Antique lockets often come from the 19th century as they were incredibly popular at that time. There were many different locket designs, from the very large and ornately decorated to the small and simple. The shapes of the lockets could be oval, heart-shaped or circular and a number of different materials were used by the jewelers who created them. Gold or silver were popular, but non-precious metals were also widely used, such as gilt metal or gunmetal. Other materials used included diamonds, ivory, jet, turqoise, pearl and rock crystal.
It was common for the lockets to be engraved with the wearer's initials or a word such as 'Regard'. The lockets would sometimes be hung from a fairly short and thick chain known as a collar, the collars often being made of silver.
Lockets were also used as a way of remembering loved ones who passed away. A lock of hair from the deceased would be placed inside the locket, and the locket would have the name of the deceased person engraved into it.
In a similar way to the 'Dearest' ring or 'Regards' ring, lockets may be set with different varieties of gemstones to spell out these words. For example, the gems Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire and Topaz made up the word 'Dearest'.
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 1 Heart Ball Wish Box Locket Antique Silver MB0544-1  US $.99
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 Antique Bronze Photo Box Locket Pendant 70cm Chain Necklace US $2.99
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 925 Silver MILOR Locket Bird Flower Antique Sterling Chain Vintage Italy Jewelry US $51.00
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 Antique style bronze color vintage heart photo locket pendants findings 5pcs US $5.55
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Many lockets were made to house small photos, and these may be on display behind glass or kept hidden inside the locket. Some of the many shapes and forms lockets have been made in are: books, purses, chests, capsules and prayer boxes.
