Fashion Jewelry Drop Necklaces

Grade A++ Rose Quartz Crystal Bead Necklace 8.5 mm, Genuine Gemstone and has 14 Karat gold beads in between. length 28 inches 19 gold beads no Clasp Weight of the necklace is 68 gr...

Beautiful silver plated necklace with three lengths of clear crystal drops. There is wear to the silver plating. Measuring length 38.8 cm / 15.27 inches, plus an extension of 7.7 cm...

Grade A++ Green Quartz Crystal Bead Necklace 8.5 mm, Genuine Gemstone and has 14 Karat gold beads in between. length 28 inches 19 gold beads no Clasp Weight of the necklace is 68 ...

Robert Goosens, the French haute-couture Chanel-favorite parurier who enjoyed reinterpreting ancient and antique styles of jewelry with rock crystal and faux stones, also collaborated with Madame Alix Gres. Relevant to this statement necklace, the Parisian theatrical-costume designer, who founded the French fashion-house Maison Gres, commissioned Goosens to make spiral-wire adornments for her couture gowns. This handmade hammered brass wire choker necklace with five dropped en-tremblant pendants is decorated with unique colorful beads and wrapped wire. The piece dates between 1969-1971 based on similar unsigned spiraled-wire metal jewelry without goldsmithing marks in the museum collection of TheMet (see our photo), which acquired it from Maison Givenchy founder Hubert de Givenchy, who was one of most supportive fans of Gres. Like the legendary sculptural clothing designs of Madame Gres, this necklace was inspired by Greco-Roman costumes, while its sculpted shapes by Goosens reference her signature curvilinear fabric techniques that earned her the sobriquet of "the master of the wrapped and draped dress". Goosens (1927-2016), nicknamed Monsieur Bijou, also made jewelry inspired by other periods of antiquity to compliment the couture clothing of Coco Chanel, Cristobal Balenciaga, Elsa Schiaparelli, Christian Dior, and Yves Saint Laurent. After Goosens collaborated with Gres, he revisited golden spiral designs with Saint Laurent. Similar to the free-flowing fabric manipulated in Gres gowns, this hand-shaped necklace that we photographed in sunlight is a study in motion that drapes across a curvy cleavage. Adding drama to this necklace below its wire choker, the top teetering-wire pendant is a twisted and hammered horizontal double spiral, which is a Hellenistic symbol of life and transformation suggesting the breasts of a goddess of fertility and motherhood. Yet distinctly Goosens, 18 hand-cut and hand-dyed "ancient-Roman-blue" rock-crystal beads are wire-strung to weight a second tier of two separate vertical double-spiral pendants. On each, a wrapped-wire tube divides the blue beads. Between these vertical pendants in two tiers, the central vertical pendants each feature a one-of-a-kind multicolor bead (yellow/blue/red/black/white) in two lengths with abstract organic patterns recalling ancient Italian glasswork. Four more blue beads bracket these larger colorful beads. An additional 10 blue beads and 5 wire tubes decorate the bottom looped wire pendant, as well as the bottom of the wire choker. Like the hammered-wire jewelry designs of modern artist Alexander Calder, the creative complex construction of this necklace surprisingly required no metalsmith techniques, such as soldering or casting, just great skill with a jewelry pliers and hammer. For a bigger picture of couture clothing by Madame Gres during the decade beginning in 1969, she notably designed many museum-collected one-color silk-taffeta draped long gowns with empire waists and simple high collars or geometric cut-outs. Remarkably, the focal points for some of these unique dresses were at the wrists, from where long pouf sleeves voluminously droop around the hands to nearly the floor like two enormous long-petaled flowers. If paired with this equally downward-focused and balanced necklace from this same period, its bold Greco-Roman elements would have pulled a viewer's gaze of the dress from floor to face. Although there is no significant provenance for this necklace, hammered brass and tinted rock crystal were among the few materials repeatedly associated with Goosens from 1969-71. For example, in his overlapping interior-decor collections based on themes of waterlilies or foliage, Goosens hammered gilt brass wire and sheets (see our closeup photo) to represent plant parts or he wired rock-crystal beads to appear as tiny fruits. While the two multicolor glass or resin beads in this necklace are atypical, the combination of blue, yellow and red is a palette that the designer used for other pieces of rock-crystal jewelry and he created many kinds of multicolor faux stones with glass or resin paste, such as faux Tibetan turquoise including black and white. According to journalism based on interviews with Goosens, he often acquired unusual stones and glass for inspiration during his extensive travels exploring museum-collected antiquities. Since Maison Goosens was acquired in 2005 by Maison Chanel, it opened the Parisian showroom Galerie Goosens and associated shops to sell many kinds of reproductions and reimagined works by the founder, which fortunately does not suit the completely handmade elements of this necklace. So this couture piece remains one-of-a-kind. If desiring a vintage haute-couture original by Robert Goosens, we recommend perusing the Maison Goosens website so that a reproduction with a contemporary signature is not mistakenly purchased. Madame Gres (1903-1993) was born Germaine Emelie Krebs, but initially identified her fashion designs with the pseudonym Alix and later Alix Barton...

This Vintage YSL Opium Tassel Necklace is beautiful and collectible. Opium perfume was first released in 1977, and the opium necklaces have been discontinu...

A gorgeous Brass chain and emerald color celluloid ball drop necklace. There are nine drops at the center front with 3 rows of 3 dangling balls flanked by 2 balls on either side foll...

Fine Ciner art deco necklace composed of two strands of articulated faux ruby beads with crystal rhinestone pave spacers and clasp. Center focal pendant of hand wired ruby beads and ...

Striking Italian Faux Amber Tassel Bead Necklace from the 1980's. Italy is known for its amazing resin and bakelite jewelry. There are different sized beads...

Miriam Haskell Early Wrap Clip Lariat of faux coral and emerald pate de verre beads with gilt floral stations on each end. Each clip station is decorated with a large cabochon and en...

Superb Miriam Haskell two strand long faux pearl necklace. The signature graduated pearls spaced with back to back sewn rose monte crystals.Th...

A stunning Oscar de la Renta necklace which showcases a unique charm-style design with an eye-catching pendant drop. Lustrous gold-tone with alternating geometric elements and pavé-s...

Simply Beautiful! Stylish Show Stopper Genuine Turquoise and Sterling Silver Y Designer Necklace. Suspending Multi-Shaped Turquoise Beads and Sterling Silver Chain. Approx. length: 2...

DETAILS • unsigned • gold tone with glass stones • vintage designer necklace MEASUREMENTS • CONDITION • very good vintage condition with minimal signs of wear Sku 42 ...