Vintage Opera Length Pearl Necklace With Ruby Clasp, c. 1970

Mainly due to Coco Chanel's fashion influence, it became socially acceptable to wear long pearl necklaces in opera or even robe length even during the day from the 1930s onwards. But from the perspective of jewellery history, another key figure was involved in this previously unthinkable fashion: Japanese Kokichi Mikimoto, who in the early 1920s was the first person ever to succeed in producing and marketing full-round cultured pearls. Before that, it had often taken years of collecting to come up with a necklace of natural pearls in the right size and colour. The present pearl necklace is thanks to Mikimoto's invention of pearl culture. It has a length of 69 cm, which is opera length - it is hard to imagine how long a lady would have had to wait for the completion of such a necklace in the years around 1900! The pearls are of a light creamy white colour and are strung individually. A flower-shaped decorative clasp made of white gold holds six rubies and another pearl. The necklace is in very good condition. A jewellery classic and timeless gift!

Estimate:$1,000.84

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