Victorian Silver Collar Necklace

A wonderful Victorian silver collar, formed of a continuous run of crescent moons, each hand-engraved with fine foliate scrollwork and set between small five-pointed stars, so that the whole necklace reads as a band of moons and stars circling the neck. The engraving is crisp and entirely hand-cut, catching the light differently on every link, and the collar sits flat and fluid against the skin, fastening with a bolt ring clasp.

The crescent and star was among the most cherished motifs of the later nineteenth century — a symbol of the heavens, of hope, and of guidance — and the Victorians wore it on everything from brooches to tiaras. To find it carried right around a collar, hand-engraved throughout, is unusual and rather lovely. Bold, graphic and surprisingly modern in effect, it makes a real statement worn against a plain neckline.

Details

• Metal: silver, unmarked
• Design: hand-engraved crescent moons alternating with five-pointed stars
• Clasp: bolt ring
• Length: 18.5 inches
• Width: 18.5mm
• Weight: 24.7g
• Condition: (needed)
• Era: Victorian, circa 1880–1900