Vintage Czech Crystal Art Deco Style Rivière Necklace

Stunningly brilliant Czech crystal rivière collar art deco-style necklace - pointed back glass crystals prong set on a rivière style chain with a barrel clasp closure that has etched chasing detail. Just shy of 16.5 inches end to end. This piece has slightly larger than typical glass crystals, has exceptionally little patina on the metal, and refracts light beautifully. This style of necklace was first popularized in the 1920s by Chanel, who called her models rivers of diamonds (though they were costume). The style became so popular and so synonymous with Chanel, fashion magazines often referred to similar models regardless of who made them as Chanel necklaces, in the same way folks today often call any kind of facial tissue Kleenex. Both several other high-end designers had their own versions produced, as well as nearly all department stores. At one point, Czech workers, who supplied the glass components, went on strike because trying to keep up with demand led factories to run rotating shifts both day and night. Though today we often think of bezel set crystals as being higher-end than prong-set stones, during the 1920s-1940s, prong-settings were more common among the various designer and higher-end versions - this combined with the quality of the components indicates its one of the higher-end versions.