Shop the heart-shaped jewellery defining the season

For her April edit, Vogue Scandinavia’s editor-in-chief and resident jewellery obsessive Martina Bonnier crowns heart-shaped jewellery the season’s defining motif. Universally known and beloved, note Bonnier's cue to make it your motif of the season

Wear your heart on your sleeve – or perhaps at your earlobes, or resting at your collarbone. Long dismissed as overly sweet (or to be relegated to the margins of teenage notebooks), the heart reveals a far more potent charge when applied to jewellery.

Historically, heart-shaped bijoux, especially heart-cut diamonds, have served as a symbol of love, friendship, respect, and power. The link between the heart and love dates back to the Romans, who believed the left ring finger had a vena amoris (Latin for "vein of love") connecting directly to the heart, making it the traditional digit for wedding bands. Later, in the 15th century, the Duke of Milan, Galeazzo Maria Sforza, commissioned the first heart-shaped diamond cut as a symbol of devotion, and this tradition continued into the 16th century when Mary Queen of Scots gifted a heart-shaped diamond ring to her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I.

The moment heart-shaped jewellery truly integrated into high fashion, however, was during Queen Victoria's reign in the 1600s. A renowned trendsetter (she famously popularised the white wedding dress), the monarch owned several significant heart pieces, including a locket holding a lock of her late husband's hair and a bracelet adorned with multiple enamel hearts, pieces which pushed the icon past royalty to the everyday wearer.

In the modern era, heart-shaped jewellery's popularity has ebbed and flowed, but it remains the quintessential gift for occasions like Valentine's Day or Mother's Day. You can channel Queen Victoria with a heart-studded bracelet from Yvonne Léon. Preserve a cherished memory with a locket necklace from Fabel England or earrings from Poporcelain. Honour the original design with a heart-cut diamond, such as the Soleste from Tiffany & Co., or choose a more contemporary look with skewed earrings by Karine Parras. Our personal favourite, however, (if any loved one is looking to get us a gift), is the chunky heart charm necklace from Acne Studios.