Buyer’s Guide: Hidden Message Jewellery
If you get it right, a fine piece of jewellery carrying a personalised message will make for an unforgettable gift. But giving a thoughtful and lasting gift isn’t as easy as buying a gift card. Leaving a lasting impression requires planning, careful thought, and consideration.
This guide will help you understand the languages of hidden message jewellery so you can craft the perfect keepsake for yourself or a loved one and ensure the gift you give is authentic and lasting.
We’ll explore:
- The most popular types of hidden message jewellery
- Best materials for hidden message jewellery
- How to craft the right message to yourself or a loved one
- Care and maintenance to keep your jewellery in pristine condition
What is Hidden Message Jewellery?
You’ve likely seen rings, bracelets, necklaces, and other types of jewellery that carry a meaningful message but didn’t know how to decode their meaning. Hidden messages offer a discrete or encoded way to personalise your jewellery, which is part of what makes them special to their wearer. Some jewellery uses visual languages like Morse or binary code, concealing meaningful text in plain sight.
While it’s nice for jewellery to have a hidden meaning, an encoded message shouldn’t sacrifice its beauty. The best encoded jewellery is designed with creativity, style, and grace, creating a piece that draws the eye even before someone recognises it carries a secret message. Finding a piece that embodies these characteristics is rare.
In this post, we’ll explain the best ways to subtly encode your messages and explain what makes them unique so you can have a trained eye when searching for jewellery that suits your style.
Types of Hidden Message Jewellery
Hidden message jewellery comes in many forms. When choosing the piece that’s right for you, style and meaning are equivalently important. Find the perfect way to conceal your message by understanding the different languages of hidden message jewellery.
1. Morse Code Jewellery
Morse Code is the system of translating dots and dashes into numbers and letters. By incorporating Morse Code into your jewellery, you can create a subtle message understood by only you and your loved one. This style of jewellery is often created with short and long gemstones that seamlessly blend together in a sleek and elegant manner, letting you display your style and message in a one-of-a-kind way.
Morse code jewellery can take the form of rings, bracelets, necklaces, or earrings that spell out full words or single letters, such as initials or a special date. This hidden language is a great way to display your style and stand out from the crowd while still leaving a little something hidden just for you.
2. Binary Code Jewellery
Binary code uses a sequence of ones and zeros to represent letters. Typically used in coding, binary code jewellery can be a perfect way to convey secret messages to your loved one, especially for computer enthusiasts. This unique digital language can be perfectly hidden along a necklace strand or earrings, subtly displaying a personal, secret message only the most tech-savvy will be able to decode.
3. Engraved Jewellery
Engravings have been a method of incorporating hidden messages into jewellery for centuries. You can display your engravings outward for all to see, or you can place it discreetly on the back, keeping the message concealed.
Engraved jewellery gives you the flexibility to choose a piece that perfectly fits the wearer’s unique style. You can engrave an endless variety of jewellery, including rings, bracelets, and necklaces, giving you a wide variety of customisation options when it comes to the message, as you’re only limited by the amount of space.
4. Lockets
Lockets are a timeless piece of jewellery that have remained popular for generations. They offer a classic, unique way to express love, hold memories, or keep secrets close to your heart. A locket's hidden compartment provides the perfect place to store messages, photos, or other small tokens of affection. With the ability to customise the contents, lockets make for a thoughtful and sentimental gift that can be cherished for years.
Telling Your Story with Hidden Message Jewellery
Hidden message jewellery ranges widely in price and quality, from cost effective DIY options to timeless luxury pieces. There’s truly a jewellery option for everyone, helping you tell your story through the styles and materials that are unique to you.
1. DIY
Do-it-yourself hidden message jewellery is an inexpensive and thoughtful way to create your own gift using materials from your local craft store. You can choose your own beads and charms, write on the back of your creations, or use Morse Code or binary styles as inspiration to create your own handmade DIY jewellery.
2. Cute & Fun
For those who steer away from the formal, there are many options of jewellery for children and the young-at-heart. Brightly coloured gemstones and gorgeous rose gold metals are fun and charming ways to express your inner child.
3. Luxury
Luxury jewellery allows you to give a gift that will last a lifetime. The craftsmanship of luxury jewellery is unmatched, giving you an authentic and memorable way to express your love. Displaying a hidden message on luxury jewellery is a lasting gift that will memorialise your story forever.
Choosing the Right Materials
When choosing jewellery for yourself or a loved one, you want to make sure it will stand the test of time. Everybody has a different style, and choosing high-quality materials lets you personalise your piece without sacrificing quality and durability. The most popular materials used in hidden message jewellery include gold, silver, and platinum, but you may also see less expensive items that are gold-plated, gold-filled and even those made from plastic. Hidden message jewellery may incorporate different types of gemstones, diamonds, and charms in its designs to help convey its message. Here are some of the most popular materials used to craft hidden message jewellery.
- Pure precious metals, such as gold and silver, are the best materials for hidden message jewellery. Although these may be more expensive, these metals will last a lifetime. With proper care, these will never have to be replaced, giving you a sustainable option for your jewellery. These metals come in a variety of shades, from yellow, rose, or white gold to sparkling platinum, helping you personalise your jewellery to be unique to you.
- Gold- and silver-filled metals may not be pure, but they have a substantial concentration of gold or silver layered over a core metal. Gold and silver-filled jewellery is less expensive than pure metals, but keep in mind they may not last as long.
- Gold and silver-plated jewellery is primarily composed of a core metal, with a thin layer of gold or silver plating for an aesthetic finish. While it’s the most inexpensive option, it’s not very durable, and the plating can easily be scratched.
- Stainless steel is a popular option due to its affordability and durability. It doesn’t rust or scratch easily, but is prone to denting and may be affected by chemical damage, such as chlorine corrosion.
- Gemstones provide a beautiful sparkle and colour to your hidden message jewellery and allow you to incorporate subtle messages through imaginative designs. There are endless types of gemstones to choose from and you can personalise your choices with birthstones, favourite colours, or favourite cuts. But, remember that not all gemstones are created equally. Gemstones come in different colours, clarity levels, and carats. Be sure to buy from a brand that puts quality first to avoid stones that break or lose their shine over time.
Finally, choose a brand whose principles align with yours. codebyEdge ensures our materials are sourced in accordance with the Responsible Jewellery Council Code of Conduct. You may also wish to explore how and where the pieces are made to ensure your jewellery is handcrafted in ethically responsible workshops.
Sending the Right Message: Design Options
Once you’ve chosen the style and materials of your jewellery, it’s time to decide on the design. This is where your jewellery becomes a truly unique work of art that’s personal to you or your loved one.
Consider what types of designs you or your recipient wear, and how to give them a distinctive piece of jewellery that fits into their personal style. Some people may only wear necklaces, bracelets, rings or earrings, or maybe a combination of all of them. Do they prefer dangly earrings, studs, or hoops? Do they like stacked diamond rings or bangles? Do they wear visually exciting designs that make a statement, or do they prefer a clean and contemporary look? All of these questions will help you pick the perfect design.
Next, consider the nature of your hidden message. Morse Code is a subtle way to hide a secretive message in your jewellery through differently sized gems, and will likely go undecoded by anyone but the wearer. You can pick from popular messages and design options to convey messages such as “I love you”, “XOXO”, or “Power”, or even create personalised options that include a name, initials, or special dates.
For less concealed messages, you can use engravings or charms to express your message outwardly and openly.
Care and Maintenance
Understanding how to properly maintain and care for your hidden message jewellery is essential to its longevity. The type of care is dependent on the materials, quality, and composition of your piece, and can be broken down into three primary categories: wearing, storing, and cleaning.
How To Wear Hidden Message Jewellery
Hidden message jewellery is made to be worn and shown off. But wearing the jewellery in certain environments or activities can impact its condition. Make sure to take off jewellery when you go in the water, including showering and swimming. You should also try to avoid exposing your jewellery to extreme temperatures or direct sunlight for extended periods of time. Keep your jewellery away from any chemicals or abrasive liquids like cleaning products, bleach, perfumes, or creams.
How to Store Hidden Message Jewellery
Always store jewellery separately to avoid tangles and abrasion. Your pieces should be stored in a soft environment, such as a velvet pouch or a silk-lined box. Humidity can impact metals, so if you live somewhere where humidity is an issue, you may want to store your jewellery with desiccant crystals.
How To Clean Hidden Message Jewellery
So long as you wear and store your jewellery effectively, you shouldn’t have to clean it often. High-quality jewellery should be cleaned once a year to remove any build-up of dirt and oils. You can polish your jewellery yourself with a dedicated polishing cloth and silver cleaner, but be aware that some chemical cleaners can damage certain colours of sterling silver.
Alternatively, send your jewellery to a professional jeweller to ensure your pieces stay in pristine condition. This will guarantee your jewellery is thoroughly cleaned and dried, and won’t sustain any damage from unsuitable cleaning chemicals.
Saying It Best with Hidden Message Jewellery
No matter the type of jewellery you choose, hidden message jewellery is a thoughtful way to go beyond words to express your love and appreciation for someone special, or to give a unique gift to yourself. If you’re looking for high-quality, classic, and sophisticated pieces that are truly unique, codebyEdge has a full range of Morse Code jewellery for you to choose from. You can customise your pieces by choosing the gemstones, precious metals, design, and message you want the piece to convey, so it’s tailored perfectly to you and your loved one.