This beautiful locket is designed as a heart and set with a central cabochon opal. It is crafted in buttery yellow 15 carat gold and is suspended from a gold trace link chain with a bolt ring fitting.
The opal is in a raised rub-over setting surrounded by engraved forget-me-nots. The locket has a glazed compartment to the reverse with a silk liner. It is a classic example of Victorian sentimental jewellery and rich in symbolism.
The heart-shaped locket is a classic design and was popular from the 1870s through to the turn of the century. In Victorian society, the opal symbolised love and faithfulness, and, when paired with engraved forget-me-not motifs, would have meant enduring love and remembrance. The glazed compartment to the reverse may have held a lock of hair or other personal memento. Heart lockets of this type were frequently gifted to mark engagements and anniversaries and were occasionally adapted for mourning use.
This locket would make a beautiful gift for a loved one or a piece to mark a significant life moment. Designed to be worn close to the heart and to contain a photograph or personal memento, it remains as meaningful now as it was in the late 19th century.
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