During the Victorian era it was popular for a well-dressed lady to accessorize herself with a long chain, often called a Slide Chain, Guard Chain or Muff Chain. These chains had a practical purpose as they were often used to hold a watch, locket, or fob. Chains could be purchased at a local jewelry shop and many styles included "slides" which were used to adjust the length of the chain. Often slides were adorned with gems, pearls, rhinestones and sometimes were engraved with monograms. This slide chain is made of an intricate box link and has a blue enamel slide on it with a toggle bar. In order to wear this gorgeous piece as a necklace in modern times, we've added a contemporary curb chain to it (by linking it into the clasp so it's removable). We like wearing this asymmetrically, with the toggle hanging off to the side. We think you will too. *********** In celebration of the 10th anniversary of Ariel Gordon Jewelry, we’re so proud to introduce Heritage by Ariel Gordon, a collection of vintage and estate jewelry curated by Ariel to bring new life to these treasured pieces. “It felt inspiring and motivating to me to stop for a moment and reflect on all the different reasons that people have worn jewelry throughout the years - the heritage of the industry that I'm a part of. I get a lot of satisfaction thinking about the sustainable life cycle of jewelry and that I'm bringing new life to old pieces. I design my own collection to live forever and be heirlooms so it's so exciting that I'm getting to honor these pieces in the same way. It's a fantasy of mine that 100 years from now, someone will discover one of my pieces, and it would have the same special meaning to them—with the stories and memories it's collected over the years.” To curate this assortment, Ariel scoured trade shows, flea markets, private collections, and beyond to find authentic, one of a kind jewelry. Every piece in the collection was purchased by Gordon in person so she could fully vet the quality and authenticity. |