18ct Gold Engraved Locket | English c.1880

This late Victorian locket is a quietly stunning example of English jewellery craftsmanship from around 1880.

Made in solid 18ct gold, it’s engraved with fine radiating lines that catch the light beautifully, complemented by soft foliate detail that’s both elegant and restrained.

The locket opens to reveal its original fittings for two portrait miniatures or photographs, remarkably still lined with deep blue moiré silk, a rare survival that speaks to the care with which it’s been kept.

Unlike more theatrical jewellery of the era, this piece is intimate and considered.

The engraving style and overall construction suggest hand-engraved engine turning, likely executed by a skilled artisan using a traditional lathe,  not die-stamped or mass-produced, but made in a specialist workshop.

The crisp hinge, clean closure and fine goldwork place it toward the upper end of Victorian sentimental jewellery, designed not as a showpiece but as something to be worn and treasured.

Its scale, just 3.5cm by 2cm, makes it highly wearable today.

Suspended from a simple chain, it sits close to the heart without overwhelming, pairing just as naturally with modern clothing as it would with vintage dress.

It doesn’t shout sentimentality, but it carries it - a vessel for memory, love, or simply the quiet beauty of craftsmanship.

Originally, it may have belonged to a woman of taste and discretion, someone who valued detail, emotion and meaning over display.

It could have marked a marriage, a birth, or the memory of someone lost - a deeply personal object meant to be held close, not hidden away.

Available exclusively at ELTONS, Grays Antique Market, Mayfair, London.