Vintage Heart Locket
A vintage heart locket holds a miniature portrait or token, combining sentimental design with the warmth of gold and precious stones.
Vintage Heart Locket
A vintage heart locket represents a long tradition of sentimental jewellery designed to keep a personal keepsake close to the wearer. These pieces range from simple engraved gold cases to elaborate gem-set pendants from various eras.
The pieces on this page span several distinct periods, including Victorian, Edwardian, Belle Epoque, and mid-twentieth-century decades. Buyers frequently encounter 9ct yellow or rose gold variants alongside higher carat gold and silver examples.
Makers utilised both hinged locket designs and solid puffy heart charms, often incorporating diamonds, rubies, amethysts, and enamel. The selection includes specific pendant forms as well as occasional rings incorporating heart motifs.
Evaluating quality and craftsmanship
Quality rests upon the crispness of the hand engraving and the structural integrity of the hinge and snap closure. Pieces that retain their original form without distortion show superior initial manufacture and careful ownership.
The selection of gemstones and the application of enamel distinguish finer examples. High-carat mountings combined with well-matched old cut diamonds or vibrant rubies elevate a piece above standard production.
Victorian mourning jewellery occasionally utilised human hair behind the glass, braided into tiny floral knots to remember absent friends.
B & F
The Vintage Heart Locket Glossary
- Guilloche enamel
- Enamel applied over engine-turned metalwork. This technique creates a patterned, translucent background beneath coloured glass.
- Back and front
- A construction method using solid gold for the bezels and hinges while filling the interior covers with a base metal. This provided the appearance of a solid gold locket at a reduced weight.
- Old cut diamond
- A precursor to the modern brilliant cut, characterised by a small table, high crown, and open culet. These stones display a softer candlelight sparkle.
- Puffy heart
- A three-dimensional hollow heart charm or pendant. Goldsmiths formed these by soldering two convex stamped halves together.
- Paste
- Hand-cut glass used as a gemstone substitute. Antique paste displays distinct facets and high refractive depth.
Vintage Heart Locket: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a photo inside my locket?
Most vintage heart lockets contain internal frames designed to hold trimmed photographs or paper keepsakes. Original bezels and clear covers frequently remain intact within the cavity.
Photographs require careful trimming to match the heart shape of the interior. Thin paper works best to ensure the locket closes flush without straining the hinge.
How do I date a vintage heart locket?
Dating relies on stylistic clues, gold hallmarks, and the cut of any set gemstones. Edwardian and Victorian pieces typically exhibit distinct engraving styles, higher carat gold, or specific motifs like forget-me-nots.
Mid-century examples often utilise 9ct gold and feature cleaner, simpler machine engraving. Hallmarks stamped inside the rim can provide precise assay office and year markers.
Are gold back and front lockets solid gold?
Gold back and front pieces consist of solid gold on the exterior wear points and hinges, while the main flat panel covers use a base metal core. This technique reduced weight and cost while maintaining a gold appearance.
These pieces offer durable everyday wear and were common throughout the Victorian and vintage periods. Hallmarks on such pieces usually state the gold coverage rather than solid purity.