Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 9

MiriamHaskell Early SignatureGrapeCluster GlassPearl 1920s Pendant Necklace

About the Item

Featuring the earliest white-swirled glass and enameled faux-pearl round beads handcrafted by Parisian lampwork-master Louis Rousselet for American entrepreneur Miriam Haskell and her first designer Frank Hess before The Great Depression, this mid-1920s-style elegant single-strand necklace has a 1.25-inch-long three-dimensional pendant whose hidden wiring enables it to resemble a 360-degree grape cluster. This was years before such fruit clusters became one of their most recognizable designs. Also typical of Hess, the varied pastel colors--pink, pale blue and lilac--add asymmetry to both the pendant and choker. Towards the bottom of the pendant, notice a slight variation of bead size, too. Further helping to date the beaded necklace within a few years of the company's founding in 1926 is its construction with silver wire links and a simple spring-ring clasp, which was like many necklaces created by her foreign supplier Rousselet for his own ready-to-wear brand that was only sold in fashion boutiques throughout France. In fact, one of the reasons that Haskell was quickly successful with the French-style ready-to-wear jewelry that she sold from her original French-named boutique Le Bijoux de l'Heure in New York City was that it capitalized on the fame of French couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, who also used Rousselet beads and findings beginning in 1924 when she launched the international trend for faux-pearl glass jewelry. For example, in 1926 when American fashion was led by entertainment stars, nearly every stylish young woman in the silent movie "Paris" starring Joan Crawford wears a faux-pearl necklace suspended above their cleavage. Incidentally, Crawford went on to became one of the biggest collectors of Haskell-Hess jewelry. According to Haskell-book author Cathy Gordon, early Haskell pieces often feature round instead of baroque glass pearls, while she has identified a round-pearl single-strand necklace like ours with glass grape-cluster pendant and a thumb-clasp in a photo that she currently shares online. For more information on early mostly pre-signature Haskell-Hess jewelry, please visit her image website and see our other listings.

More From This Seller

View All
Antique HandPressed Glass European GoldFiligreeCapped Beaded Heavy Necklace
Located in Chicago, IL
This antique rare hand-pressed-glass necklace features semi-translucent grape-green large beads that are capped with gilt-brass filigree. Based on the combination of bead seams, spring-ring clasp, and metal findings on the unmarked faux Chinese-jade necklace, it dates to the late Victorian period most likely from Western Europe. Around WWI, hand presses, which stamped molten glass into a mold to create a bead with a hole and a seam, were often used to produce costume jewelry as a cottage industry in Germany and the Czech region. This was while there was a lack of factory machine presses and finishing tumblers that used sand to polish out the seam lines. Another reason that the cloudy green beads can be identified as atypically hand-pressed is that they are more opaque and therefore harder and less prone to breaking during formation than fully-translucent glass, which was better suited for automated-machine pressing. Also the green beads are an unusual swirled color including white, which suggests that their production was more limited than machine-pressing would enable. Without the bead-seams, this necklace could be mistaken for one by Coco Chanel. Her 1920s couture...
Category

Early 20th Century German Late Victorian Beaded Necklaces

Materials

Gold, Brass, Gilt Metal

Antique ArtNouveau European FauxLampwork Glass Flora CherryBlossom Long Necklace
Located in Chicago, IL
With a silver clasp that could be as old as the Victorian period and in an Art-Nouveau style with pale intricate flora motifs, this antique long glass necklace features lampwork-like...
Category

Vintage 1920s Austrian Art Nouveau Beaded Necklaces

Materials

Silver

MiriamHaskell 1930s Torsade Set GiltFiligreeCapped FauxPearls Earrings & Choker
By Frank Hess for Miriam Haskell
Located in Chicago, IL
During the Art Deco period, Miriam Haskell's first designer Frank Hess designed this blue-and-white glass-beaded hand-sewn torsade set of dangle earrings and a choker necklace, whose knotted string is capped with their characteristic Russian-gilt brass flora filigree. Coinciding with the American Great Depression, to offer some less expensive costume jewelry than her initial ready-to-wear styles featuring Parisian hand-crafted materials found in French couture, Haskell reduced the cost of some of her findings by locally sourcing stamped metal and incorporating hand-pressed glass beads from Germany and Czechoslovakia. With a loop, the line from hand pressing the glass can only be found on the blue beads, while the white ones are coated in an organic material like authentic French faux pearls. The ends of the textured cords that string the beaded set were frayed to form a fuzzy opaque dome that hides the knots attached to the filigree caps. No Haskell jewelry was signed before 1947. The unsigned necklace...
Category

Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Beaded Necklaces

Materials

Brass, Gilt Metal, Yellow Gold

Antique Italian Murano Glass MicroMillefiori GoldBalls RedBeaded Necklace
Located in Chicago, IL
This antique late-Victorian Italian Murano-glass unsigned necklace features three oblong red beads with miniature multicolor swirled-stripe patterns made with the millefiori techniqu...
Category

Antique Early 1900s Italian Arts and Crafts Beaded Necklaces

Materials

Gold, Gilt Metal, Brass

WesternGermany 1950s CherryRed MoldFacetedBead FlowerClasp DoubleStrand Necklace
Located in Chicago, IL
Stamped "Western Germany" on the gold-tone underside of its box clasp, this double-strand long necklace with cherry-red beads and decorative clasp features the reflective glossy face...
Category

Vintage 1950s German Modern Multi-Strand Necklaces

Materials

Gold, Gilt Metal, Mixed Metal

Antique ArtDeco French LampworkGlass GalalithFans SilverRondelles Necklace
Located in Chicago, IL
This antique French early Art-Deco period two-strand necklace is strung with a variety of Parisian handcrafted beads that date to the early 1920s, including sea-green lampwork glass,...
Category

Vintage 1920s French Art Deco Multi-Strand Necklaces

Materials

Rock Crystal, Silver, Sterling Silver

You May Also Like

Sixty-Four Inch Rope of Vintage Bergdorf Goodman Fashion Pearls Never Worn
By Magnificent Costume Jewelry
Located in New York, NY
Sixty-Four Inch Rope of Faux Jewelry Japanese Cultured Style 10mm Pearls Made for Bergdorf Goodman Mint unused, unworn, superb handmade Japanese lustrous pearls lay next to fine Mikimoto and see no difference in colour and lustre. Hand silk strung, this luxurious rope of pearls...
Category

2010s North American Art Deco Beaded Necklaces

Materials

Cultured Pearl, Pearl

Thirty-six Inch Rope Faux Jewelry Japanese Cultured Style 8mm Pearls Bergdorfs
By Magnificent Costume Jewelry
Located in New York, NY
Thirty-six Inch Rope of Faux Jewelry Japanese Cultured Style 8mm Pearls with CZ spacers Made for Bergdorf Goodman Mint unused, unworn, superb handmade Japanese lustrous pearls lay next to fine Mikimoto and see no difference in colour and lustre. Hand silk strung, this luxurious rope of pearls...
Category

2010s North American Art Deco Beaded Necklaces

Materials

Pearl

Tahitian Handmade South Sea Costume Jewelry Multicolor Pearl Necklace Bergdorfs
By Magnificent Costume Jewelry
Located in New York, NY
Mint, unworn, and perfect Tahitian handmade South Sea costume jewelry Japanese high-lustre 10mm pearl multicolour necklace, hand-strung silk knotted, m...
Category

2010s North American Art Deco Beaded Necklaces

Materials

Pearl, Sterling Silver

Costume Jewelry Bergdorf Goodman Double Row Pearl Necklace
By Michael Kors
Located in New York, NY
A Vintage Costume Jewelry Michael Kors Bergdorf Goodman Runway Show Two Strand Large Pearls Necklace by Clive Kandel Stunning, real-looking, lustrous Faux Pearls, 18mm in size, mad...
Category

Early 2000s North American Modern Beaded Necklaces

Materials

Pearl, Silver

Massive Glass Beaded Handmade Artisan Choker Bib Necklace 21st c
Located in University City, MO
Massive glass beaded handmade artisan choker bib collar necklace 21st c The bold avant-garde large scale wide choker bib necklace is comprised of a collection of pale aqua blue glas...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Artisan Choker Necklaces

Maison Gripoix Ruby Pate de Verre Necklace
By Maison Gripoix
Located in New York, NY
Art Deco Ruby pate de verre rondel bead necklace with pave ball spacers from Maison Gripoix. Hand made ruby glass rondels. 1920's France. Excellent condition.
Category

Vintage 1920s French Art Deco Beaded Necklaces

Materials

Gilt Metal, Silver Plate, Brass, Bronze

Recently Viewed

View All