Iconic and utterly unique Trifari 'Mamie Eisenhower' pearl and paste choker, 195

This highly elegant necklace/choker, made of glass pearls and clear paste baguette rondelles, was originally designed by Alfred Philippe of Trifari for First Lady Mamie Eisenhower, who wore it to her inaugural ball in 1953. She broke with tradition twice that year - she was the first wife of a President to wear a pink gown to her inaugural ball and also the first to wear a set of costume jewellery. It is made of the finest quality materials of the time, and was part of a parure, comprising also of a bracelet and earrings.
Only three sets of this bespoke jewellery were made: one for Mamie Eisenhower, one for the Smithsonian Institute (where it can still be seen) and a third for Trifari's own archives (from where this necklace originated).
A truly historical, wearable piece!
The firm of Trifari was founded in 1925 by Gustavo Trifari, Leo F. Krussman and Carl M. Fishel, specialising in paste jewellery of extremely fine quality, designs were complex , aimed a distinctively ‘real’ look. In 1930, they employed a young designer Alfred Philippe, who had been designing magnificent, stylish jewels for Van Cleef and Arpels, and Cartier. Philippe’s designs for Trifari are some of the most collectable and exquisite done for the company. They continued to produce some of the finest costume jewellery throughout the heydays of the 1940s through to 1975, as a privately run business . Trifari continued under various new owners throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the name ‘Trifari’ finally ending in the year 2000.