$2,975
H 2.1 in W 1 in L 30 in
Antique Zuni Bear 77 Fetish Necklace Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Native American
Located in New York, NY
BLACK JET BEAR IN THE NAJA CENTER! The fabulous hand carved Zuni fetishes include the Black Jet standing
Agate, Turquoise, Pearl
Multi-Strand Beaded Necklace
Located in Coeur d Alene, ID
Four strand choker necklace. Featuring interspersed stones of turquoise, coral, purple and orange spiny oyster, and lapis. All beads are of different sizes and shapes, including roun...
Coral, Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Art Nouveau Moonstone Locket on Chain
Located in New York, NY
Art Nouveau Moonstone Locket on Chain from the late 19th Century. Assembled with gunmetal chain set with pastes with an Art Nouveau sterling locket with cabochon moonstone. Wonderful...
Moonstone, Sterling Silver, Gilt Metal
Turquoise 5 Strand Heishi Sterling Silver Clam Shell Necklace Native American
Located in Wallkill, NY
Stunning 5 strands Heishi Necklace with discs of graduated Turquoise and shell 11.66 mm down to 4mm attached to large Turquoise stations then onto more turquoise beads. Sterling silv...
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Zuni Triple Strand Fetish Native American Necklace
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Mid-20th century Zuni triple strand Fetish native American necklace A dramatic triple-strand fetish necklace is festooned with birds, fish, buffalo, and turtles, all anchored by fiv...
Whether you’re layering multiple jewelry pieces or opting for a single strand, vintage pendant necklaces are versatile accessories that can elevate your casual wear as easily as they can add a creative flourish to your formal attire.
The earliest jewelry was less about accessorizing than it was about wearers arming themselves with amulets. In Ancient Egypt, some amulets featured a loop so that they could be strung around one’s neck. While rubies have long been one of the few gemstones that can give diamonds a run for their money, members of some ancient civilizations valued the stones from the get-go, donning ruby pendants as well as other stones with the belief that these adornments would bring protection, healing powers or strength. Today, we still wear our charm bracelets and charm pendants around our necks for good luck.
Later, pendant necklaces, like most fine jewelry, were worn strictly by royalty or the upper class and conferred wealth and prestige. This changed over time, thankfully, as wearing jewelry became more widespread, a democratized means of personal expression.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, pendant necklaces evolved from their status as spiritual amulets, but the jewels still carried deep personal significance. Victorian pendants, in particular, were part of the “mourning jewelry” tradition. Wearers would embed their pendants with locks of hair from a deceased loved one as a way of grieving in the wake of a loss. In the case of cameo jewelry, some pendants were even decorated with miniature hand-carved portraits in a detailed raised relief. Today, portraiture is still a characteristic of many of the hand-carved pendant necklaces offered by Italian jewelry house Scala Gioielli.
Luxury fine jewelry brands such as Cartier, BVLGARI and David Yurman offer their own unique interpretations of the cherished accessory, embellishing platinum or gold pendant necklaces with diamonds, sapphires and other stones.
On 1stDibs, find an extraordinary range of vintage pendant necklaces and other necklaces today.