From Mourning Jewelry to Modern Keepsakes: Lockets Resurface at Jewelry Week

By Victoria Gomelsky | July 22, 2026

Jewelers are channeling Victorian energy this season with a slew of locket styles that feature all the sentimentality of the age-old jewelry staple, reimagined for contemporary tastes.

Popularized during the Victorian era, when “mourning lockets”—designed to keep locks of hair or portraits of deceased loved ones—gained currency (Queen Victoria, mourning the death of Prince Albert, was a catalyst), lockets resurfaced at the recent jewelry shows in Las Vegas, this time modernized with new silhouettes and hinged elements.

Sorellina Lucky Letterlock Pendant — *Lucky Letterlock pendant in 18k gold with 0.87 ct. t.w. diamonds, $19,900; Sorellina*

Take, for example, the new Postscript collection from New York City-based Sorellina. Inspired by Victorian love letters, the line includes three hero pendants that open and unfold, revealing secret messages.

The heart-shape Lucky Letterlock pendant pays homage to the Victorian tradition of letter locking, in which senders protected their letters by using creative folding techniques that became their own tamper-resistant seals. The piece unfolds into a clover silhouette embellished with engraved lucky symbols across the back.

Sorellina Paper Plane Pendant — *Paper Plane pendant in 18k gold with 0.61 ct. t.w. diamonds, $14,000; Sorellina*

The brand’s Paper Plane pendant can be engraved with a secret message that reveals itself when its wearer opens the plane. “Secured by a miniature Pegasus, the mythical messenger symbolizes love carried across distance and time,” according to the designers.

The third hero piece in Sorellina’s Postscript collection, the gold Love Letter necklace (pictured at top), conceals a removable heart-shape letter tucked inside that is open to engraving.

Harwell Godfrey pocket locket — *Pocket Locket in 18k gold with 0.5 ct. t.w. diamonds and mother-of-pearl, $37,500; Harwell Godfrey*

Designer Lauren Harwell Godfrey echoed the letter symbolism in her new Gold Rush collection, which features an 18k gold engravable Pocket Locket pendant with a flap that opens and closes.

Ophelia Eve Undine Locket — *Undine locket in 18k gold with diamonds, $24,880; Ophelia Eve*

Ophelia Eve designers Sammi and Beth Yorn also drew inspiration from the Victorian period to create the Undine locket, which can hold a small photograph, note, or keepsake.

Top: Love Letter necklace in 18k yellow gold with 0.51 ct. t.w. diamonds, $21,000; Sorellina