The heart, and who holds the key

A heart charm stands for love and a key charm stands for trust, so worn together they say one thing twice: the heart is the feeling, and the key is who it is for. Hold the two in one palm and the difference is plain. The heart is an outline. The key is made to open something.

The plainest shape

Everyone knows the heart. It is one of the plainest symbols for love and it needs no explanation, which is why it works for a partner, a child, a parent, a friend or a pet.

Still, the way a heart is drawn changes what it says. The Open Heart Charm, shown at the top of this page, is an open silhouette outlined in pavé-set diamonds. The center is empty, so on the chain the shape reads as open and light, a line of brightness with skin showing through. The Elongated Heart Charm is a slender, tapered heart fully set with pavé diamonds. It is more modern than the classic shape, and a little more elegant.

Both come in 14K or 18K gold, in yellow, rose or white, and in Small, Medium or Large.

A key, handed over

We say "the key to my heart" without thinking about it. A key opens a lock, and giving someone your key means you trust them with what is behind the door.

The Key To Your Heart Charm takes the phrase at its word: a key set with pavé diamonds, with a heart-centered motif at its crest. It is also the lowest-priced charm we make. A small, simple charm can carry a large idea, and this one carries two.

One sentence, two charms

A heart on its own says love. A key on its own says trust, or access. Together they make a short sentence: this heart has a key, and I know who has it. That is why the pair is popular for anniversaries and for gifts between partners.

There are three good ways to wear it. Put both on one chain, the heart at the center and the key beside it, with the heart a size larger. Or split the pair across two chains: wear the heart yourself and give the key away, so each of you carries one half. Or wear one on a necklace and the other on a bracelet; our guide to necklace or bracelet, which first helps you decide where each should sit.

Love, more widely

Love is wider than romance, and some of our charms speak to its other kinds. The Eternal Love Charm shows the Chinese character for love, Ài. The Loyal Heart Dog Bone Charm reimagines a dog bone in pavé diamonds, for anyone who loves a dog. The Paw of Devotion Charm is a paw print in pavé diamonds, playful and elegant at once.

Size and gold

A heart looks right in all three sizes. Small is the quietest; Large reads from across a room. Rose gold is a natural choice for a heart, though yellow and white are just as good, and charms follow the color of your chain unless you change them. If you cannot decide between karats, our guide to choosing your gold sets out the difference between 14K and 18K.

As a gift

A heart or a key needs no explanation, which is what makes it an easy gift, even for someone who does not like jewelry that announces itself. It suits an anniversary, and one lovely plan is to add a charm to the same chain each year. It suits a wedding or an engagement, a new baby, or a friend who stood by you through a hard year. Our gift guide by moment has more.

You can place a heart and a key on a chain in Design your own, see them on a model, and move them until they sit the way you like. The price changes with each choice.

Ilene Joy was founded in 1996 and relaunched in 2019 by Ilene and her daughter, Rae Scheer. Every piece is made to order in solid 14K or 18K gold at our Los Angeles bench.