Very Long Sautoir Pearl Necklace With Ruby & White Gold Clasp, c. 1960

A treasure from the depths of the sea - in many cultures around the world, the pearl has a deeply symbolic character. In China, they are a symbol of wealth, wisdom and dignity; in Japan, they signify good luck; in India, the abundance of children. Even among the ancient Greeks and Romans, pearls were highly coveted as jewellery: the Greek term "margarita" was also used to refer to the beloved, as it were, a term that has survived to this day in the name Margaret. It was a great sensation when the Japanese entrepreneur Mikimoto succeeded in cultivating saltwater pearls on a large scale at the beginning of the 20th century. Until then, pearl necklaces could only be made from either artificial or naturally grown pearls, which were about as expensive as diamonds of the same size. It wasn't until the invention of the cultured pearl that pearl jewellery became affordable to a wider mass and sparked a huge fashion that has lasted to this day. We therefore have Mikimoto's invention to thank for this piece - because it would once have been unimaginable to combine so many natural pearls of the same quality and size into such a long necklace! The approximately 1.80 cm long necklace is a so-called sautoir, which is so long that it can also be placed double, triple or quadruple around the neck or worn with a knot. The total of 200 Japanese cultured pearls have a creamy white colour and show some growth characteristics that identify them as natural products. The necklace is held by a high quality clasp made of white gold. In the center of the decorative clasp shimmers a natural ruby weighing about 0.08 ct. Created in the years around 1960, the necklace reminded us of the extra-long and beautiful Charleston necklaces of the 1920s, and we had it reknotted so that it would survive any wearing style you could think of!

Estimate:$2,207.42

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