Antique 18K Gold Locket Pendant with Pearl Cross. C. 1900

Antique 18K Gold Locket Pendant with Pearl Cross. Circa 1900

This beautiful locket pendant, crafted around the year 1900, is a remarkable example of religious goldsmithing that unites spirituality, elegance, and technical mastery in a single jewel. Made of solid 18-karat gold, it features a perfectly proportioned oval shape with a fine guilloché texture decorated with a subtle diagonal dotted pattern repeated on both sides. On the front, a delicate Latin cross adorned with natural river pearls adds an unmatched symbolic and aesthetic dimension. The pearls are set in granulated gold bezels, framed with gold rosettes that give depth and a gentle glow. The composition is balanced and deeply harmonious.

Inside, accessed through a firm and functional hinge, are two smooth, gilded compartments that remain in excellent condition. One of them still retains the original inner glass in perfect state. Designed to hold relics, photographs of loved ones, or small devotional mementos, this locket preserves its full functionality and is highly collectible.

Its overall condition is very good, with only light surface marks consistent with age and use, which do not detract from its beauty or structure. On the contrary, these timeworn traces add authenticity to a piece that has endured more than a century while maintaining its charm. The pendant includes its original suspension ring, also in gold, ready to be worn with a chain or velvet ribbon as preferred by the collector.

A unique jewel, perfect for a devotional collection, as a meaningful gift, or as a growing-value investment.

Measurements: 3.42 × 2.58 cm (1.35 × 1 in). Weight: 11 g.

History of Devotional Lockets

Lockets first emerged as devotional objects during the Middle Ages, when the veneration of saints’ relics became an important part of Christian practice. These small containers, mainly crafted from noble metals like gold or silver, were made to hold fragments of bone, pieces of clothing, or even strands of hair from holy figures. By the 18th and 19th centuries, their use spread beyond the clergy to laypeople, who wanted to keep personal sacred items or memories close to their hearts. The pendant form, such as this one, allowed these relics to be carried always, offering spiritual comfort and protection. Pearls in devotional jewelry served not only an aesthetic purpose but also symbolized purity, faith, and divine grace. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, during the rise of sentimental and symbolic jewelry, devotional lockets reached new heights of technical and stylistic refinement, incorporating elements such as enamel, semi-precious stones, and fine engraving. Today, these lockets are highly valued by collectors and lovers of sacred art alike, as they encapsulate centuries of spiritual tradition and exquisite craftsmanship in a single, culturally and historically significant object.