Step one: choosing your metal

The metal you choose affects how your locket looks, how it feels on your skin, how long it lasts, and what it costs. Here's an honest breakdown of what we carry.

Sterling silver is our most classic option. It has a cool, bright finish and a timeless feel — the kind of thing that looks as beautiful on a grandmother as it does on a teenager. It's also our most accessible price point. One thing to know: sterling silver can tarnish over time, especially if it's exposed to moisture, perfume, or sweat. That's completely normal and easy to manage with occasional gentle polishing. If you have sensitive skin, a sterling silver locket is generally a safe choice.

Top 5 Best Selling Sterling Silver Lockets

Gold vermeil is sterling silver with a thick layer of real gold on top. This gives you the warm, golden look at a more accessible price than solid gold. The gold layer is durable, but like all plated jewelry, it can wear over time — especially on high-contact spots like the bail (the loop where the chain passes through). With reasonable care, vermeil lockets stay beautiful for many years.

Exploring the Difference Between Gold Vermeil and 14k Gold

14k solid gold is exactly what it sounds like: solid gold all the way through. There's no layer to wear off. It's the most durable option we offer, and it's the one we'd recommend if you're buying an heirloom piece — something intended to be passed down. It's also the most significant investment, and one that tends to be worth every penny.

Solid Gold Lockets at The Locket Sisters

Bronze or Pewter covered with gold or silver has a warm, antique quality that's entirely its own. It patinas naturally over time, which some people love — it gives the locket a lived-in, storied feel. Plated is also our most approachable price point and holds up beautifully with light care.

Shop Open Pendant Lockets

We have a dedicated blog post that goes deeper on metals — How to Pick the Right Metal for your Locket — if you want to read even more before deciding.

Step two: picking the right size and shape

Lockets come in a surprising range of shapes and sizes, and the right one really does depend on you.

Size is mostly about personal style. Smaller lockets feel delicate and discreet — perfect for someone who prefers subtle jewelry or layering with other pieces. Larger lockets make more of a statement and tend to show photos more clearly. If you're unsure, go with your gut: do you tend to wear bold jewelry or understated pieces?

Shape matters more than most people expect — both aesthetically and for the photo inside. Here's a quick guide:

• Round lockets are the most classic and work beautifully for portraits, pet faces, and close-up shots.

• Oval lockets are elegant and work well for portrait-oriented photos.

• Heart lockets are deeply sentimental and photograph faces beautifully.

• Square lockets lend themselves to landscapes, group shots, or any photo where you want to see a bit more of the scene.

• Open pendant lockets sit flat against the chest and show your photo at all times — no hinge, always visible.

If you're torn between shapes, think about the photo you have in mind first. That will often make the decision for you.

Each locket also comes with a chain of your choice. You can read more about our Updated Chain Collection and see which chain you love most!

Step three: choosing your photo

This is the part people worry about the most — and the part we want to reassure you about.

You don't need a professional photograph. You don't need perfect lighting. You need a photo that means something to you, and we'll work with what you have.

That said, a few things genuinely make a difference:

Resolution matters more than you'd expect. Because the locket photo is very small, a blurry or heavily compressed image will look blurry in the locket. The best photos come from digital files — even a good smartphone photo taken in decent light will work beautifully. Old printed photos can absolutely work too, but the sharper the original, the better.

Faces should be close and clear. If you're using a group photo and the faces are tiny in the frame, that detail will be even smaller inside the locket. We have a cropping tool that you will use once you upload your photo(s), so rest assured that you will get to see what it will look like before you hit that order button.

One face tends to work better than many. That's not a hard rule, and we've done beautiful lockets with families and groups. But if you have a single-photo locket and you're trying to fit six people, some detail will be lost. A double photo locket is a great solution if you want more than one image.

Older printed photos can be scanned. If the photo you want is only in print form, scanning it (or even photographing it carefully with your phone in good light, flat on a white surface) works well. We can often do a lot with an old photo. Here’s a blog about how to do that well.

Once you submit your order, we will take a close look and be sure we think it looks good. If we have any questions we will reach out, and if you’re worried about how it will look just leave us a note to reach out with a proof or assurance. If you're not sure whether your photo will work, just reach out via email or text before you order — we'd rather look at it with you than have you wonder.

Step four: understanding what we do for you

One of the things that makes The Locket Sisters different is that we do everything for you. You don't receive a locket and then figure out how to get a photo inside it yourself. We handle that entirely.

Here's how it works: you choose your locket, send us your photo (digitally), and we size, position, and seal your image inside the locket using a crystal-clear resin that protects the photo permanently. You receive a finished, wearable piece — not a kit.

That resin seal is important. It means your photo isn't loose inside the locket, isn't going to fall out, isn't going to get damaged by moisture or handling. It's there to stay. We've had customers tell us their locket looks exactly as beautiful years later as it did the day they received it.

Step five: caring for your locket

Once your locket arrives, a little care goes a long way.

• Store it in a soft pouch or jewelry box when you're not wearing it, away from other pieces that could scratch it.

• Remove it before swimming, showering, or applying lotion and perfume — this applies especially to silver and vermeil.

• Polish lockets occasionally with a soft jewelry cloth to maintain their shine.

• 14k solid gold needs the least maintenance, but still appreciates being stored carefully.

One thing people sometimes worry about: the resin over the photo. You can clean your locket gently with a soft damp cloth — the resin is durable and won't be harmed by gentle handling.

How to Keep Your Locket Sparkling

Ready to shop? — over 50 designs in silver, gold vermeil, 14k solid gold, and bronze.