Gold Necklaces

Vintage gold necklaces are jewelry essentials — gold is the feel-good metal, the serotonin of jewelry. Wear a 14K gold chain, a gold necklace with a pendant, or a gold choker and you feel happy, you feel dressed, you feel, well, yourself. 

A glistening little flicker of gold around your neck makes an outfit feel more considered and polished, whether you’re wearing a breezy white caftan or a black cashmere sweater. For gold chain necklaces, start with must-have lengths like 16, 18 and harder to find 20 inches, and then you can start acquiring longer lengths from there. The trend is to wear several lengths at once, with some dangling pendants and medallions.

Gold, especially yellow gold, with its rich patina and ancient pedigree going back thousands of years, is the steady standby, the well-mannered metal of choice. Any discussion of this lustrous metal comes down to a basic truth: Gold is elementary, my dear. Gold jewelry that couples the mystique of the metal with superb design and craftsmanship achieves the status of an enduring classic. Many luxury houses have given us some of our most treasured and lasting examples of gold jewelry over the years.

Since its founding, in 1837, Tiffany & Co. has built its reputation on its company jewelry as well as its coterie of boutique designers, which has included Jean Schlumberger, Donald Claflin, Angela Cummings and Elsa Peretti. There are numerous gold Tiffany classics worth citing. Some are accented with gemstones, but all stand out for their design and the workmanship displayed.

Peretti's simple, sculptural jewelry spoke to the newly independent women of the 1970s. Rather than hoping for a man to buy them something from Tiffany, they treated themselves. The Diamonds by the Yard pendant, delicate and innocent-yet-sexy, nestles and glints in the clavicle. The Open Heart necklace is one of Peretti's most enduring creations for the luxury brand, which still produces it in numerous variations, from examples in gold and those decorated in diamonds to earrings, rings and bracelets. For Cummings devotees, signature pieces feature hard stone inlay. And just about any design by the great Jean Schlumberger is by definition a classic.

Even had he eschewed stones and diamonds, Southern-born David Webb would be hailed for the vast arsenal of heavy gold jewelry he designed. Gold, usually hammered or textured in some manner, defines great David Webb jewelry. The self-taught jeweler made very au courant pieces while drawing inspiration from ancient and out-of-the-way sources — East meets West in the commanding gold necklaces made by Webb in the early 1970s. 

In Europe, many houses have given us gold jewelry that sets the highest standard for excellence, pieces that were highly sought after when they were made and continue to be so. 

Numerous designs from Cartier are homages to gold. There are the classic Trinity rings, necklaces and bracelets — trifectas of yellow, white and rose gold. (As a testament to the power of love, consider the endurance of the Cartier Love bracelet. A collection that yielded a Love necklace followed the bangle's debut.)

BVLGARI and its coin jewelry, gemme nummarie, hit the jackpot when the line launched in the 1960s. The line has been perennially popular. BVLGARI coin jewelry features ancient Greek and Roman coins embedded in striking gold mounts, usually hung on thick link necklaces of varying lengths. In the 1970s, BVLGARI introduced the Tubogas line, most often made in yellow gold. 

A collection called Monete that incorporated the gold coins is one of several iconic BVLGARI lines that debuted in the 1970s and ’80s, catering to a new generation of empowered women. Just as designers like Halston and Yves Saint Laurent were popularizing fuss-free ready-to-wear fashion for women on the go, BVLGARI offered jewels to be lived in. 

Since Van Cleef & Arpels opened its Place Vendôme doors in 1906, collection after collection of jewelry classics have enchanted the public. As predominantly expressed in a honeycomb of gold, there is the Ludo watch and accessories, circa the 1920s, and the golden Zip necklace, 1951, whose ingenious transformation of the traditional zipper was originally proposed by the Duchess of Windsor. Van Cleef's Alhambra, with its Moroccan motif, was introduced in 1968 and from the start its popularity pivoted on royalty and celebrity status. It remains one of VCA’s most popular and collected styles.

Mention must be made of Buccellati, whose name is synonymous with gold so finely spun that it suggests tapestry. Other important mid-20th-century houses known for their gold-themed jewelry include Ilias Lalaounis and Hermès. While the latter's broad range of luxury goods is still inclusive of the fine saddlery it has always produced, Hermès necklaces are also widely coveted by jewelry lovers near and far.

Find vintage and antique gold necklaces for sale on 1stDibs.