Vintage 26g 18k Gold Natural EMERALD French Curb Chain DATED Cert & ORIGINAL Gouache Drawing Design Heavy Unisex Chunky Green

ABOUT: A glowing, shimmering, fabulous vintage graduated curb chain necklace with center 1.68 carat bezel set natural emerald in perfect condition.

This piece is pretty exceptional on its own, remaining timeless and on trend today. But this one is also special because it comes with an identification card from the jeweler in France dated 1986...
WITH an old polaroid of the necklace...
AND
its original gouache jewelry drawing on vellum...
to scale...
and in color!
The rendering is signed by the artist / designer.

Gouache is the art of painting in opaque watercolour, an art that has been used by fine jewelry designers for centuries. These drawings are so beautiful - collectible works of art in their own right, adding value especially when it accompanies the piece it portrays.

The certificate from France states a value of 55,200 French Francs (as it was purchased before the Euro was implemented in France in 1999). In 1986, 55k Francs amounted to $7,885 US dollars. If you were to use an inflation calculator to tell you how much money you would require to purchase the same goods at a later period, you'd be looking at a modern day price tag of over $23,000!

So this was quite the purchase of quite the necklace back in 1986. From my research, the jeweler: Bijouterie Nicolas in Tours, France was created in 1964 and delisted in 2008.

Now let's talk about the 80s!
How old were you 39 years ago in 1989? I loved growing up in the 80s, permed hair with ski slope bangs, neon clothes, jellies (these are shoes for those who don't know), leg warmers and all! This is the year Oprah's talk show debuted, Halley's Comet appeared for the first time since 1910, Phantom of the Opera premiered in London, and the IBM PC Convertible was released, marking the beginning of the laptop computer era!

A new home cost around $89,000, while median household income was $25k. A first-class stamp cost $0.24, a gallon of regular gas was $0.86, movie tickets were under $3, a dozen eggs was $0.87, and a gallon of milk was $1.08. Ah... the 80s.

This was the world in 1986, which aligns with the paperwork of this superb piece. Now to be fair, it's possible that this chain is actually older than 1986, because the identification certificate states in French that the card "provides details on the identity of your jewelry, whether new, old or used." So it's basically an appraisal or insurance certificate from back then, not necessarily the date the piece was created or purchased. Looking for clues though, while it is definitely older vintage, I wouldn't go so far as calling it antique just looking at the clasp style.

There is a maker's mark on the loop and the French control mark. The certificate also states that the piece is a gold curb chain ("or gourmette") not stating the karat quality of the gold since 18k is the legal standard in France (nothing less for French made pieces) so all 18k gold is simply described as "gold."

The gold links are delicious, with shimmer and glow and then that amazing pop of rich green at center. The piece is in solid 18k gold in that it is real gold, not gold filled or plated, but the links have vacant space inside them which is the common fabrication. They are like tubes where the gold curls to an interior seam. They are very sturdy though and do not feel tinny, they do not flex when squeezing, etc. and there are no dings or dents so it is a quality fabrication with a wonderful hand feel and weight of the 26 grams while wearing.

Please note the measurements as I have small fingers and it can be difficult to determine scale from pictures.

SIZE & MEASUREMENTS:
The necklace weighs 26 grams of 18k gold.
It is 16 1/4 inches in length.
The emerald is about 6.2x6.8mm, stated on the ID cart to be 1.68 carat.
The largest links at center are 13mm north south, tapering to about a 5mm gauge at the back.

IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:

The emerald is excellent. Deep green in color with not a single nick or abrasion. Uncommon to find a vintage emerald in such excellent condition, it is helped by the fact that the design has it sunk into the bezel which helps protect it, vs. protruding out from it.
Some frosty inclusions to one side but a rich color that helps mask this.

Some patina and surface wear. No deep dings or sharp dents, more just a rare, smooth, gradual ripple here or there. Nothing glaring while wearing.

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).

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