1820s Choker Necklaces

An antique Neoclassical shell cameo and gold necklace embellished with blue enamel, featuring double strands of rosette-shaped links adjoining five graduated finely carved shell came...

A collier de chien consisting of 12 large oval rose cut garnets set in gold alternated with floral silver elements in which are two old cut diamonds vertically set decorated with a t...

Exquisite Georgian rock crystal riviere set in silver with a 18k gold mount and an open back. Rock Crystal is transparent quartz often seen in fi...

Lovely paste cluster necklace set in silver and backed in gold. Paste jewelry refers to jewelry made from a type of leaded glass invented in the late 1600's and was used to simulate precious gemstones. Paste achieved its greatest prominence in the 18th century, when several discoveries, including that of English flint glass as well as improvements in candlelight, the perfect illumination for paste jewelry, helped usher in antique paste jewelry. Jewelry artisans carved leaded glass into "gemstones" with such a degree of technical perfection that the metal links could scarcely be seen and each paste stone is carved to fit perfectly next to the neighboring stone. The individually carved pastes were carefully set into mounts to create beautiful designs, which were made into into necklaces, rings, earrings, belts and shoe buckles. Paste jewelry was often considered "traveling" jewelry by high society women who preferred not to carry their precious gems when they traveled, and paste jewelry became very much sought after in 18th and 19th centuries. The pastes on our cluster Riviere are slightly graduated in size and look elegant and as a choker about the neck. The necklace has a Georgian closed back and the paste clusters are mounted in silver but set in gold. There is a small clasp that tucks away unseen under the largest paste stone, to hold an optional pendant (this was commonly done on Georgian rivieres...

Georgian silver-upon-gold necklace, set with rose-cut diamonds.