Ode to Secret Compartments in Jewellery

I’m a big admirer of secret compartments in jewellery (and furniture. And anything else really). Any hidden message, photo, puzzle, diorama or niche tickles me. If it’s miniature and concealed let me at it! Basically if a piece of jewellery is mysterious that greatly increases it’s value in my estimation.

Secret cavities in jewellery can take many forms such as the classic locket necklace, poison ring or vial pendant but the best ones are always unique and unpredictable. Think of the magic of seeing a Fabergé egg for the first time with no clue as to it’s contents! There’s nothing better than wearing a piece of jewellery which holds a secret only you know, especially if it’s personalised.
Recently I created a necklace which is my ode to secret compartments in their purest form. Not to hide a photo or message, but celebrating a hidden thing for it’s own sake.

All of the pieces I cut out for the Winter Nights necklace

I like to hide things…

Sometimes when you’re a jewellery designer and you’re very very fortunate you might get the chance to create something just to amuse yourself. Winter is here (my favourite season) and things start to slow down, so it’s around this time every year that I take a moment to celebrate and make something entirely frivolous and joyful. This year I’ve been feeling particularly pleased with the comfort of my new house and wanted to capture that feeling embodied by the most wonderful part of Winter; sitting in front of a blazing fire on a cold dark night. But what is a grand Gothic fireplace without a secret button, a rotating stone sculpture or sconce lever? Even before my love of fantasy books and ancient castles Indiana Jones left an indelible mark.
And just because it makes me happy, what you’re left with is an imposing Gothic mantelpiece and mirror, complete with rotating wyverns, roaring fire, hidden medieval weapons chamber and wrought iron style decoration. Did I miss anything?

With a total of 19 individual pieces and 19 blind rivets you can understand why I don’t hide things in every piece of jewellery I make, but I do take every possible opportunity.

Secret Compartment ideas

So how many ways can you utilise a secret compartment? There are several different mechanisms which could be involved from cogs, rivets, springs and hinges to buttons, and actions like sliding, rotating, screwing, swinging and swivelling (and that’s just using metal!). Quite often the more complicated the mechanism the more thrilling the find (something involving a combination lock is particularly fun!). Great places to find inspiration for different ways to hide things in jewellery include puzzle boxes, furniture, fairytales, music boxes, clockwork automatons, safes and of course jewellery boxes! Simple ideas include sliding drawers and hinged doors but what if you could wind something like a jack-in-the-box? Some of the most creative people in history have worked on toys, the Transformers I had as a child were ingenious!

And when it comes to the things you can conceal don’t just stick to the obvious like photos, locks of hair or engraved messages and dates. Almost anything can be miniaturised, why not try a cheeky animal figurine, a painting or a plant? Think of the things that have the most meaning to you and go from there.

The next time you’re looking for a gift for yourself or someone else consider secret compartments in jewellery and what you could hide in them. There’s nothing more special than a present containing a personalised secret short of the giver making the gift themselves (you should also consider that if you have the time!).
If you have an idea you’d like to explore and discuss simply fill out the custom request form to get in touch.