Antique and later lockets, rock crystal and other gemstones

Rock crystal is a very hard colourless quartz, that provides an excellent medium for carving, and has been used for this purpose since antiquity. The name is derived from the Greek word for ice (krystallos) and the name crystal (as in manufactured glass) was derived from it. It was used for the making of cups, salts, caskets, jewellery, snuff bottles and other small decorative objects although the carving was a time-consuming process due to its hardness.

A locket is an item of jewellery, usually a pendant worn on a chain around the neck, that is hinged and opens to reveal a space, sometimes called a "keepsake compartment", used for storing a a personal memento, such as a miniature, a photograph or strands of hair.

Other styles of lockets are worn as a brooch or bracelet.

They have been around in various forms since the 15th century, but reached the peak of their popularity in the 19th century, when sentimentality was part of the national psyche.

They are most commonly made of gold or silver, often decorated more... with precious or semi-precious stones and come in many shapes including ovals, hearts and circles. less...