Festoon!

Festoon - it sounds like a party, doesn't it? And it kind of is. It's a party around your neck. The word comes from the Latin festum (feast) or festo (festal garland). Lillian Baker (Art Nouveau & Art Deco Jewelry) defines "festoon" as, "A garland of chain or chains decorated with ornamental drops or pendants which lay on a curve against a woman's upper bosom." Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Raise your hand if you would like a garland of jewels heaving on your bosom. My hand is raised.

I think festoon necklaces are the most feminine of all types of jewelry, especially ones from the turn-of-the-century. These necklaces can reduce me to tears, people. Even hanging on a hook or resting in a jewelry case they look full of life to me. They are the perfect symbols of Edwardian joie de vivre and elegance - just dormant and just waiting to breathe again on the neck of a pretty girl.

Getting on with it . . . I've only had a couple festoon necklaces in the shop (including this one) because 1.) they are really hard to find and 2.) when I do find them, I usually keep them because I love them. But I've been very fortunate this fall and I've found two. One I am keeping (can you spot it in this mess?), and one I am listing in the shop.

So here she is. You can read more about her here.

The rest of the posts here this week will be about festoon necklaces (obsessed much?) I'll do an outfit post featuring one from my own collection, I'll share some old advertisements for them from the 1920s and I'll also post some of my favorites from around the web. Believe me, you won't get tired of them.