A rivière is a necklace consisting of one or more strings of linked

gemstones A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, semiprecious stone, or simply gem) is a piece of mineral crystal which, when cut or polished, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. Certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli, opal, a ...

. Usually only one kind of gemstone is used in a rivière, with all stones of the same colour and

cut Cut or CUT may refer to: Common uses * The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely directed force ** A type of wound ** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past ** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment ** ...

. The stones are either all the same size, or gradually increase in size towards the middle of the necklace. Rivières have been worn since the 18th century and are still a popular type of necklace.

Description

The name rivière refers to the French word for "river", because the stones are thought to ‘flow’ around the neck. A rivière is usually quite short (about 35 cm). In a rivière, the

silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

, or

platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...

settings are designed to be inconspicuous. The necklace's impact comes entirely from the uninterrupted line of

, identical in colour and

. The stones are either all the same size, or vary gradually from small to larger towards the bottom of the necklace.

Diamonds Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Diamond is tasteless, odourless, strong, brittle solid, colourless in pure form, a poor conductor of electricity, and insol ...

as well as coloured stones can be used in rivières, and

pendant A pendant is a loose-hanging piece of jewellery, generally attached by a small loop to a necklace, which may be known as a "pendant necklace". A pendant earring is an earring with a piece hanging down. Its name stems from the Latin word ...

stones or a pendant cross may be attached. These pendants can often be detached to make the necklace more versatile. During the nineteenth century, rivières were introduced that had two or three strings of stones instead of one.

History

The rivière became popular in the 18th century. In the earliest rivières, the stones were encased in settings with closed backings, and jewellers often strung the stones together on a cord or ribbon. In the 19th century a collet-set or prongs became the preferred settings for the stones. In these settings, the back is open, allowing the stones to better reflect the light. Instead of using ribbons or cords to create the string, the stones were linked together like a chain. In the 18th century, multicoloured harlequin rivières were briefly fashionable, featuring gemstones in different colours. An (in)famous example of a rivière was the " collier de la Reine" of Queen

Marie-Antoinette Marie Antoinette (; ; Maria Antonia Josefa Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last queen of France before the French Revolution and the establishment of the French First Republic. She was the wife of Louis XVI. Born Archd ...

of France. Rivières are still a popular model of necklace and continue to be worn.

References

{{reflist Types of jewellery Necklaces