An early nineteenth century riviere, designed as a line of gently graduated oval, flat-cut garnets in foil-backed settings, each link with beaded border, mounted in yellow gold with matching push-box clasp, clasp stamped with French assay mark for 18k gold, length 15 inches, 27 grams, circa 1830. 

The most timeless georgian necklace is the riviere, as popular today as it was 300 years ago. Riviere, meaning 'river of light,' was named for the famed lights of the Cote d'Azur, as the diamond riviere resembled the twinkling lights of the coastal towns. Rivieres were made of graduated collet-set matched stones connected as unobtrusively as possible into a continuous line. Silver set diamond rivieres achieved popularity around 1750, but were soon backed in gold to prevent tarnishing. Rivieres of paste or colored stones were often set in gold in closed back settings with colored foil. They frequently included a detachable pendant drop, often in the shape of a cross. With increasing quality of gemstones and diamonds in the nineteenth century, stones were prevalently set 'a jour' or open backed.