With Alter’s Gems we’re not just about diamonds; we have a wide variety of jewelry. Today we’re going to feature the locket and how the numerous options we provide can meet most any occasion. Lockets can be found in paintings dating back to Medieval Europe, but as with any jewelry lockets really didn’t become a fashion standard until royalty endorsed it.  Queen Victoria adored lockets, and they soon became a way for people to give their special someone a keep-sake to remember them by.

Skip from Europe and Britain and stop off on the Emerald Isle for a quick story of the Claddagh. The Claddagh symbol, as seen on this 14 K yellow gold heart locket, shows two hands holding a heart adorned with a crown dates its origins to the 17^th century in a small fishing village of Claddagh just outside of Galway, Ireland. As the story goes a young man, Richard Joyce, from Galway bound for India had been captured by pirates and sold to a Turk where he learned the craft of goldsmith. In 1689 King William III secured the release of the captured slaves and they were returned to Ireland, some 14 years later, and Joyce (sometimes referenced as Joyes) was reunited with his love for which he designed the first Claddagh ring. The hands symbolized their friendship, the heart their love, and the crown to signify royalty and their loyalty to honor of King William III who had secured his release. The Claddagh therefore has a history steeped in true, faithful love that would make this locket a brilliant gift for someone’s anniversary.

A beautiful tradition from the Latino culture is the Mis Quince Años, which celebrates the fifteenth birthday of a girl, and is considered her rite of passage into woman hood. Though many young women have jewelry prior to their fifteenth birthday these days, this celebration was usually where the young woman would receive her first gift of ‘real’ jewelry. You can give the special young lady in your life this precious locket where she can hold a picture to treasure her big celebration.

Historically, someone would give a locket with their own photograph to the recipient as a token of the heart if they were leaving on a long journey. Other uses of the locket would be to hold religious scripture. We have several lockets that can be given for any number of occasions, such as this beautiful tri-color sterling silver fancy cross locket seen above.

With Alter’s Gems we have lockets available in sterling silver, yellow gold, two-tone colors, diamond cut or embossed, polished or satin finish; some have diamonds or we even have a beautiful 14 K yellow gold with mother-of-pearl locket shown here.  We invite you see our locket selection and find just the right gift to fit your special occasion.