Appendages: The Tassel
A charming variation from the plain band around the neck is achieved by the addition of a tassel. The knot of this may be a tight band of gold, plain or centered with a diamond. The hanging cords may be links or chains or tiny medallions of gold; they may be many strands of pearls; or they may be baguette and round diamonds in a tumbling cascade. There is something especially feminine, and pleasantly gay, in a tassel. Its constant motion keeps it ever freshly beautiful.
The tassel may be worn, for a change, gaily swinging from the jacket as a lapel pin, but it is at its best on the necklace. There it will usually hang from the center; but it should be made detachable so that, with certain dresses, it may be put on the necklace at the side to give a different, piquant air to the ensemble.
Appendages: The Single Drop
At the height of mid-century necklace fashion is the addition of the single drop. This should not be long, like a pendant, but rather one large extra stone, clipped on close to the collier to add chic and smartness. It may be a pear-shaped diamond, a grey or a black pearl, an emerald, or indeed any stone that harmonizes with the necklace color—though most frequently such a drop is worn on a necklace of diamonds or pearls. The single stone is set with an almost invisible clasp and can be attached to the necklace at any point desired. Resultant effects can be startling. The appearance of the necklace may be completely transformed; a daytime jewel may be transmuted to evening elegance. Various moods can be deftly suggested, or stressed, by the clever placing of the jewel drop.
Transformations
The construction of a necklace so that it can be transformed, as I suggested before in connection with the rivière, marks an increasing aspect of jewelry design. The diamond necklace, appropriate only to the off-shoulder evening gown and adorning only the most formal occasions, spends more time in the treasure chest or vault than any other jewel. Its usefulness is increased many-fold when it is so created that it comes apart to form bracelets and clips and other jewels more frequently worn.
The devising of detachable parts and convertible jewels is no new-fangled practice. It began in France before the French Revolution, first gaining popularity with a social élite that initiated many fashions. Many eighteenth and nineteenth century necklaces also served as tiaras. Jewels in our museums today testify to the great skill and ingenuity with which the earlier artists cunningly contrived and concealed the mechanical devices that made possible these transformations.