The 110 carat Georgian diamond rivière of my desires.

The right vintage Georgian diamond rivière is an merchandise that graces many jewellery lovers’ final jewellery bucket lists. I might in all probability commerce a non-essential organ for this one.

First issues first: what’s a rivière?
A rivière is an iconic type of necklace that encompasses a steady line of diamonds, set one after one other like a river of treasured stones (thus the title). I’d argue that the basic diamond tennis necklace is a contemporary reinterpretation of this design, a subset of the rivière.
The rivière is the little black gown of the necklace world, an infinitely versatile piece that may go along with something. Vintage ones are more and more uncommon and particularly fascinating to collectors – chances are you’ll recall how ecstatic I used to be once I managed to attain an vintage paste rivière of comparable design at public sale (discover that story right here: Half 1, Half 2).
Some rivières are constant in stone dimension all the best way round, whereas others, like this one, are graduated, that includes stones that get bigger in direction of the entrance.

This superb Georgian diamond rivière necklace is presently obtainable from Hancocks London. It dates to 1820 and might be the most important one I’ve ever seen outdoors of a museum, with 110 carats of outdated mine good minimize diamonds in basic Georgian period cut-down collet settings.
This unbelievable necklace is much more than meets the attention: it has discreet hooks on the again of every collet to permit the size to be adjusted. How incredible is that?? Even higher, the hooks could as soon as have suspended diamond drips or pendeloques, making it much more glamorous.
These possible pendeloques imply this piece has a really well-known twin. Managing Director of Hancocks London, Man Burton, says that the piece is “is certainly one of many most interesting diamond rivière necklaces we’ve ever supplied on the market” and provides that this piece bears a hanging resemblance to the well-known Napoleon Diamond necklace, presently within the Smithsonian.
You could acknowledge the collet settings – that are silver-fronted and gold-backed – from the second the type is having in modern jewellery, like Zoe Kravitz’s Jessica McCormack engagement ring.

Yet one more look so that you’ll see it clearly in your desires, too.
Click on right here to search out this magnificent Georgian diamond rivière necklace at Hancocks, or see an inventory of different obtainable rivières I’ve rounded up for you right here.
Photos and data c/o Hancocks London.
Associated