Necklaces and Chains
Necklaces can be worn as a fashion article, or hidden as a personal memento, and that is why lockets are still relevant today. Unlike jewellery that can be displayed, necklaces contain private symbols of affection and vary from memorial to sentimental jewellery. Their evolution and construction are also quite different, in that everything from pearls to hairwork can be used within the same period of time.
Because of the materials used in the construction of necklaces, their continual usage has always been popular. From hair to photography, the mementos that can be kept inside a locket evolve as well as the pieces.
In this section, an overview of necklaces in different aspects will follow on to the lockets and pendants section.
Ribbon slides of the 17th Century were worn on ribbon chains around the neck, but the focal point of that is the slide itself and not the ribbon it sits on. As individual pieces, necklaces become an important factor of sentimental jewellery with the rise of hairworking industries.
Luthi writes that in 'the early 19th Century jewellers started using hair as a material in its own right' as opposed to its use as an addition for bracelets or under glass1. As the above example shows, hair is the prominent feature in the necklace, with gold being its attachment. More information about hairworking and its industries will be outlined in the Hairworking article in another section.
The opulent style to this necklace is completed with the hair necklace attached. The style is very 19th Century Rococo revival, setting it closer to c.1840 in its heavy use of gold work. The dove in flight (winged soul) attached to via the lavaliere brings in wonderful symbolism to a formal and attractive item that is as much a fashion piece as it is symbolic.
Necklaces of course weren't relegated to hair, and the pieces that weren't display a union between the chain itself and the pendant it is attached to. Above, a Regard necklace and pendant from Barbara Robbins is an exquisite example of its form. From the hairwork under glass to the organic design of the gold work. Though clearly of its time, the design is almost nouveau in its nature patterns, right down to the gold hearts with flower designs that contain the stones. The chain and heart design are a perfect union in this piece, delicate and never over balanced in their weight. It should also be noted that on the back of each heart where the stones sit are glass panels with hair inside.
Typical of the second half of the 19th Century, jet and its imitations of vulcanite, bakelite and French jet gained popularity, along with cannel coal and bog oak (which, as outlined by Muller, were not jet imitations, but represented the same qualities), facilitated a growing demand.
Their popularity in fashion in the second half of the 19th Century cannot be denied, as it flourished in mainstream society. This can be attributed to the mourning of Queen Victoria post 1861, but as outlined by Luthi, in 1825 there was two workshops for it in Whitby and by 1850 there were seven1.
As in the first example, this mourning locket and necklace are an excellent match, the fittings only compliment the hairwork of the necklace itself and do not become the prominent focal point. Necklaces like this are common throughout most of the 19th Century, though variation can be found in the style of the hair weave and occasionally the gold fittings.
Fob chains only lasted as long as their function in fashion (or until the wrist watch), but hairwork chains are just as prolific as necklaces and vary wildly in style. Many different styles of chain can be found in catalogues of the time,
As a gentleman's accessory, lockets for men are commonly found attached to the fob chain. The style of the fittings of the gold and the etching (disregarding the weave of the hair) can denote the age of the piece.
Decorated with buckle etching on the clasp and black enamled acorns (power, authority) , the above example is a perfect example of the latter 19th Century hairwork. The resilience of the hair and its tight weave make it a functional item as well as an attractive one.
The two examples show a common link in their use of acorns as a motif. The example directly above is inlaid with a garnet and pearl, which may lead one to believe that it is a memorial piece.
Necklaces and chains are an important part of memorial and sentimental jewellery. Combined with the right pendant or locket, they can be very wearable today and are still produced. Intimacy and the ability to be unique to the wearer are essential in the survival of the necklace, as a piece worn over the heart is the most sentimental piece of all.
