18k gold chain pendant

Over time the padlock has become a jewelery classic.

A symbol of bonding, it quickly becomes a symbol of love and has been offered by several major jewelry brands.

Whether it is the Louis Vuitton padlock pendant in gold and diamonds or the Van Cleef & Arpels padlock watch, launched in the 1930s and which has since become a timeless jewel, a classic of the house and a reference in jewellery.

In the case of our jewellery, it involves the bespoke creation of a functional 18k gold lock.

The body of the padlock as well as the mechanism are made of yellow gold while the handle of the padlock is made of rhodium-plated 18k white gold.

View of the 18 carat gold padlock pendant with its key also in 18 carat gold, our service for creating a tailor-made jewel

It is a jewel with a total weight of 18.6 grams including 14.7 grams for the padlock. The latter is 28 millimeters high and 17.5 millimeters wide.

The key is 24 millimeters long and constitutes a piece of jewelery in its own right that can be worn as a separate necklace.

Here we will present the manufacturing phases of the padlock and its key and in particular that of the locking mechanism.

The body of the lock and its handle

Conventional commercial locks are complex to manufacture for strength and reliability, as you can see in this cutaway view.

View of the opening mechanism of a padlock with its key

In our case, we are trying to make a piece of jewelry that will never be forced, which is why we made a relatively simple locking mechanism powered by the gold key.

The work begins with the assembly of the lock body.

To do this, we begin our work by rolling a sheet of 18k yellow gold which will then be cut.

18K gold plate rolled out of the rolling mill

Yellow gold plate which will be used to make the body of the padlock

Our plate is then cut and folded to form the sides of the lock.

The two sides of the lock body that will house the mechanism

These two sides are then assembled by welding.

Next we can start the internal arrangement by receiving the internal mechanism of the padlock.

Photo showing the body and one of the 3 yellow gold tubes of the locking mechanism

The padlock ring is made of a round white gold wire 3 millimeters in diameter.

The wire is first rolled up and then passed through a die to give it shape and diameter.

Our white gold wire that will become the handle of the padlock pendant

In the previous photo you see a steel part of a commercial padlock that we use as a template to create the golden handle.

The latter is then formatted and thus stretched.

View of the white gold thread that takes the shape of the padlock handle

Creation of the mechanism and the key

The inside of the padlock is lined with the mechanical components of the locking system.

These components are cut with a saw, then filed and mounted inside.

View of the inside of the padlock

Photo showing the opening mechanism with relative spring

After creating the padlock mechanism, it is possible to adjust the upper and lower flanges of the latter.

Top padlock plate that will be riveted into place

At this point all the elements of the mechanism are ready, we can therefore appreciate the puzzle on these different views.

This photo shows us the different parts of the locking system and in particular the steel springs used for our mechanism

Making the golden key

Then we finally make the key, the steps of which follow these few photos. A rolled gold plate is rolled into a tube shape and then soldered to a plate that becomes the ring and another, the tip, used to activate the padlock mechanism.

View of the completed padlock and its key before making the finishing touches

The finishes consist of filing, polishing and polishing the metal in order to obtain the brilliant reflections of gold.

The white gold handle is also rhodium plated.

Here is the final rendering:

Views of the golden padlock and its key in the open or closed position

Note that this jewel can be easily personalized via an engraving or by setting a diamond in a corner of the lock body.

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