TL;DR: the best Christmas gift for mum or grandma is a photo locket she can wear every day. Our heart and oval lockets cost EUR 34.90 each, hold two photos, and the engraving is included in the price. Choose the chain length when you order and delivery across the EU and UK takes 3-7 business days.
Last updated: 22 October 2026
Every December the same question comes round: what do you give the woman who says she wants nothing? If you are hunting for a Christmas gift for mum that is not another candle or box of bath salts, a locket is worth a proper look. It is small, it sits close to the heart, and it carries the two faces she would choose to keep with her. We stock two: the heart photo locket and the oval photo locket, both EUR 34.90 with engraving included in the price. If you want a wider list first, our guide to personalised Christmas gifts for mum covers the whole range.
Why does a locket make a good Christmas gift for mum?
Because it is personal in a way that cannot be bought off a shelf. You choose the photos, you choose the words, and she opens a box to find something that is plainly about her family. A necklace is also a gift she will actually use: she can wear it to the Christmas table, to work in January, and on ordinary Tuesdays.
For a grandmother the effect is even stronger, because one locket can hold two grandchildren, or a child and a grandchild side by side.
Budget matters too. A YouGov survey of British adults in November 2025 found that the median spend on Christmas presents for parents falls between £31 and £50. A gift under EUR 50 is therefore in step with what most people plan to spend, and yet it arrives as something engraved and personal rather than generic.
Heart or oval: which locket should you choose?
Both open to show room for two photos, both are gold-tone stainless steel, and both carry the same price. The difference is shape and character. Here is how the heart locket and the oval locket compare.
| Heart locket | Oval locket | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | EUR 34.90 | EUR 34.90 |
| Size | about 25 mm | 30 x 23 mm |
| Material | gold-tone stainless steel (IP coating), clear zircon border | gold-tone stainless steel |
| Photos | 2 inside | 2 inside |
| Engraving | included in the price | included in the price |
| Suits | a mum who likes a sparkle and a romantic shape | a mum or grandma who prefers a classic, slightly larger pendant |
A mum who favours sparkly pieces will love the zircon edge of the heart; one who prefers simple jewellery will reach for the cleaner oval line. Browse both and the rest of our range in the jewellery collection.
Which photos should go inside?
Two small portraits work best, so pick photos where the face fills most of the frame. Wide group shots shrink to a blur at this size. Our guide on how to put a photo in a locket explains cropping and trimming in detail. Here are five pairings that tend to land well at Christmas:
- Mum as a child, and you today, so the two generations face each other.
- Your two children, taken in the last year, for a grandmother who sees them too rarely.
- Mum and her own mum at the same age, for a quiet nod to family resemblance.
- Your wedding portrait on one side, a recent family snap on the other.
- A beloved family pet on one side and the whole family on the other, for the mum whose dog is a full member of the household.
A clear phone photo of an old print is perfectly good.
What should you engrave?
The engraving area is small, so treat it like a headline and not a paragraph. Short beats long every time. These are engraving ideas for a Christmas locket, offered as suggestions:
- Mum
- Nan, Christmas 2026
- Emma & Jack
- Always my girls
- 25.12.2026
- Home is where you are
- Our first Christmas together
- M + S + L (the initials of three children)
Initials and dates are the safest choice, because they stay crisp at a small size. Put any longer message on a card.
How do you order a locket as a Christmas gift?
Ordering takes a few minutes. You do not need to be good with technology, and you do not need to post any physical photos.
- Pick the heart or the oval locket.
- Upload two photos, either one for each side or two close crops of the same person.
- Add your engraving text. Keep it short.
- Choose the chain length when you order.
- Check the preview, pay, and wait for delivery across the EU and UK, which takes 3-7 business days from order to your door.
Our lockets are personalised and engraved in the EU, and we ship to the UK and Ireland as well as the rest of Europe. We cannot promise a particular arrival date for Christmas, so order with some slack.
How do you wrap and present it?
Presentation is half the pleasure. Wrap the box in plain paper and add a handwritten card, and the gift does the rest. Here are a few card lines that sound like a person and not a greeting-card shop:
- "Open it slowly. The best bit is inside."
- "So you always have us with you."
- "For the woman who has kept all of our photos."
How should she wear and look after it?
Put the necklace on after perfume and hairspray, take it off before swimming or bathing, and wipe it with a soft dry cloth. Open the locket gently and never force it.
Want to see how a locket compares with other styles? Read our comparison of an engraved locket and a photo locket, or browse what a locket is and how it works. For a gift that is not for Christmas, see our personalised gifts for mum guide, and for the older generation, our gifts for grandma guide.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the locket?
The heart locket measures about 25 mm, which is small enough to feel delicate and large enough to hold two photos. The oval locket is 30 x 23 mm, so it sits a little larger on the chest. Both are comfortable to wear every day and neither is heavy.
What is the locket made of?
Both lockets are gold-tone stainless steel. The heart locket has a gold-tone IP coating and a clear zircon border that catches the light. The oval locket has the same gold-tone finish with a cleaner, plainer edge. We call it gold-tone, so you know exactly what you are buying.
Which photos fit inside the locket?
Each locket holds two photos, one on each side. Close portraits work best because the faces stay recognisable at a small size. You upload the images when you order, so you can use a clear phone picture of an old print, a recent snap, or a favourite from a family occasion.
How does the engraving work?
You type your engraving text when you place your order, and the engraving is included in the price of EUR 34.90. The surface is small, so short words, names, initials and dates look best. Longer messages are better placed on a card that you tuck into the gift box.
Can I choose the chain length?
Yes. You choose the chain length when you order, so you can pick one that sits where mum prefers. If you are not sure, think about the necklines she usually wears and about whether she likes a pendant that rests high or one that hangs lower.
How long does delivery take?
Delivery to the EU and the UK, including Ireland, takes 3-7 business days from order to your door. Each locket is personalised and engraved in the EU before it ships. We do not promise a specific Christmas arrival date, so order with some time in hand.
Is a locket suitable for a grandmother as well as a mum?
Yes, and it is often even more meaningful for a grandmother. Two photos let her keep two grandchildren, or a child and a grandchild, close at hand. The oval has classic proportions that suit many grandmothers, though the heart is just as lovely.
Is it a good Christmas gift under EUR 50?
At EUR 34.90 with engraving included in the price, it sits comfortably under EUR 50 and still feels thoughtful. Finder estimated that Brits would plan to spend an average of £514 on Christmas gifts in 2025 in total, so a single meaningful present for mum fits within a sensible budget.
