Graduated bead stringing is deceptively fiddly work — each strand has to run smoothly from smallest to largest without an awkward jump in size anywhere along the way, which meant a lot of sorting through loose stones before a single one got threaded. This necklace carries two full strands of round, faceted garnets doing exactly that, roughly 150 carats of stone across the piece as a whole, deep and consistent enough in colour that the sheer volume of it reads as the main event rather than any single stone.
The clasp is where the piece shows its hand stylistically: worked in 14ct/585 gold with textured foliate engraving that leans toward Aesthetic Movement and Arts & Crafts taste, a slightly different sensibility to the more architectural, symmetrical lines usually associated with Belle Époque design proper — evidence that jewellers of the period borrowed across movements rather than sticking rigidly to one school. It's a small detail, easy to miss on a necklace built around two strands of deep red stone, but worth noticing if you like your antique jewellery to have a bit of stylistic argument going on beneath the surface.
Condition notes
Very good antique condition. Tiny nibbles along facets of garnets appropriate to age and wear.
