A fine and detailed late Georgian/early Victorian muff chain crafted from 18 karat yellow gold. The chain which dates to the first half of the 19th century comprises of delicate belcher links which have circular repousse detailing that has aged beautifully over the last 200 years. The clasp of the piece is a traditional tongue and box clasp in a delicate barrel casing set with three small pieces of cabochon turquoise. The chain is of a length that it can be worn as a long chain, double strung or even triple strung around the neck. Known as a 'muff chain', the name comes from the Georgian and Victorian era when women would wear a 'muff' to keep their hands warm in winter. The concept being that the chain could be worn around the neck and strung through the 'muff' so that when their hands were not inside it would not fall to the floor. We date the piece to circa 1840, which could be described as the very tail end of the Georgian era, or the dawn of the Victorian. A gorgeous antique necklace on the cusp of being 200 years old.
Marked - unmarked but tests as 18 karat yellow gold
Measures - 118cm in length (total)
Total weight - 23.6 grams