The first time I saw a Marla Aaron lock, I didn’t get it. I thought, “Oh, cute, a lock,” and scrolled on through my Instagram feed.

The second time I saw a Marla Aaron lock, I paused. My eyes liked its polished surface, its golden curves. I enjoyed that it was a replica of a household thing in precious metals. I scrolled on through my Instagram feed.

It wasn’t until the third time, when I happened across a picture of the locks in action, that I finally understood that a Marla Aaron lock is two things in one: a beautiful object in its own right and an infinity of possibilities.

The locks come in a wide variety of sizes and styles, all made from solid precious metal: from silver to yellow or rose gold and platinum, engraved or embellished with gemstones, even completely gemstone-encrusted. The tiniest, the babylock, is smaller than a fingertip.

The last time I was in NYC, Marla was kind enough to invite me to view her collections (the locks are only the beginning, but they’re what we’re focusing on for today).

As I sat in front of a table covered in Marla Aaron locks, the pieces spoke to me. Suddenly they weren’t jewelry, they were promises, goals, symbols of love and strength. I felt like I could sense the locks’ future owners, just waiting to imbue these waiting symbols with their own deeply personal meaning.

They so much more than beautiful objects: each a tiny blank talisman waiting to take on the significance that its new owner needed it to have. They remind me of sentimental antique jewelry – no wonder, since locks have been a popular motif repeatedly throughout history – but these locks are streamlined for the modern age. Streamlined, and fully functional.

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