Art Deco Filigree & Blue Gem Lavaliere

Circa 1930 an Art Deco filigree lavaliere necklace crafted in 10k yellow gold set with a glittering cornflower-blue crystal gem.

Perfect "something blue" for the bride with a romantic antique aesthetic.

There's an amazing degree of intricacy to the airy design of the pendant with its graceful zig-zags and delicate milgraining, the glowing color of the metal perfectly complemented by the cool sparkle of the stone.

DETAILS: Measuring approximately 1 1/2" north to south including the decorative bail, and 3/4" east to west. Hung on a 15 1/8” 14k vintage crimp link chain. The pendant is marked for 10k on the back of the bail with the hallmark for Esemco, a branch of Shiman Bros. & Co., manufacturing jewelers in N.Y.,NY founded in 1906.

CONDITION: In excellent condition.

HISTORY: The term lavaliere is taken from Louise de La Vallierre, a mistress of King Louis XIV of France in the 1600's, who is credited with introducing the style of pendant: a chandelier type hanging from a simple chain.

The simplicity of this arrangement appealed to Edwardian aesthetics and the filigree lavaliere fashioned by hand in gold and platinum set with gemstones was immensely popular with the discerning and wealthy in the early 20th century.

With advances in manufacturing techniques by the late 1910s it became possible to mass produce the airy filigree designs which brought a new degree of popularity to this type of work as it made it accessible to the working class for the first time. Filigree styles remained fashionable through the early 1930s.