History of Lockets - The Iconic Gift

Lockets have been given and received as jewellery since the earliest days of civilisation. They embody the need to hold, cherish and remember our loved ones.

A locket can contain any remembrance - a portrait or photo, a lock of hair, an item of sentimental value, or a relic. They can be worn in any type of jewellery, such as bracelets, rings or brooches, but are usually worn as pendants, in order to keep the loved one close to the wearer's heart.

Archaeologists have excavated lockets from ancient Egyptian times. Lockets with the image of Queen Cleopatra have been discovered, and it is thought that she gave these lockets to favoured individuals as a mark of affection, allowing them to display their allegiance by wearing them.

Stamping of Queen Cleopatra on a locket

Lockets have also had an element of protective, talismanic significance.

During the medieval period, lockets were often worn as reliquaries. They contained holy relics such as fragments of hair or clothing from a saint or martyr, and were believed to have healing, magical properties. Nowadays, some lockets are in the shape of prayer books and can be used to hold a meaningful scriptural verse. 

Also, during the Middle Ages, Valentine's Day became a day for lovers to celebrate their love, and lockets were commonly exchanged on that day as love tokens. It was believed that February 14th was the beginning of birds' mating season, and many lockets contain images of hearts, butterflies and birds, in token of this, down to the present day.

During the Rennaissance period, a less salubrious use of the locket was as a poison ring. Poison rings are particularly associated with the Medici family, especially Catherine de Medici, who was said to have used them to poison her enemies.

During this period, when the art of portraiture became more widely established, portraits began to be incorporated into lockets. Portrait miniatures developed out of the techniques of the miniatures in illuminated manuscripts. To house these extraordinary, skilful portraits, these lockets were embellished with the most precious jewels and decoration, and these superb combinations of art and jewellery show some of the finest examples of art and craftsmanship from that era.

Miniature portraiture is extremely painstaking and laborious. The early miniatures were painted on stretched vellum, which was also the parchment used for writing down the laws of Parliament. This was the smoothest surface to paint on and most long-lasting, as vellum can last up to 5,000 years.

The celebrated British artist Nicholas Hilliard (1547 - 1619) lived during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and King James I (James VI of Scotland) was the most famous miniature portrait artist of his time. 

 He was trained as an artist and also a goldsmith, and created the most iconic lockets of his age. His specialised techniques included using paintbrushes made from the fine hair of a squirrel's tail. For the finest details, he would use a paintbrush with a single horse hair. To polish the gold and silver leaf on the portrait, he would use a burnisher made from a stoat's tooth. He would use a cut-down playing card as the backing for the vellum on which he painted.

One of his most famous lockets, called the Lyte Jewel, was gifted by King James to a courtier, Thomas Lyte, in 1610. It is a spectacular piece of jewellery, which contains on the reverse a miniature portrait of King James.

Front and back of the Lyte Jewel

 

During Queen Elizabeth's lifetime, it was noted that she wore a particular ring every day of her life. When she died, the ring was taken from her finger and upon examination, it was found to contain a secret locket compartment. Upon opening the compartment, it revealed a portrait of herself on one side, and her mother, Queen Anne Boleyn, on the other side, who had been tried and beheaded by her husband, King Henry VIII, in 1536, when the baby princess Elizabeth was only 2 years old.

Locket Ring of Queen Elizabeth I

 Below on the left is a superb portrait of Thomas Cromwell, who was the minister to Henry VIII, painted by Hans Holbein.

Portrait of Thomas Cromwell

 

Locket Portrait of Thomas Cromwell

Because these portraits were preserved inside their lockets, they are almost as fresh today as when they were painted, over 500 years ago. 

In the 18th century, the tradition developed of gifting a locket on a wedding day. This tradition still continues today, with lockets being often gifted to the bride and family members on the day of their wedding. A charming tradition is to tie the locket to the wedding bouquet.

A modern wedding bouquet with a locket

In the 19th century, Queen Victoria was gifted a locket bracelet by her husband, Prince Albert. Eight lockets hung from the bracelet, one for each of their surviving children, and each locket contained a lock of each child's hair.

After Prince Albert's early death, Queen Victoria never ceased to mourn him. She wore black mourning clothes for 40 years, until the end of her life, and with her mourning clothes she wore a locket containing his portrait. This created a fashion among Victorian ladies for large locket necklaces, worn on a chain or ribbon around the neck, often monogrammed on the front.

The revolutions of photography and modern engraving methods mean that lockets are now within everyone's reach, and can be used to capture not only momentous but also spontaneous and precious moments in your life. 

Lockets are the most personal and romantic of gifts. They celebrate the union of loved ones to each other, preserve the bonds of family, and pass down our joys and memories to our future generations.