Do you know the History of Lockets?

You possibly had one when you were a child… a little heart shaped one, or one with a bluebird? Or maybe you were fascinated by the stern-looking photo in the ornate, heavy gold locket that had been in your Great-Aunt’s family for years?

Perhaps, tucked away in the corner of a jewellery box is a battered but well worn reminder of your first love?

Lockets capture our imaginations because of the personal and historic stories they tell. Who can resist opening a locket to see what secrets it hides?

Lockets, trinkets or hinged boxes have been worn on chains or ribbons for hundreds of years. They’ve contained powders, poisons, “cures”, good luck charms, keepsakes, hair, ashes, and most recently pictures.

In England, Elizabeth the First helped make them popular by commissioning two very famous lockets commemorating the defeat of the Spanish Armada. More sentimentally, lockets were given as betrothal, special occasion or memorial gifts.

18th century "In Memoriam" lockets contained a twist of hair and during the American Civil War soldiers often left a lock of hair at home. If they didn’t come back, the hair was made into mourning jewellery or placed in a locket.

Round and heart shaped Victorian lockets were popular and were often set with seed pearls or stones or monogrammed with the owners initials. The Victorian fashion was to also keep the locket close to the owner's heart by hanging it on a long chain or pinning it to the breast. As manufacturing techniques improved, the locket was mass produced for costume jewelry and grew in popularity as a jewellery piece for young girls as well.

Today lockets are available in many shapes, sizes, styles and materials but these small, intricate pieces of jewellery are still a very personal way to capture the imagination and the heart.

Article Source: http://www.therepozitory.com.au

This article has been written by Chief Giddy Aunt Nikki Johnston from www.ohmygiddyaunt.com.au Oh My Giddy Aunt! has been designing and creating personalised jewellery and keepsakes to tell family stories for over four years in Australia.

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