This marvelous and unusual antique sterling silver locket comes from Sri Lanka and is steeped in rich cultural tradition. Crafted in a bold hexagonal form, it is designed as a hinged container once used to hold betel and lime paste.

RARE FIND! Antique Ethnic Sri Lankan Betel & Lime Paste Locket.

This marvelous and unusual antique sterling silver locket comes from Sri Lanka and is steeped in rich cultural tradition. Crafted in a bold hexagonal form, it is designed as a hinged container once used to hold betel and lime paste—an essential element of Sri Lankan and broader South Asian daily life for centuries.

The exterior is deeply decorated with raised geometric lines that give the piece an tribal, organic feel.The front and back displays a beautiful radiating sunburst motif with a central rosette flower, symbolizing vitality and good fortune. The locket opens with a small hinge to reveal a hollow compartment within—its concave form showing wear and patina from use, a testament to its age and authenticity.

Betel chewing, a practice dating back over 2,000 years in Sri Lanka and across Asia, was not merely for enjoyment—it held ritual, medicinal, and social significance. Elaborate containers for the paste were treasured personal items, often crafted in silver and carried as status symbols. A piece such as this would have belonged to someone of standing, worn as both an adornment and a functional talisman.

Antique Sri Lankan betel and lime paste lockets are extremely scarce on the market, especially in silver.

They are sought-after by collectors of tribal, ethnic, and Asian silver jewelry for their cultural significance, intricate workmanship, and rarity. Similar examples are preserved in ethnographic and jewelry museum collections worldwide.

*chain not included*

Measurements : The locket measures 2.6cm x 2.4xcm excluding the bail.The locket with a weight of 13.2grams.