How large does the lock of hair need to be?

A very small lock is enough - usually 2 to 5 mm in diameter for a gathered tuft. The workshop needs only a minute quantity of hair, which is then fitted to the size of the pendant's compartment. With long hair the lock is usually trimmed to 1 to 2 cm before being placed and then carefully secured.

How is the hair fixed inside the pendant?

Three standard methods. Thread binding: the hair is tied into a small bundle with a fine gold thread and laid into the hollow setting. Cabochon enclosure: the hair is positioned beneath a disc of rock crystal or glass, which is secured to the pendant with a gold setting. Resin embedding: the hair is cast in clear jewellery resin, which once cured is set into the pendant mount. The first two methods are the historical classics, the third a modern variant.

What does a hair pendant cost?

Depending on material and workshop, €150 to €1,500. Standard silver versions from around €150, 14-carat gold from around €300, 18-carat gold with an elaborate hollow setting €600 to €1,500. Premium pieces with laser engraving, a rock-crystal cabochon and an individually designed mount run into four figures. Delivery usually takes 2 to 6 weeks.

Yes, for a very long time. Human hair is one of the most durable organic materials - Victorian hair pendants from the 1850s still show unaltered locks inside them today. The key factors in caring for a piece are protection from light (UV can cause fading), dryness (moisture can cause mould) and the tightness of the hollow setting (keeping out air and moisture). Carefully looked after, the hair survives for centuries.

Hair Pendant (Modern Memorial Jewellery)

The modern hair pendant carries a lock of the person remembered in a tightly sealed hollow setting at the throat - the direct technical continuation of the Victorian hairwork tradition, today made with modern workshop techniques and usually combined with a laser engraving or inscription on the outer face.

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