The only piece of jewelry that is so incredibly personal to anyone who owns one is a locket. Medallions have been around for hundreds of years and during that time they have been used for many different things. Medallions are usually associated with pendants worn on a chain, but medallions were also often worn on a ring.

In times past, a locket was used to carry small things that had some value to the wearer. Medicine could be kept inside them, as well as poison. The old days could be very dangerous to live in and the act of poisoning someone who was a threat to you was often a means of getting rid of them. It was much more common than you think. Medallions were also used by those who held certain beliefs in herbs and similar charms to ward off evil and disease. The hair or ashes of loved ones were often kept inside a locket as one of many items kept as a keepsake.

Medallions were often used to place a hand-painted miniature image inside. These tiny pictures of the person inside were very tedious work, but done by a skilled artist, the result was a beautiful work of art. The last hundred years or so is when the most popular use for medallions developed, so to speak. Placing photographed images inside them became their most common use and almost anyone could have photos.

The Victorian era was an extremely popular time for the locket. They used the locket as a piece of jewelry as much as for its storage capacity. The heart locket was very fashionable. These medallions were made in very elegant shapes. Placing a monogram on a locket was a way to further personalize the piece. They could be set with precious stones or pearls and the finest metals were used for their manufacture. Although formerly the medallions were made with all kinds of metals such as copper, brass, platinum and silver among others. Antique and vintage lockets are highly collectible for jewelry lovers.

Medallions are still widely available today and can be purchased in many styles. The techniques used to make medallions have improved over time, but they are still delicate, which really only adds to their beauty. They still make as lovely a gift for someone you love as anything you can give them in the form of jewelry.