Elegant Art Deco Necklace with Amethyst Briolette & Diamonds, c. 1930

Since ancient times, its deep, purple colour has led to the amethyst being associated with wine. Its name, derived from the Greek “amethystos”—“counteracting intoxication”—reflects the ancient belief that the woman who wore it was immune to the intoxicating effects of wine. For this reason, numerous objects—such as drinking cups—were carved from amethyst in the Middle Ages and even in antiquity, and well into the early modern period, it was set in rings and worn as a talisman against drunkenness. According to a poem by the French poet Rémy Belleau, its colour came about when Bacchus, the god of wine, splashed wine onto clear crystal. There is, therefore, a certain ingenuity in cutting amethysts into teardrop shapes. If such a teardrop is faceted, it is called a briolette. This design focuses on such a gemstone. The setting is delicate and understated; a pointed cap is attached to a row of sparkling diamonds that lead to a larger diamond, to whose setting the delicate platinum chain is attached. Designs like this were primarily crafted in amethyst and aquamarine around 1930. A very similar design can be found in a catalog by the jeweler F. Todt from the 1931–32 season. We reproduce the corresponding page at the end. What is interesting about this necklace is that it was apparently created using a diamond element that was already older. The diamonds, with their platinum settings, were most likely cut and set as early as the 1910s as part of another piece of jewellery. Just under a generation later, the diamonds and their settings became the upper section of this necklace. The setting for the amethyst is made of silver and gold, distinguishing it from the adjacent row of diamonds. We discovered this elegant piece of jewellery in Schleswig-Holstein.

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