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From the earliest beginnings of civilization, man has sought out ways to keep their loved ones close. For some, it is not enough to harbour their dear ones in memory alone, they crave symbols to represent their love. Jewellery has always had a place in our culture as both an ornament, and an expression of personal feeling. The locket, is no exception.

The locket, is a pendant, on a chain long enough to suspend it over the heart. Inside pictures of loved ones are contained on each side of the locket. Other small items, such as a lock of hair could also be kept inside. To further emphasize the precious nature of the locket, they are made from precious metals, like gold and silver. Some are even encrusted with precious or semi-precious stones.

Lockets are found in many different shapes and sizes, the most common, being the circle, oval and especially the heart. The heart shape, can be traced back through history. Widely held as one of the first heart shaped pieces of jewellery, an ancient piece from North Africa, circa 7th century BC is believed to honour a valuable strain of fennel plant, called Silphium, which both promoted erotic love and served as a primitive birth control. The plant was so widely sought after, it was harvested into extinction.

The Egyptians also subscribed to the heart image, as being representative of the 'ab' or one of the seven souls a mother's heart bestowed on her child. More recently the heart is believed to have come from a vision held by St. Margaret Marie Alacoque in the 17th century, when she saw a heart shape, surrounded by a crown of thorns.

The locket was popularized during the Victorian era, when three main types of lockets dominated the time. The first was known as a funerary locket, given at funerals as a memoriam to the deceased. A tiny portrait of the deceased could be found contained inside. Sometimes, these were accomapanied by a printed verse dear to the newly departed, or a psalm.

The second type of locket was known as a perfume locket, in which there was a small cushion inside, where a few drops of perfume could be placed. The perfume locket served to mask body odours and acted as a sort of deodorant in a time, when physical hygiene was not at it's best.

The third type of locket was the cameo locket or keepsake locket in which tiny portraits of loved ones could be kept. Some of these keepsake lockets even had a clear pane of glass on it's facade, so that the contents could be seen without opening it, as in the case when locks of hair were stored inside.

Lockets varied in design, some of the most popular being what was called the "spinner" locket. The bezel, or rim which secured a gem to the cavity it was set into or the locket proper, was attached to the chain, but not fixed to the locket itself, which made the pictures inside the locket turn, much like a heart or oval in it's own frame.

Now, lockets are designed to hold anywhere from 2 to 8 pictures inside, and come in all shapes and sizes. Hair is no longer the only personal item kept inside, some opting to keep a bit of a loved ones blood inside.

Lockets are commonly given for birthdays, anniversaries, Valentines Day, christenings as well as first communion gifts. Lockets can also be engraved with monograms, initials, or a brief meaningful statement. They make a wonderful gift, for so many occasions, and will likely be treasured and passed onto generations to come.

Learn more about this author, Elizabeth Clark.
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