ABOUT:
It has been my dream to have one of these in my personal collection. The antique old mine cut diamond riviera necklace! While I kept this one for a time and enjoyed wearing it a few times, we have other needs right now so she is up for grabs. : )
This one has a delightful geometry with each link consisting of a bar leading to a bezel set diamond to give the chain a line and circle design. Each bezel setting is set with a chunky old mine cut diamond, many with high crowns that crop out of the circular bezels, running all the way around to the back of the chain.
The total diamond weight is over 6 carats with 38 diamonds in all. The fabrication of each link consisting of the bar and bezel allows the piece to move to encircle the neck - more details below about how it wears. The bars and bezels have some depth to them allowing them to stand off the decollette.
Certainly one of my most special pieces. Found in France, it comes in an antique box from the period which it was encased in when I acquired it. At the back of the necklace is a clasp that is also diamond encrusted, set with rose cut diamonds, four on the clasp and one on the tongue insert. The clasp functions very well and also has an additional safety chain.
This French antique, hand made piece is crafted in two tone 18k gold - yellow gold for the majority of the piece and then topped in white gold at the tops of the bars and around the tops of the bezels, as was customary for the period to set diamonds in a white metal. It is hallmarked with two French stamps for 18k gold, indicating all parts solid gold. It also has a goldsmith stamp on one side. The safety chain is stamped 750, the numerical hallmark used in Europe for 18k gold.
Shorter in length, with the two tone coloring allowing it to be layered with really any neckmess - yellow gold, white gold, silver or platinum. But it is also striking to wear alone with the fabulous geometry and chunky sparkle. Love this one! Such a treat to open the antique box and be greeted with the chunky bezel set diamonds all the way around. Unique design with the sweet sparkle from the old cut diamonds.
Please note the measurements as I have small hands and it can be difficult to decipher scale from photos, especially with the zoomed images that I am required to present for detail.
MEASUREMENTS:
Chain is about 16 1/4 inches long stretched end to end, a little over, measuring the end of the clasp to the beginning of the tongue insert which gets nested inside.
Thirty eight diamonds in all. Thirty four are old mine cuts measuring 2.3 to 4.2mm each. Of the 34 stones, 22 of them are in the 3-4mm range, a small handful of the largest stones measure 4.2mm and nine of them measure in the 2.3 to 2.8mm range. The rose cuts are four at 2mm on the clasp and 3.2mm for the one on the insert to the clasp. I would never remove them from the antique setting for exact measurements but I am estimating conservatively around 6.1 carats in old cut antique diamonds.
Each of the bars connecting between each bezel set diamond is about 8mm give or take for spacing. Again as it is hand made, they are not all exactly uniform, some appearing a bit smaller by 1.5mm or so. Each bezel setting stands about 4mm tall off the decollette, give or take depending on the high crowns of the diamonds. And then the bezels of course add diameter to the above diamond measurements, with the largest in the center about 5.3mm in diameter.
The piece weighs over 21 grams.
IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:
The necklace fits the box well but I can't say 100% for certain if it is original to the piece because I don't see indentations in the box for all the bezel settings. That may just be how it lies inside so it is possible they have always been together as the necklace came in the box when I acquired it. It sits in their perfectly and the silken top does not allow it to rattle or shake inside.
Completely functional, the clasp works really well to click shut with the added safety chain. A bit of patina and surface wear which could be polished up some but typically my buyers prefer original patina. It looks perfect in my opinion.
Typical bezel set antique diamonds with a slight varying warmth, some of it due to the setting. A handful are pale yellow in color which I love to find in my antique stones, as the majority of stones from the period actually came from mines that produced warmer colored rough diamonds. Some are eye clean and some have some faint frosty inclusions with a few reflecting frostiness through but they are small so it is not terribly noticeable. No dark or glaring carbon spots or chips or cracks to any stones that I could find, studying each under magnification.
A curve here or there to the bar links but it almost seems like they were fabricated that way as they are pretty uniform. The fabrication is quite special and intricate, with the bar links connecting to little gold posts inside each bezel like a tiny hinge. When handling the piece, some of the links can be folded against the next while others seem to "stick" but this is actually not a defect. It is due to the loops inside pushing up against the pavilion of the chunky cut diamonds. For some of them, the stone's pavilion is smaller allowing the loops to clear, but for other stones, the diamonds inside the bezel are too large to allow that space to move. This does not affect how it wears because it drapes in a circle around the neck and would never need to be bent against itself but just mentioning everything I see.
I also noticed a few links where the post and hinge inside the bezel shows a bit on the outside of the bezel. I am not sure if this may be a repair or if it was just fabricated that way, as I can see under magnification that all the bezels were fabricated this way but most are smoothed down to result in a smooth bezel. Anyway they are towards the back so this also is not really seen while wearing but might be noticed if inspecting the piece. It is all very tidy and expertly constructed. And it is sturdy to wear, I don't see any weak links.
One important thing to note - I noticed when I was wearing it that the bezel settings would sometimes tip downward on the neck towards the feet, instead of facing out towards the beholder. Again this is not a condition issue, but just the way the piece is made, I suppose the weight of the stones sometimes curve it downward. This isn't really something that needs to be adjusted constantly while wearing because it just sort of moves on its own as you move. And the crowns of the diamonds still catch the light and sparkle. You can see the chain's tendency to do this at times in the photos. I also suspect this would be remedied on a larger neck than mine. My neck is about 13 inches around so on the petite side (and we all come in wonderfully different shapes and sizes!). I suspect if worn on a larger neck, the necklace becomes a wider circle and seems to stay put facing upward as shown on the form. It wears like a collar on me, but if it is worn more as a choker, I suspect that would hold the stones in place facing out.
Phew - I think that's about everything! : /
My product listings are always typed out by me - no AI, and apologies if they are wordy but I always do my very best to give a clear and honest description. All the above notes are very picky and probably don't do it justice. It is a fabulous piece, highly collectible, sturdy and wearable, one of my best honestly.
But of course Due to age, please note this is not a mint condition item.
Please note that all my pieces are pre-owned and in estate condition. They will have patina, surface wear, a few small nicks. These pieces may also have evidence of a sizing, some build up around the stones and / or inclusions seen under magnification, typical for antique pieces. I have mentioned any noticeable issues above and they are all still wearable and eager to be loved and accepted for many years to come, (the preservation of antique jewelry, even those with signs of their age and history, is important to me. : )
But - Please note due to age, this piece is not in mint condition. Pictures also serve as part of the description and condition report so please utilize the zoom feature which will magnify any wear significantly more than what is visible to the eye while wearing : )
SOCIAL:
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All items hand picked by me, one at a time from all over the world. All listings individually written by me, and not AI, after studying each piece to discuss its beauties and its ; ) eccentricities (which I am picky to point out).
Box#@m@.1@2$
