Merope, designated 23 Tauri(abbreviated 23 Tau), is a star in
the constellation of Taurus and a member of the Pleiades star cluster.
After being abandoned by her husband Tom Riddle Sr., Merope sold the locket to Caractacus Burke,
shopkeeper of Borgin & Burkes, for 10 Galleons, a small fraction of the locket's true value.
Rowling revealed in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince that young Merope Gaunt made efforts to get as close
to Tom as she could, peering at him through the windows and bushes at every opportunity.