Would you wear this showstopper necklace, with its intricate handmade goldwork and vibrant Persian turquoise, to a weekday lunch with friends?
Made in the 1960s, it almost certainly would have been worn then with daytime attire, according to Michael Burns, co-owner of Benchmark of Palm Beach, who is offering the jewel. During that decade, he says, “the economy was strong, and there was a feeling of prosperity, a lot of joy and dressing for occasions.”
If you’re getting Babe Paley vibes (as seen in the FX show Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, set in 1960s and 1970s New York), you’re not off base. Paley and her set were fine with flaunting bling anywhere, anytime, as the fashion conventions of the day “were a little bit more permissive than they are now,” says Burns. “There was this vision of what it looked like to be a socialite, someone who has achieved social status, and it was okay to be a little flashy.” And if you were actually on the social register, “you weren’t running your own errands, you weren’t digging in your own garden, but you were looking good.”
Burns says the necklace was probably made in Italy, or in New York with Italian components, and that its leaf motif appears to be evoking the work of Buccellati. The Persian turquoise — prized for its robin’s-egg blue hue, according to Burns, and its scarcity compared with American turquoise — seems made for cocktail hour on a poolside terrace. A particular one comes to mind: Villa Artemis, C.Z. Guest’s Palm Beach home, immortalized in this Slim Aarons photo.
“In today’s context, I think the necklace would be evening wear, but for warm weather,” says Burns. “It’s perfect for a barbecue, the kind they do at the Colony Hotel or a country club. When you put it on, it’s there without being overstated. And still has an element of fun.”
