What is an antique locket worth?

It depends on the metal and its standard, the weight, the quality and survival of the engraving, the era, any stones, and whether the glazing and hinges are original. A worn gold-fronted Victorian locket and a heavy 18K one of the same size can sit hundreds of dollars apart. Every locket here is priced individually after our own bench assessment.

How can I tell a vintage pendant is real gold?

Look for the hallmark, usually on the bail or the back edge, then confirm by testing. We read the mark, identify the standard and test the metal where the mark is worn, and record the result in the dossier on the product page.

Do your lockets still open, and can I put a photo inside?

Yes. Every locket is opened and its hinges and glazing checked at our bench before listing. Where a compartment or glass is missing or damaged, the condition report says so.

Can I see the piece before I buy it?

Book a private video viewing. One of our specialists takes the exact piece into daylight on camera, turns it, shows you the hallmark and the back of the setting, and answers your questions live in your own time zone.

Do you ship to the US with duties included?

Yes. Shipping from the Netherlands to any US address is free, fully insured and tracked, and import duties and taxes are already included in the price you see. Nothing extra is collected on delivery.

The collection

Vintage & Antique Pendants & Lockets

Pendants and lockets are the most personal antique jewelry there is. A Victorian locket was made to hold a photograph or a lock of hair; an Art Nouveau pendant was made to be looked at closely, in enamel, horn and plique-à-jour glass; an Edwardian drop was made to hang from a fine platinum chain and catch the light as it moved. All of them outlive the chains they came on, which is why we list them separately and let you choose what to wear them on.

Victorian yellow gold locket and seed pearls on aged linen with old letters

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Not sure? Find my piece

Looking for something you saw earlier? Browse our archive of recently sold vintage jewelry to see the kind of pieces that pass through our hands.

This category runs from Georgian and Victorian gold and silver work, through Art Nouveau and Edwardian, to Art Deco geometric drops, mid-century modernist pendants and estate pieces in 14K and 18K gold with diamonds or colored stones. Charm and crest pendants, engraved lockets, cross and heart forms and single-stone drops all sit here.

Each pendant is measured with and without its bail, weighed and tested. Lockets are opened so the hinges, the glazing and the compartments can be checked and cleaned, and a later bail or a replaced glass is written into the condition report rather than quietly passed over. Every piece is one of a kind, gemologist checked, and ships free and fully insured to the US with import duties included.

Personal service

Nothing here yet is quite it?

Three ways to go further, all of them with a person on the other side.

Book a private video viewing

One of our jewelers takes any piece to daylight and shows you the hallmark, the setting and any wear, live and in your own time zone.

Book a viewing

Tell us what you are looking for

Our buyers work with European estates and auction houses regularly. Describe the piece and we write to you when something right comes in.

We will source it

Have one made — Atelier

Our Atelier pieces are newly handcrafted in our own workshop, taking their cues from the vintage and antique jewelry we have spent decades restoring. New work with a vintage soul, never sold as antique.

Explore Atelier

Shop by era

Georgian, Victorian, Art Nouveau, Edwardian, Art Deco, Retro and mid-century pendants, filtered on the era recorded for the piece rather than on how it looks.

Shop by metal & stone

Yellow, white and rose gold, platinum, silver and gold-fronted work, set with diamond, sapphire, garnet, opal, turquoise, amethyst, pearl and enamel. Dimensions are given with and without the bail.

What makes an antique locket special

Hand engraving that was cut, not stamped. Hinges and snap closures fitted by a goldsmith. Original glazed compartments, sometimes still holding their woven hair or paper. Those details cannot be reproduced, and they are the reason lockets hold their value.

Chains, bails and wearing your pendant

Most pendants are listed without a chain so you can choose length and weight yourself. Our goldsmith can fit a heavier bail or match a chain from stock; ask on a video viewing and we will hold both up together on camera.

Buying from the Netherlands — duties included

Free insured shipping to the US, import duties already in the price, and 30 days to return with free insured return shipping. Nothing is collected at your door.

Frequently asked questions

Question not answered here? Our specialists are happy to help.Contact us Book a private viewing

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About this category

Pendants at Vintage Jewelry

Antique and vintage pendants and lockets, checked, cleaned and ready to wear on a chain of your choosing.

About vintage pendants

Pendants and lockets often outlive their chains, so we list them on their own and record their measurements and weight exactly. Where a bail was added later, the dossier says so.

How we authenticate vintage pendants

We read the marks, test the metal, open lockets to check the hinges and glazing, and have any stones assessed by our gemologist, a GIA Graduate Gemologist (GG).

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By era

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How to care for your vintage jewelry

Also of interest

Guides and collections that pair with these pieces.