Bloodstone Locket - 14K Yellow Gold & Sterling Silver

A tiny vessel for images, mementos, secrets, and a little bit of prophecy.

Created by Megan McGuinn for BIRTHSTONES, Teko Gallery’s group exhibition celebrating one-of-a-kind jewelry inspired by birthstones and astrological stones, this hand-fabricated locket is Megan’s deeply personal interpretation of bloodstone - an alternative birthstone for March.

The two-sided locket is crafted in 14K yellow gold and suspended from a swivel bail, allowing either face to be worn forward. One side features a deep green bloodstone, naturally punctuated by characteristic rust-red markings. Turn it over to reveal an architecturally inspired ornament in sterling silver - a nod to Megan’s background as a trained architect and her fascination with mechanical connections, ornament, and miniature worlds.

Open the hinged locket to discover two tiny interior spaces for photographs, mementos, or secrets, transforming it from an object of adornment into something intimate and entirely your own.

For Megan, bloodstone carries particular significance. Born on the Ides of March, she felt drawn to the stone over March’s traditional aquamarine. Its dark, cryptocrystalline depths and storied past spoke to what she describes as the old-soul Piscean psyche - intuition, history, esoteric knowledge, and architecture from a nearly forgotten world.

Throughout history, bloodstone has been associated with courage, longevity, protection, and even the warding off of melancholy. Megan brings those layers of symbolism into a miniature contemporary artifact that feels at once ancient, architectural, personal, and mysterious.

“A soothsayer bids you beware the Ides of March.”

One of a kind and hand-fabricated in San Francisco.

Details

• Artist: Megan McGuinn
• Exhibition: BIRTHSTONES at Teko Gallery
• Materials: 14K yellow gold & sterling silver
• Stone: Natural bloodstone
• Birthstone: Alternative March birthstone
• Dimensions: 1/2" x 3/4" including bail
• Design: Two-sided hinged locket with swivel bail
• Interior: Two spaces for photographs, mementos, or keepsakes
• One of a Kind: Yes
• Handcrafted: San Francisco, California

About the Artist

Megan McGuinn is a multidisciplinary artist based in San Francisco whose fine jewelry draws inspiration from architectural ornament, mechanical connections, and imaginary worlds. Irresistibly drawn to the miniature, she creates intimate artifacts at a scale that invites closer inspection.

Trained as an architect, Megan practiced architecture in San Francisco before turning her attention to furniture and jewelry. Her work combines a devotion to the mark of the hand with an openness to modern technology, resulting in pieces that feel precise, architectural, curious, and deeply personal.