History of Your Life in 4 Objects

Late Teenage: Lockets & Love.

This particular necklace is a collaboration of two separately manufactured pieces, a filigree heart shaped locket and an almost basic tribal appearing pendant.

The silver pendant was independently designed and produced by Andreas Hadjivassiliou using scraps donated by his grandmother who regularly produced her own items of unique jewellery. This sole simplistic pendant was produced around the millennium as product of the skills and techniques passed onto Andreas by his grandmother during childhood experimentation.

I obtained the piece after being in a significant relationship together, however despite the pendant not being something in which I would usually wear, the knowledge of its importance to him made it become more precious in my opinion.  

Lockets traditionally associated with popular Victorian costume jewellery were originally used not only to carry keepsakes including powder, poisons, charms, hair, ashes and more recently photographs but were gifts of condolence given to those who had lost loved ones. However despite being produced in a variety of metals, brass, copper, aluminium, iron, sterling gold and platinum, the more popular lockets were traditionally made of copper plated with sterling silver. During the early years of the 20^th century when mechanical advancements were taking place the locket became a object of mass production, incorporating extravagant pearls, gem stones and miner cut diamonds. The Victorians who became obsessed with romance popularized the heart shaped locket which led to its increased demand which still occurs in today’s modern society. Due to the way in which I came into possession of the heart shaped locket I know very little about its manufacture or its development.

After always having the desire to own a heart shaped locket due to the romanticism associated with them it was special object to me when I was given this particular locket as a gift from one of my closest friends Siobhan.

Both objects have great personal significance due to the individuals which it represents. Due to a series of events neither of the individuals are part of my life as it is today and therefore similarly to the way in which Victorians used the heart locket as a way of remembrance I to use it to remember a particular time in my life.