Vintage Gold-Tone Rectangular Folding Locket

This item is a vintage rectangular folding locket, likely made of gold-plated brass or a similar gold-tone base metal. The locket features a vertical double-frame design connected by a central hinge, allowing it to open flat to display two black-and-white portraits. The top compartment contains a portrait of a young boy, while the bottom contains a woman in early 20th-century attire. Architecturally, the piece includes a small suspension loop at the top and a decorative heart-shaped loop or drop at the bottom, suggesting it was meant to be worn as a pendant. The metal surfaces show significant signs of age, including surface scratches, some tarnishing, and minor pitting, particularly around the frame edges. The construction is utilitarian but classic, characteristic of the Art Deco period through the mid-1940s. While no maker's marks are visible in the open position, the hinge mechanism appears functional though worn. The photographs are held in place by narrow inner bezels, showing some silvering and fading typical of gelatin silver prints of that era. This piece serves as a personal memento, reflecting mid-century sentimental jewelry craftsmanship.