Locket (Necklaces)

What separates a locket from every other pendant is the hinge. Press the catch and the front swings open onto a hollow interior sized for one or two photographs, a lock of hair or a pinch of ash. That cavity is the whole point of the piece. It is why a locket is judged on how it opens rather than on how it shines.

Making a hollow hinged box takes two shaped halves, a soldered hinge barrel and a sprung catch, and all three are wear points. A locket also weighs more than a solid pendant of the same face width, because doubled walls plus a rim add metal you never see. Around 25 to 30 mm across is the practical floor for fitting a cropped photograph inside. Below 20 mm the opening becomes decorative rather than useful.

Pendants hang one fixed element and initial necklaces state something on the outside, while a locket keeps its meaning hidden until somebody opens it. Collecting charms builds meaning piece by piece over years. This holds one thing at a time and asks you to choose. Locket weight also argues for a heavier chain than a plain necklace needs, because a hollow box swings with more force than its size suggests.

Buy one for a milestone, for mourning, or for carrying a picture of a child or a grandparent. Steer clear if you shower, swim or sweat in your jewelry, since water gets past the seam and paper never recovers. Hands-on work is the other reason to pass, because a catch knocked open leaves the contents free to drop out.

Open and close a locket ten times in the shop. The catch should snap shut with a small click and hold when you shake it, and the hinge should not wobble sideways. Protect a paper photograph by trimming it to the frame and covering it with a thin disc of acetate. Steam and ultrasonic cleaners are both off limits, since either drives water straight into the seam.