Quick answer: a memorial locket is a pendant necklace that opens to hold a photo — and sometimes a small keepsake — of someone who has died, so you can keep them close. It's one of the most personal remembrance gifts you can give or wear: the photo stays private inside, and the outside can be engraved with a name, a date, or a few words that mattered. Updated 4 July 2026.
Grief doesn't ask for anything grand. Often what helps most is small and close — something you can hold. A memorial locket does exactly that: it keeps a photo of the person you've lost against you, quietly, every day. We make personalised photo lockets in our family workshop, and this guide explains what a memorial locket is, what to put in it, and how to choose one — gently, without the sales pitch.
What is a memorial locket?
A memorial (or remembrance) locket is simply a photo locket given a specific meaning: it holds an image of someone who has passed. Because it opens, it carries something private on the inside — a photo, and in some traditions a tiny keepsake such as a lock of hair. On the outside, an engraved name or date turns it into a lasting marker of a life. It answers what people quietly search for — "jewellery for a deceased loved one" — with something wearable and personal rather than kept in a drawer.
What to put inside — and engrave on — a memorial locket
- Inside: a favourite photo of them, cropped to the locket's shape. Choose a picture that sounds like them — laughing, not posed.
- Outside engraving (a name): their first name, or the name you called them.
- Outside engraving (a date): their birth year, or "Always" / "Forever loved" if a date feels too final.
- A short line: "Until we meet again", "In my heart", or three words that were theirs.
Keep the engraving short — on a keepsake this personal, less says more.
Who a memorial locket is for
People wear them for a parent, a partner, a child, a grandparent, or a close friend. They're also given — carefully — as a sympathy gift to someone grieving, or worn by several family members carrying the same photo so no one grieves alone. If you're giving one, a quiet note explaining the photo inside means as much as the locket itself.
Choosing one
Pick a shape that suits the person wearing it (heart, oval or round), and a size large enough to hold a clear photo. Ours are made to order with free engraving and come ready for your chosen picture — browse the personalised locket collection, and see our how to get a photo into a locket guide for sizing the image.
Frequently asked questions
What is the jewellery for a deceased loved one called?
It's usually called memorial jewellery or remembrance jewellery. The most common piece is a memorial locket — a pendant that opens to hold a photo of the person who died. Engraved keepsakes carrying their name or a date are also part of the same tradition.
What do you put in a memorial locket?
A photo of the person you've lost, cropped to fit the locket's shape. Some people also place a tiny keepsake inside, such as a lock of hair. The outside can be engraved with their name, a meaningful date, or a short line of remembrance.
Is a locket a good sympathy or remembrance gift?
Yes — a memorial locket is among the most personal remembrance gifts, because it keeps a real photo close and can be engraved with a name. When giving one, include a short note about the photo inside; the personal touch is what makes it meaningful rather than just an accessory.
Written with care by the makers at The Craft House Gift — a family jewellery & leather engraving workshop in Bulgaria, making personalised photo lockets shipped across the EU and UK. Last updated: 4 July 2026.
