Mother’s Day Gift Guide: The Most Intriguing Modern Lockets

If you are looking for a heartfelt gift then those that hold keepsakes and memories close to the heart are a choice you might want to consider for Mother’s Day. The featured pieces aren’t your ordinary lockets but ingenious takes on jewels that house personal or secret mementos—whether they be a photo, a message, or even a dried flower. Some even are designed with their own little plaques that can be custom engraved or inscribed.

Circa 1700’s 18K gold Mon Coeur Avec Le Votre Apple Locket which translates into My Heart is with yours, is inscribed on the outside of the locket. A significant and heartfelt gift for Mother’s Day, it is inspired by antique apple lockets that open from the top but as always, Susan Cohen, designer of Circa 1700, finds a way to reinvent the past into modern-day treasures. The interior contains two apple seeds that form to make a heart set against a reflective surface that mirrors the motifs. It is a perfect piece for favorite keepsakes and is finished with a frame that Cohen says, “denotes the bonds we have with those with love.”

Eden Presley’s 14K gold Butterfly Locket is crafted from carved tourmaline wings that lift up to reveal hidden words/affirmations. It has diamond accents and is a naturalistic take on holding secrets and sentiments close to one’s heart.

Octavia Elizabeth’s yellow gold diamond and mother-of-pearl Love Locket is one of 15 that the designer handcrafted herself. Each one is unique and cast from recycled 18K gold, framed by a halo of diamonds. Most interesting is that it features a mother-of-pearl chip at its center that was initially carved in Imperial China during the 1700 and 1800s. This one bespeaks Mother’s Day with its floral carving.

Auroro’ 18K big puffy heart opens from the top. Tiffany Chao, designer explains “it’s similar to a heart locket but not, it’s a ‘heart pocket’.” I created it to store favorite memories and keepsakes—favorite things that the person you are gifting wants to keep close always.”

FUTURA’s Love Locket motif is an embossing of our Mother Earth on both sides, wrapped in a closed belt to represent what we hold to be most precious. Could you get any closer to the perfect gift for Mother’s Day? The locket slides open; inspired by antique styles from the late 19th century, The Love Locket can be engraved with a special message inside. Handcrafted in NYC with 18K certified Fairmined Ecological gold that is mercury and toxic chemical free, sustainable, and ethical.

Marie Lichtenberg’s 18K gold Heartbeat Orb is Rose gold orb with a coco finish sprinkled with engraved stars, each set with a diamond with an enameled heart inside. This can be enough of a keepsake –symbolizing giving your heart. But it can also hold a small paper with a message inside, doubling the meaning of the orb.

Francesca Villa collects antique and vintage trinkets and then works them into eye-catching, elegant, or whimsical designs. Since she chooses pieces from the past, she re-imagines finds from different eras in time for the modern-day woman. Such is the case of the 18K gold reverse crystal Cherry Flower Locket Ring. Reverse crystal and locket rings were both popular during Victorian times, yet Villa’s version is designed in a marquise shape and offers a joyous contemporary feeling with a pink sapphire surround.

Buddha Mama’s 20K yellow gold Moon Locket with diamonds is a clever take on one of the most popular motifs throughout time and is as relevant today as one of its meanings is female empowerment. The crescent moon is engraved with stars and moons set with pave diamonds and fancy diamonds and a pave diamond surround. A small diamond and star drops from the bottom of the locket in which can carry a favorite small message. These celestial motifs also signify “I love you to the moon and stars and back” which is another way to tell the person your gifting how you feel about them on Mother’s Day.

Briony Raymond’s 18K yellow gold Classic Diamond Memoir Locket is a bespoke locket featuring your choice of a zodiac sign with botanical detailing and accented with brilliant diamonds throughout center design. The locket also is created with a hand-set surround of brilliant round diamonds . Locket opens with space for two photos to be displayed and a smooth, curved back allows for custom engraving.

Jennifer Alfano’s 18K gold memento pendants are designed to hold personal messages such as a letter, a poem, or simply a name, initials and a date. Each insert is customized and can be created in the handwriting of the person purchasing the gift or the giftee. The gold insert cards are sold separately, so if you want to create your own keepsake for inside, you have that option. The designs are inspired by circa 1800s Vesta cases, which held matches and were named after the Roman goddess of hearth and fire. All case gold is certified ethically sourced; diamonds are conflict-free.

Sorellina’s popular 18K gold Lock & Key Locket in their newest version for Mother’s Day, pink mother-of-pearl. It is accented by diamond pave and can hold a small photo or a token of affection.

EF Collection’s 14K yellow gold and diamond locket ring is a contemporary re-envisioning of 19th-century originals or earlier poison rings. The wider oval shape features a diamond surround and can fit two printed images inside. It can also be custom engraved on the top of the ring.

Fortune Baby’s 18K gold Wonder Locket features pavé diamond flower petals with a bezel set emerald gemstone in the center. Inside the locket reveals the surprise of a gold stardust flower with a bezel set diamond. It can hold a printed photo on the other side or a piece of paper with a saying, dates, names or a motto.