What Is a Locket? Meaning, History and How to Choose One
If you have landed here asking what a locket actually is — what it means, where it came from, and how to choose a good one — here is the plain answer up front, followed by everything that helps you pick a piece you will genuinely keep close.
In short
What is a locket?
A locket is a small pendant that opens to hold a photo or keepsake inside. It hangs on a chain like an ordinary necklace, but the front hinges or twists open to reveal a tiny compartment — usually for a photograph, but also for a lock of hair, a pressed flower, or a few words. The meaning of a locket is simply this: a way to carry someone or something close to your heart, kept private until you choose to open it.
Locket Meaning: What Does a Locket Symbolise?
The meaning of a locket is one of the most-searched questions about this kind of jewellery, so here is the honest, simple version. A locket means closeness. Because it holds a photo or keepsake hidden inside, a locket is a way to keep a loved one, a memory, or a private token literally close to your heart.
That is the whole symbolism, and it is why the word “locket” carries so much warmth. The hidden compartment is the point: what is inside is yours, worn against you, shown to the world only when you decide to open it.
People give lockets to mark relationships and remembrance more than anything else. A locket can hold a photo of a partner, a child, a parent, or a grandparent — someone you want to carry with you through the day.
It is also a classic memorial piece. A locket with a picture of someone who has passed, or a tiny keepsake from them, becomes a quiet way to keep them present. None of this is mystical; the meaning comes from what you put inside and who it reminds you of.
What Is a Locket Necklace, Exactly?
A locket necklace is simply a locket pendant on a chain — the most common form a locket takes. When people ask what locket necklaces are, they usually mean this everyday piece: a pendant you wear at the neckline that happens to open.
The pendant itself is the locket. The chain is interchangeable, so a locket bought on a fine chain can later be worn on a longer or shorter one to suit the neckline you like.
Most locket necklaces hold one or two small photos, trimmed to fit the inner frame. Some open like a book to show two pictures facing each other; others have a single window. The size of the pendant decides how big the photo inside can be, which is worth knowing before you buy.
A locket is different from a charm or a plain pendant in one key way: it opens. A solid pendant only shows its outside. A locket carries something hidden within — and that hidden compartment is exactly what makes it a locket rather than just a necklace.
How a Locket Works: The Hidden Compartment
The mechanism is simpler than it looks. A traditional locket is made of two shaped halves joined by a small hinge along one edge, with a tiny clasp on the opposite side. Press or slide the clasp and the front swings open like a miniature book.
Inside, you will usually find one or two thin metal rims, sometimes called bezels, that hold a trimmed photo flat behind a small frame. On older lockets these often had a thin layer of glass over the picture; many modern ones hold the photo directly under the rim.
Not every “photo necklace” opens, though, and it helps to know the difference before you choose:
- Hinged photo locket — the classic. The front opens on a hinge to reveal a photo or keepsake compartment inside.
- Twist or screw locket — a small round or cylindrical locket where the two halves twist apart, often used for a tiny keepsake rather than a flat photo.
- Photo projection pendant — a solid pendant with a microscopic image set into a small gem on the front; it does not open, but the picture appears magnified when you look closely.
All three keep a picture close to you, so they often come up together when people search for lockets. The difference is whether the piece physically opens (a true locket) or seals one image permanently inside (a projection pendant). Neither is “better” — it depends on whether you want to swap the photo later or keep one image set for good.
A Short History of the Locket
Lockets are far older than most people expect, and a little history explains why they feel so sentimental. The basic idea — a small case worn on the body to hold something precious — goes back centuries.
In earlier eras, small hinged pendants were worn to carry tiny portraits, religious images, or keepsakes. By the time of the Victorian period in the 1800s, lockets had become hugely popular as sentimental jewellery, and that is the era most associated with the locket as we know it.
Queen Victoria is often credited with making lockets fashionable in the nineteenth century. She was known to wear lockets holding portraits and keepsakes of people she loved, and that royal example helped turn the locket into a mainstream token of affection and remembrance across society.
Through the World Wars of the twentieth century, lockets took on a particular role. People carried photo lockets of loved ones who were far away or serving abroad, keeping a face close during long separations — a use that cemented the locket’s link with love and remembrance.
Today the locket has shed most of its formal Victorian weight and simply endures as a personal, sentimental piece. Modern lockets range from delicate everyday pendants to engraved keepsakes, and the photo locket remains the most popular form — the same simple idea, carried on for generations.
Types of Locket: Shapes, Metals and Styles
Once you know what a locket is, the next useful thing is the range of types, because “locket” covers a lot of looks. Choosing comes down to shape, metal, and how it is finished — not any fixed rule.
By shape, the most common options are easy to picture:
- Heart lockets — the classic romantic shape, the one most people imagine, ideal for a partner, child, or family photo.
- Oval and round lockets — traditional and timeless, with a generous window for a clear photo inside.
- Symbolic shapes — designs like a tree of life, an infinity loop, or a simple geometric pendant, for something a little less literal than a heart.
By metal, most modern lockets are made in sterling silver, gold-plated silver, or solid gold. Sterling silver keeps a locket affordable and suits almost everyone; gold or rose-gold plating adds warmth if you prefer a yellow or pink tone. The metal is mostly about the colour and budget you want, not the function.
By finish, lockets are often engravable — meaning the outside can be marked with initials, a name, a date, or a short message. An engraved locket carries words on the outside and a photo on the inside, which is why so many people choose engraving for a gift.
There is no single “best” type. A heart locket in silver with an engraved date reads as a romantic keepsake; a tree-of-life locket in gold plating reads as a family piece; a clean oval reads as understated and everyday. Pick the shape and metal you would actually wear, then add engraving if the piece is a gift.
Which locket is right for you
Choose a heart locket in sterling silver, engraved with a name or date. The classic shape for a partner, with a photo set inside.
Choose a tree-of-life or oval locket. Room for a clear family photo, and a symbol that reads as togetherness rather than romance.
Choose a photo projection pendant. Your picture is set permanently into a small gem on the front — nothing to trim, print, or replace.
How to Put a Photo in a Locket
The most practical question, once you have a locket, is how to get a picture inside it neatly. It is genuinely easy, and a little care makes the photo look crisp rather than crammed.
Work through it in a few simple steps:
- Measure the inside frame. Open the locket and note the size and shape of the inner window — a heart locket needs a heart-trimmed photo, an oval needs an oval.
- Choose a clear, simple photo. A close-up of one face works far better than a busy group shot, because the window is small.
- Print and trim it. Print the picture at the right scale, then trim carefully just inside the frame outline so no white edge shows.
- Set it under the rim. Tuck the trimmed photo behind the thin metal rim so it sits flat, and press the rim gently to hold it.
If trimming a tiny photo by hand feels fiddly, that is exactly why many people choose a personalised locket where the photo is set for them. With a made-to-order piece you upload the picture when you order, and it arrives already fitted — no printing, cutting, or guesswork.
A projection pendant works differently again: instead of a printed photo, your chosen image is set permanently into a small gem on the front, so there is nothing to trim or replace. If you would rather your picture be fixed for good than swap it later, that is the route to take.
How to Choose a Good Locket
Choosing a locket you will actually keep close comes down to a handful of things that matter, and a few that do not. Here is where to put your attention.
Think it through in order of what counts most:
- Photo capacity. Decide whether you want one photo or two facing pictures, and check the pendant is large enough for the image to read clearly at that size.
- Metal and colour. Choose sterling silver for an affordable, go-with-everything piece, or gold and rose-gold plating if you prefer a warmer tone. Pick what the wearer already wears.
- Engraving. If it is a gift, an engravable locket lets you add a name, date, or short message on the outside — the detail that turns a nice necklace into a personal keepsake.
- Chain length. A shorter chain sits high near the collarbone; a longer one rests lower on the chest. Most lockets can be moved to a different chain later if you change your mind.
The thing that matters far less than people fear is being “perfect” about it. There is no wrong shape or metal — a locket is personal by definition, so the right one is simply the piece whose look the wearer loves and whose photo means something. Choose for the person, not for a rule.
If it is a gift, lean on personalisation. A locket already feels meaningful; an engraved name or date and a photo set inside makes it unmistakably theirs, and that is what people remember long after the wrapping is gone.
ifshe Personalised Photo Lockets
From heart and oval lockets to tree-of-life and infinity designs — every personalised photo locket side by side, each one engravable and set with the picture that means the most, in 925 sterling silver.
Shop photo lockets →Why a Locket Makes Such a Personal Gift
It is worth saying plainly why lockets land so well as gifts, because the reason is built into what a locket is. A locket holds a photo — so giving one says “I chose a picture, and a piece, just for you.”
That makes it a natural choice for the moments people most want to mark. A locket suits a significant birthday, an anniversary, a wedding or engagement, the arrival of a new baby, or a memorial for someone loved and missed. In each case the photo inside carries the meaning on its own.
It also works across relationships, not only romantic ones. A locket can go to a partner, a mother or grandmother, a daughter, a best friend, or a child — anyone you would want to carry your photo. Add engraving and it becomes specific to that person and that occasion.
Choose the photo before the locket
Because the window inside is small, the picture decides which locket works. Pick the photo first — a clear close-up of one face reads far better than a busy group shot — then choose a pendant large enough to show it well. A heart suits a single portrait; an oval gives a little more room. Let the photo lead, and the locket will always look right.
From Eleanor's notes editing ifshe.co.uk's jewellery guides.
Caring for a Locket
A locket lasts for years with a little gentle care, and because it opens and holds a photo, there are a couple of extra habits worth knowing beyond ordinary necklace care.
Keep it simple:
- Keep it dry. Take a photo locket off before showering, swimming, or washing up — water can seep into the compartment and damage the picture inside.
- Open and close gently. The hinge and clasp are small; ease the locket open rather than forcing it, and it will stay tight for years.
- Clean the outside softly. Wipe the metal with a soft, dry cloth, and for silver use a silver-polishing cloth to lift tarnish. Avoid harsh dips that could reach the photo.
- Store it flat and separate. Keep the locket in a pouch or jewellery box away from harder pieces so the surface and any engraving stay crisp.
None of this is demanding — it is the same common sense you would give any sentimental piece, with a little extra attention to keeping the inside dry. Treated kindly, a locket keeps its photo safe and wears beautifully as an everyday keepsake.
Choose a locket you'll genuinely keep close
- Match the locket to the photo. Check the pendant is big enough for your picture to read clearly — a tiny locket cannot hold a detailed group shot.
- Decide one photo or two. Some lockets open like a book for two facing pictures; others have a single window. Pick the format you need before you buy.
- Choose metal by tone and budget. Sterling silver is affordable and suits everyone; gold and rose-gold plating add warmth. Pick what the wearer already wears.
- Add engraving for a gift. A name, date, or short message on the outside turns a nice necklace into a personal keepsake.
- Keep it dry. Take a photo locket off before water — showering and swimming can damage the picture inside.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a locket?
A locket is a small pendant that opens to hold a photo or keepsake inside. It hangs on a chain like a normal necklace, but the front hinges or twists open to reveal a tiny compartment, traditionally for a photograph and sometimes for a lock of hair, a flower, or a few words.
What does a locket mean?
The meaning of a locket is closeness. Because it holds a hidden photo or keepsake, a locket symbolises keeping a loved one, a memory, or a private token close to your heart. It is most often given to mark a relationship or to remember someone, with the picture inside carrying the meaning.
What is a locket necklace?
A locket necklace is a locket pendant worn on a chain — the most common form a locket takes. The pendant opens to show one or two small photos inside, and the chain is interchangeable, so the same locket can be worn higher or lower depending on the chain you choose.
What is the definition of a locket?
By definition, a locket is a small hinged or twist-open case worn as a pendant, designed to hold a photograph or keepsake inside. The defining feature is the hidden compartment: a solid pendant only shows its outside, while a locket opens to reveal something kept within.
What are locket necklaces used for?
Locket necklaces are used to carry a photo or small keepsake close to you. People wear them to keep a partner, child, parent, or grandparent near, as a memorial for someone who has passed, or simply as a sentimental everyday piece. The hidden photo is what sets a locket apart from an ordinary necklace.
What do you put inside a locket?
Most people put a small photo inside a locket, trimmed to fit the inner frame. Other keepsakes work too: a lock of hair, a pressed flower, a tiny note, or a fingerprint. The pendant size decides how big a photo can be, so a close-up of one face usually reads better than a group shot.
How do you put a picture in a locket?
Open the locket, measure the inner window, then print and carefully trim a photo just inside that outline so no white edge shows. Tuck the trimmed picture behind the thin metal rim so it sits flat. On a personalised locket you upload the photo when you order and it arrives already fitted, with no trimming needed.
What is the difference between a locket and a pendant?
A pendant is any decorative piece that hangs from a chain. A locket is a specific type of pendant that opens to hold a photo or keepsake inside. Every locket is a pendant, but only a locket has the hinged or twist-open compartment — a plain pendant shows only its outside.
Are lockets only for romantic relationships?
No. While lockets are a popular romantic gift, they suit any close relationship — a mother, grandmother, daughter, best friend, or child — and are also given as memorial pieces. The meaning comes from the photo or keepsake inside and who it represents, not from romance specifically.
What metal are lockets made from?
Most lockets are made in sterling silver, gold-plated silver, or solid gold. Sterling silver is the most common because it is affordable and suits almost everyone; gold and rose-gold plating add a warmer tone. The metal mainly affects the colour and price, not how the locket works.
Can a locket be engraved?
Yes. Many lockets are engravable, meaning the outside can be marked with initials, a name, a date, or a short message. An engraved locket carries words on the outside and a photo on the inside, which is why engraving is so popular when a locket is given as a gift.
Where did lockets come from?
Small pendants worn to hold keepsakes go back centuries, but the locket as we know it became popular in the Victorian era of the 1800s. Queen Victoria helped make lockets fashionable by wearing ones holding portraits of loved ones, and photo lockets were widely carried through the World Wars to keep a loved one’s face close.
Can a locket get wet?
It is best to keep a photo locket dry. A quick splash will not ruin it, but showering, swimming, or washing up can let water seep into the compartment and damage the picture inside. Take the locket off before water and wipe the outside with a soft cloth to keep it looking its best.
Is a photo locket the same as a projection necklace?
Not quite. A photo locket physically opens so you can place or swap a printed photo inside. A photo projection necklace is a solid pendant with your chosen image set permanently into a small gem on the front — you do not open it, but the picture appears when you look closely. Both keep a photo close, in different ways.
