A Victorian oval locket in gilt metal, featuring a vivid royal blue enamel ground decorated  with gilt fern fronds in naturalistic curves. The reverse is a lighter blue. The locket opens to reveal two glazed and velvet lined interior compartments, designed to hold miniature portraits or keepsakes such as hair-work or pressed flowers.

During the Victorian era, fern motifs represented sincerity, humility, and eternal youth. Ferns were part of the Victorian fascination with the natural world and botany- an influence popularised through the “Pteridomania” or “fern craze” of the 1850s–1880s.

Blue enamel was traditionally associated with fidelity and constancy.

Lockets were an essential element of Victorian sentimental jewellery, serving both commemorative and emotional functions. The gilt metal construction- finished to emulate high-carat gold- made such adornments accessible to a growing middle class. The use of vibrant enamelwork and symbolic botanical motifs situates this piece within the broader context of Aesthetic Movement design, where emphasis on beauty, nature, and craftsmanship marked a transition away from strict mourning styles toward more personal expressions of taste and sentiment.

Condition:

Excellent antique condition with minor surface wear consistent with age. Enamel retains colour and gloss; hinge and clasp secure and functioning. Please examine the pictures as they form part of the description. 

Size: 3cm x 2cm (including bail)