A Gift Of The Heart

We wear them around our necks. We hang them on our walls. What is it? Antique Keys. We seem to have a fascination with beauty of their design and the history that they represent. Maybe they were the keys to Downton Abbey? Or maybe Kensington Palace? It is really exciting to think of who might have owned old keys or what building they may have provided access to. An old key unlocks a doorway into a whole new world of imagination

And, did you know, the Tower of London was broken into. Funny, since it's a place you think of people breaking out of! But what were the thieves after? The gaolers keys. Gorgeous, masterful, enormous keys? Or, perhaps, the most elegant of keys?

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Doors to unlock. Secrets to be revealed. Treasure Chests.

All of those old styled skeleton keys represent mysteries. Whether it is a mystery of the heart or emotions, a mystery of lost treasure, or a mystery of mansions engaged, our imaginations are captured by these keys.

I wore a set of keys around my neck, as a teenager. My daughter wears one now. It's a pretty big deal to unlock the padlock that seems keep love safe. And if only we could be so secure with a key. Oh yes, we hold keys in high esteem, imagining them to be protecting all that is of value in our lives.

A key can represent wealth - something worth keeping under lock and key. For me, that is akin to the value of my heart. I think it is for many. But for the very literate, an old, massive key can represent access to an inner world that is filled with equity.

I have this weird fascination with old keys. Because I design jewelry, my daughter has brought me old brass keys that she wants transformed into rings. It's a fun design idea that works well. It has worked so well that I am challenged with continually designing such keys for her because they get stolen.

The elegance of old keys is definitely a design aesthetic that I admire. To re-purpose a key as a piece of jewelry or as a form of home décor is a way of honouring the hard work the key has performed. It's a form of retirement!

Want to wear a key around your neck? Want your sweetie to wear the key to your heart? What kind of meaning can you place in an antique key? Think about it as you survey the keys provided here for you to purchase. Express your meaning beautifully through a gorgeous key.

Would you give someone a skeleton key? What would be the meaning you would want to attach to it?