Lover’s Eye Locket from The Met Museum

Our fanciful 18K gold-plated locket re-imagines a “lover’s eye,” a type of portrait miniature that became popular in 18th-century Europe. Originally hand-painted on ivory, these delicate images were mounted in gold lockets, brooches, and bracelets that were given as intimate mementos of affection. The jewelry was likely meant to be admired by the recipient in private, portraying just the eye(s) to protect the lover’s identity. One such example in The Met collection is an American watercolor on ivory, ca. 1802, portraying the eye of Maria Miles Heyward by Edward Greene Malbone (1777-1807). Our locket with glass dome and magnet closure is designed to hold your own symbol of love.