Top 10 Locket Facts
- Lockets are a jewellery item worn on a chain around the neck or as a bracelet around the wrist or ankle.
- Lockets are pendants made in two halves that can be opened and used to store items.
- The origin of the word locket stems from the time of William the Conqueror in 1066, when the French word ‘loquet’ was used to describe a lock or latch similar to the catch that secures modern-day lockets.
- Jewellery lockets with a hinged cover and catch were believed to be first worn in 1679.
- Popular items stored in lockets include photographs of friends or loved ones, or small items such as teeth or locks of hair.
- Lockets come in different shapes and sizes. The most common are oval lockets, heart lockets and round lockets.
- Lockets can be used to carry small pieces of important information and notes. This might be a love letter from a sweetheart or something more practical such as a bank pin code or computer password.
- Most lockets are made of precious metals such as silver, gold or white gold. Contemporary metals such as titanium and platinum are also popular choices.
- Some lockets contain tiny cushions to which perfume or fragrance can be added. The purpose of this is to make the wearer smell attractive and to ward off any unpleasant smells of those around them.
- The largest number of separate compartments in a single locket is known to be eight.
