be trimmed down with sharp scissors to match the internal bezel shape.
Slight trimming allows the portrait to slip behind the original metal retaining rim without forcing the hinged frame.
Were these always worn on necklaces?
While many examples feature suspension loops for chains, period pieces were frequently attached to chatelaines, pocket watch chains, or heavy charm bracelets. The heavier silver and gold variants served practical functions as fob ornaments or stamp storage.
Versatility defined their daily use, moving easily between neckwear and pocket attachments depending on the fashion of the decade.
How do I clean enamel safely?
Glass and enamel surfaces respond best to warm water and a very soft cloth to remove dust trapped in engraved crevices. Harsh chemical dips ruin fragile pastes and strip the historic patination from silver.
Submerging antique hinged containers also risks trapping moisture inside the photograph compartments, so surface wiping remains the safest approach.