Heart Locket Tattoos | Ideas, Designs & Meaning

Great Heart Locket Tattoos

Introduction to Heart Locket Tattoos

Heart locket tattoos are a fairly new phenomenon. In the past, lockets did not have key holes.  However today, heart locket tattoos are most commonly seen designed with a keyhole.  Lockets in the past were designed in several different shapes; the most popular being the heart.  They were suspended on chains of length that allowed them to rest over your heart area.  This signified that whatever was held inside was close to your heart.  They usually opened and held tiny pictures of loved ones; either alive or passed on.  They were given as gifts on special holidays, especially holidays that had something to do with love.

Different Styles of Heart Locket Tattoos

Heart locket tattoos are commonly designed these days with a heart shape, a key hole, a loop at the top for the chain, and possibly a portion of the chain attached.  Designs for this tattoo are as wide open as your imagination.  Here are some suggestions. Because the concept of the heart locket tattoos originated from the Victorian Era, the design possibilities range from extremely elaborate, in keeping with the Victorian style, to the minimalist style, meaning sparse and simplistically designed.  If you are choosing elaborately designed heart locket tattoos, study some Victorian art locket images and galleries for ideas.  Heart locket tattoos are often worn by couples; the female wearing the locket with the keyhole and the male wearing the key. Remember that originally the idea was to wear the locket close to your heart.  However now it is appropriate to tattoo the locket anywhere because it is symbolized as a locket and the meaning is clear.  So, because the female is wearing the locket, you can choose the elaborate Victorian style that gravitates toward the female design style. Feel free to add swirls, flowers, cameos, fleur de lis, and any other symbols popular from that era. If you want the minimalist, which also is very popular, keep it simple and use color to pop your tattoo.

Interesting Heart Locket Tattoos

If you already wear body art, heart locket tattoos will incorporate nicely as they can be sized to fit almost anywhere and fit in with almost any existing body art.  Remember that if choosing heart locket tattoos and its visible, you may be asked for some explanation about where the key is.  If you don’t want to explain, hide it. If you want to explain, include your partner in on the design and come to some consensus so that your key and locket go together.  After all, isn’t that what this tattoo is about?  In addition, these lockets were given as special gifts on holidays representing love.  Wouldn’t be a great idea to get your heart locket tattoos together as gifts to each other on a special day that represents love to the two of you?

Color & Placement of Heart Locket Tattoos

Color – Heart locket tattoo coloring is all over the place; from simple black shaded to full blown color.  Some are in a theme while others sit alone.  Those that are alone in color are usually gold, silver, orange, yellow, and red.  Keys for heart locket tattoos are generally skeleton keys.  They are usually inked in black or gold.

Placement of these tattoos is generally small so the placement is open.  However because of the meaning it seems appropriate to keep them at least on your upper body area, visible, such as your waist, chest, arm, neck, back, or anywhere else close to your heart.


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