Georgian Paste Rivière Necklace

This elegant Georgian rivière necklace to the late 18th, early 19th century. The riviére design, an endless collar of gems fastened with a concealed clasp, was at the height of fashion in the mid to late Georgian period. This necklace was originally made and sourced in England, and arrived to us poorly repaired--we were able to reassemble and restore the necklace in a proper graduating order with the largest stone (which also holds the concealed clasp) laying in the front. and assembled in the wrong graduating order.

The necklace is composed of foiled cushion cut rock crystals in closed back silver settings with the back finished with a 14k gold wash. Miraculously, each stone has maintained it's clear color without darkening or discoloring over time--which is incredibly rare in a statement piece like this.

THE STORY OF PASTE STONES:

These Georgian stones hailing from the 1700s still maintain their special luster and sparkle--even more than 200 years after their creation. The Kimberly mines of South Africa weren't discovered until 1869-71--with diamonds not as accessible or commonly in circulation, jewelers resorted to making their own "Paste" stones as a more common and cost effect alternative to diamonds. These stones were handmade from a crystal compound and polished with metal powder until it shimmered like a gemstone. Paste accessories were the most sought after jewelry of the Georgian era of the 1700s.

This necklace measures a standard 16".