Antique "Collier Yvetot" Paste Necklace in Silver, France, Late 19th Century

This necklace from Paris reveals a great deal about the fashions of days gone by. It is made of silver and richly set with faceted rhinestones. A chain featuring alternating single and clusters of seven sparkling white stones is centered around an elegant bow held by a small dove. The necklace ends in two large loops and is worn with a velvet cord. This type of necklace—a “Y” shape with a pendant in the form of a cross or the dove of the Holy Spirit, the “Saint Esprit”—is called a “Collier Yvetot.” It is named after a town in Normandy and designed in the style of traditional northern French folk costumes. Necklaces and brooches featuring the Saint Esprit were already a typical form of jewellery among the rural population as early as the 18th century, and the elegant lightness with which the bow is tied is reminiscent of the jewelry craftsmanship of the Ancien Régime In the 19th century, however, these necklaces were worn almost exclusively in Paris. This was because, in the late 19th century, it was popular in Paris to wear traditional jewellery from rural France (much like Scottish jewellery in Great Britain or the dirndl in Munich, for that matter). And so, naturally, the capital’s jewelers also produced traditional-style jewellery—though the necklace’s appearance is certainly influenced by the high jewellery of the Belle Époque. Its cool, elegant, white look also reflects the diamond jewellery trends of the time. We discovered this necklace in Paris. It is very good in preservation and was most likely made in France. For more on this type of necklace, see Michael C. W. Fieggen: Traditional French Jewellery, Vol. 1. Regional Jewellery, n.p. 2021, pp. 137ff.

Estimate:£1,254.64

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