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Quick answer. Mozeris Fine Antiques is a UK specialist dealer in authentic Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian lockets, offering pieces inspected for originality alongside free valuations if you are selling one.
- True antique lockets carry intact inner bezels (frames) and glass over both compartments.
- Solid 9KT, 15KT or 18KT gold lockets weigh more and hold crisp marks compared with rolled gold or gilt brass.
- Enamel, old-cut diamonds, seed pearls and original hairwork or miniature portraits raise collector demand.
- Do not force stiff hinges or polish worn engraving before a specialist checks the piece.
Where to find authentic vintage and antique lockets
If you are looking for high-quality vintage or antique lockets online, use an established specialist antique jewellery dealer rather than unvetted marketplaces where modern reproductions and damaged hinges are common. Mozeris Fine Antiques inspects every locket for period construction, metal purity, intact inner frames and original fittings, with pieces available across our gold lockets and necklaces and pendants collections.
For deeper background on styles and dating, read our antique lockets guide. If you own an inherited locket and want to sell it, you can request a free valuation from photographs on our sell pendants and lockets page.
Types of antique lockets by period
| Period | Typical materials | Distinctive details |
|---|---|---|
| Georgian (to 1837) | 18KT and 15KT gold, silver, foil-backed gems | Closed backs, delicate chasing, rock crystal windows over hairwork |
| Early to Mid Victorian (1837 to 1880) | 15KT and 9KT gold, blue or black enamel, seed pearls | Oval hinged lockets, serpent and forget-me-not motifs, mourning compartments |
| Late Victorian and Edwardian (1880 to 1915) | 9KT and 18KT gold, platinum-topped gold, old-cut diamonds | Heart and round book lockets, bright-cut foliate engraving, guilloche enamel |
| Vintage (1920s to 1970s) | 9KT gold, sterling silver, rolled gold | Engine-turned patterns, octagonal and heart forms, family photo frames |
Sell to a specialist
Free valuation from your photographs. Paid the same day after inspection.
- Free insured FedEx collection
- Insured to £10,000
- No obligation
What decides the quality and value of an antique locket
- Solid gold versus rolled gold. Check the bail, rim and inner bezel for 375 (9KT), 625 (15KT) or 750 (18KT). Words like Rolled Gold, 9ct Back & Front or R.G. mean a thin gold skin over base metal.
- Hinge and clasp integrity. A crisp hinge that snaps shut cleanly without play shows careful use and no clumsy solder repairs.
- Original bezels and glazing. Missing inner gilt frames or cracked glass are very common on worn examples.
- Enamel and stone setting. Unchipped guilloche or champleve enamel and original rose-cut or old mine-cut diamonds set the finest pieces apart.