Strands of gold chain are arranged in a series of graceful swags, each punctuated with tiny seed pearls that catch the light like droplets of dew. The necklace forms a soft, scalloped silhouette across the collarbone, with the deepest central festoon creating an elegant sense of movement. During the late nineteenth century, jewelers were inspired by the garlands and festoons of eighteenth-century design, reviving these romantic motifs in airy, lightweight gold. Necklaces like this one echoed the swags of fabric seen in neoclassical architecture and interior decoration.
MATERIALS: 14k gold (tests), seed pearls
AGE: c. 1880
CONDITION: Very good
SIZE: 16" length, deepest swag is 1 1/8"