Necklaces | Antique

Antique necklaces.  With the ascension of Queen Victoria to the British throne in 1837 and her influence on fashion and manners necklaces largely disappeared. The necklaces made were short and featured naturalistic elements - fruit, berries and flowers.  Queen Victoria’s engagement ring was a serpent and by far the most popular necklace of the 1840s and early 1850s was the serpent biting its tail with a heart shaped pendant between its teeth –the symbol of eternal love. These ranged from the modest to the head or entire necklace set with turquoise, diamonds or precious gems.

The décolletage and necklaces returned to fashion with increasing prosperity and the influence of the fashionable Eugenie in the 1860s and 70s. Fringe necklaces and necklaces epitomising the Classic Revivals - ARCHEOLOGICAL, ETRUSCAN, EGYPTIAN, RENAISSANCE and GOTHIC REVIVAL movements- became popular. These were of gold and incorporated drops of different Hellenic classical designs. Cameos , intaglios, ancient coins, micro mosaic with rich gold work of beads, motifs and gold techniques copied from or inspired by Hellenistic pieces.

In the last quarter of the century the increased availability of diamonds  following the opening of the South African mines and diamonds became the preeminent gem incorporated into necklaces, chokers , colliers de chien, rivieres and fringe necklaces (which became increasingly light and delicate towards the end of the century) often convertible into tiaras. The end of the century saw the increased popularity of short pearl necklaces in various flower or star designs with a detachable pendant drop or as colliers de chien.