Artwork Page for Necklace

Details / Information for Necklace

Necklace

c. 1775–95

England or France

Medium
gold, silver and brilliants
Measurements
Part 1: 29.6 cm (11 5/8 in.); Part 2: 12.1 cm (4 3/4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Severance A. Millikin 1964.35
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

This type of necklace, with its single large pendant, is known as a lavalier and was popular among aristocratic women during the 1700s. Queen Charlotte, wife of George III, was known to have several necklaces of this type.

Description

Throughout the 1700s, the growing trade for personal luxury objects transformed the material culture surrounding marriage and courtship. Gifts such as perfume, sheet music, books, textiles, portrait miniatures, and jewelry often demonstrated the status of the gift giver and their investment in the relationship. While intended to be seen and admired, this glittering and ostentatious necklace disguised a system based on the labor and suffering of enslaved or indentured people, whether in gold and stone mines or the shop where it was made.
Repeating floral clusters set with colorless brilliants connect to form a silver and gold necklace. At the center hangs a large pendant, beginning with a wide ribbon-like bow encircling a larger brilliant. Below the bow, a vertical series of connected elements tapers downward to a pointed oval drop. Every section is densely packed with multifaceted stones, creating a shimmering, reflective surface throughout the intricate design against a dark backdrop.

Necklace

c. 1775–95

England or France

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