Gump's San Francisco Choker Necklaces

This is rare Gump's nephrite jade necklace from the Midcentury (circa 1960s) in an exceptionally translucent light chartreuse green. Indeed, the hand-carved and polished beads are so highly translucent they look to be made of glass. In fact, "Glassy" jade is a term usually reserved to describe only the finest jadeite jade -nephrite jade's rarer and more expensive cousin- and the word is only rarely applicable to the nephrite variety of jade, due to its different mineral structure. The 16 ¾" necklace is composed of 40 9.30mm untreated nephrite beads that are most likely from Siberia. These beads are a fine, evenly-toned chartreuse green, and they display the high translucency of the only finest jadeite. Most Gump's jade necklaces were available in 18" and 24" lengths. This 16" necklace is far less common, and the large size of the beads in combination with the brief length speaks to the scarcity of the beads themselves, their genuine preciousness. The 14K yellow gold clasp is marked "Hong Kong" and "Gump's." All original Gump's jade jewelry...

The luminous untreated jadeite jade beads that compose this 20" necklace are so faintly light green, that they appear white. Well, but not white; not really, because they are far too fascinating to be merely white like a piece of paper or a sheet. It is as if an apparition has assumed bead form and settled around the neck. These gorgeous, succulent beads seem filled with a reserve of light they have gathered during the day in order to release back into the night like a whisper. If you like pearls but wish for something denser, more grounded in the material world, these may be for you. They do look like pearls from a distance, a pristine strand of vintage cultured Akoya pearls. But then, up close, what are they? White sapphires? What could they be? Most people, of course, have no idea jade is anything other than green. The individual beads measure approximately 8.5mm for a clean, unified presentation around the neck. I am a second-generation collector of jade and have loved Gump's jade jewelry all my life. Gump's was an iconic San Francisco department store that was founded in the 19th century and awed the world with their remarkable and unique pieces until 2005 when they were sold. Gump's never used any dyed or treated jade in any of their jewelry, so they remain one of very few brands that you never need to have tested; vintage Gump...

From the famed department store Gumps, this beautiful strand features round to slightly out of round, 15.00 mm Carnelian beads.

Dating toward the end of the original Gump's reign in San Francisco -2015-, this 17.5" necklace is composed of 45 naturally colored pink Chinese freshwater pearls. The gleaming, iridescent pearls are high quality and they measure from 8.76mm to 10mm. The 14K yellow gold oval clasp is marked with Gump's and 14K. Gump's was an iconic San Francisco emporium famous around the world for its fine jade jewelry, which was always unique, beautiful, and natural. Gump's was also revered for their fine pearls. Many of their necklaces from the 1970s featured Japanese Lake Biwa pearls...

With all due respect to pearls, rubies, emeralds and gold, nothing compares to the below-room-temperature weighty luxury of an extremely fine and rare strand of large jade beads around your neck. What you see here is a genuine treasure; the kind of necklace that if you own it, you never let it go. They stay in families, passing from mother to daughter to daughter. But after searching for years in vain, on one ordinary Thursday, I found it: a unicorn juggling on a tree stump, also known as an elusive, authentic Mid-Century Gump's black jade necklace. This dense, heavy and immaculate treasure is composed of sizeable 13 mm extremely fine-grained, high-quality nephrite jade, these precious beads are polished to a Bosendorfer grand piano finish, still on their original black silk cord with knots in between each bead. And as a focal point: a hand-carved 15.5 mm moss-on-snow (emerald green on opaque white) jadeite jade bead. Around back is the legendary Gump's signature clasp in 14K yellow gold along with their hallmark. It is an 18" necklace but the beads are large so it wears more like 17." It weighs 113 grams. It was designed to settle high upon the collar bones, not droop low. It is in impeccable condition. Gump's created many black nephrite beaded necklaces...