Victorian Banded Onyx Locket Pendant Gold M Initial Sardonyx
Located in New York, NY
A rare and wonderful antique Belle Epoque, Victorian locket pendant with a beautiful engraved "M" initial on one side.
Onyx, Gold, 10k Gold, Rose Gold
Victorian 18 Karat Gold Onyx Seed Pearl Letter M Oval Locket Pendant
Located in Vilnius, Vilniaus apskr.
This is an antique Napoleon 3rd style oval locket pendant crafted in 18K gold. Circa 1870. The piece is made of onyx.
Onyx, Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold
Gold Locket with the Initial M Set with Turquoises
Located in Amsterdam, NL
An 18 carat yellow gold oval locket decorated with the initial M set with sugar loaf cut turquoises, with one glassed compartment, France, end 19th century, on an 18 carat gold rope ...
Turquoise, 18k Gold
Large antique Victorian era silver photo locket with “M” letter monogram
Located in Versailles, FR
Elegance meets sentimentality in this exquisite silver locket pendant. As a symbol of personalized refinement, this locket features a beautifully rendered monogram of the letter "M,"...
Silver
Whether you’re layering multiple jewelry pieces or opting for a single strand, vintage pendant necklaces are versatile accessories that can elevate your casual wear as easily as they can add a creative flourish to your formal attire.
The earliest jewelry was less about accessorizing than it was about wearers arming themselves with amulets. In Ancient Egypt, some amulets featured a loop so that they could be strung around one’s neck. While rubies have long been one of the few gemstones that can give diamonds a run for their money, members of some ancient civilizations valued the stones from the get-go, donning ruby pendants as well as other stones with the belief that these adornments would bring protection, healing powers or strength. Today, we still wear our charm bracelets and charm pendants around our necks for good luck.
Later, pendant necklaces, like most fine jewelry, were worn strictly by royalty or the upper class and conferred wealth and prestige. This changed over time, thankfully, as wearing jewelry became more widespread, a democratized means of personal expression.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, pendant necklaces evolved from their status as spiritual amulets, but the jewels still carried deep personal significance. Victorian pendants, in particular, were part of the “mourning jewelry” tradition. Wearers would embed their pendants with locks of hair from a deceased loved one as a way of grieving in the wake of a loss. In the case of cameo jewelry, some pendants were even decorated with miniature hand-carved portraits in a detailed raised relief. Today, portraiture is still a characteristic of many of the hand-carved pendant necklaces offered by Italian jewelry house Scala Gioielli.
Luxury fine jewelry brands such as Cartier, BVLGARI and David Yurman offer their own unique interpretations of the cherished accessory, embellishing platinum or gold pendant necklaces with diamonds, sapphires and other stones.
On 1stDibs, find an extraordinary range of vintage pendant necklaces and other necklaces today.