Classic Opera-Length Cultured Pearl Necklace with Ruby Clasp, 103

It was a great sensation when the Japanese entrepreneur Mikimoto succeeded in cultivating pearls on a large scale at the beginning of the 1920s. Until then, pearl necklaces had to be made from naturally grown pearls, which were sometimes as precious as diamonds of the same size. It was the invention of the cultured pearl that made pearl jewelry affordable for a wider range of buyers and sparked a fashion that continues to this day. This pearl necklace consists of 142 beautiful saltwater cultured pearls measuring around 6.8 mm in diameter, which are held in place by a 14-karat white gold clasp. Four natural rubies form the setting, which wraps around another cultured pearl in the center of the clasp. With a length of 103 centimetres, it is a so-called opera chain, which is so long that it can be worn doubled around the neck or knotted. This fine piece of jewellery came to us here in Berlin.

Estimate:£825.2

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