Napoleon I Diamond Necklace
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The Napoleon necklace was a gift from Emperor Napoleon I to his second wife, Marie-Louise to celebrate the birth of their son, Napoleon II, the Emperor of Rome, in 1811. The silver and gold set necklace, designed by Etienne Nitot et Fils of Paris was completed in 1811 and consists of 234 diamonds: 28 oval and cushion-cut diamonds, suspending a fringe of 19 briolette-cut oval and pear shaped diamonds and accented by small, round diamonds and diamond set motifs. The diamonds are cut in the "old mine" style, the precursor to the modern brilliant cut, resulting in great dispersion (flashes of color as the stone moves in light), but less brilliance due to less light refraction through the top of the stone. The necklace has an estimated total weight of 263 carats, the largest single diamond weighing approximately 10.4 carats. When Marie-Louise died in 1847, the necklace was given to her sister-in-law, Archduchess Sophie of Austria, who removed two stones to shorten the necklace. Earrings were made with the two removed stones, the whereabouts of which are unknown. In 1872, the necklace was bequeathed to the Archduchess’ son, Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria. In 1948, Archduke Ludwig’s grandson, Prince Franz Joseph of Liechtenstein, sold the necklace to a French collector who then sold it to Harry Winston in 1960. Marjorie Merriweather Post obtained the necklace from Winston and donated it to the Smithsonian Institution in 1962.
www.mnh.si.edu/earth/text/dynamicearth/6_0_0_GeoGallery/g…
Today’s current fashion trend lends itself to new bold and daring styles, especially when it comes to costume jewelry necklaces. However, to get the best value out of your purchase, remember that there are guidelines that you may follow when choosing your fashion necklaces.
Always remember that necklaces will put emphasis on your face, neck, bust, and waist. For example, a full-figured woman should wear longer styles that will draw the eye downward, thus elongating her height. Pieces with larger stones, beads or medallions are also preferable for the fuller figure; rather than small, delicate pieces.
Longer necklaces help lengthen the look of round or square faces. They also add length to a short frame when worn below the bust-line but above the waist. Necklaces that have similar sized beads work well on tall women and chokers help minimize the appearance of height. Understanding the five basic body shapes can also be a helpful guideline in costume jewelry necklace selection.
Pear Shaped Body
Women with a pear shape usually have somewhat sloping shoulders, a smaller bust-line, a small waist, and full hips, butt, and thighs. Ideally, the pear figure should find ways to draw attention away from the lower half of the body to make the bust appear larger. One suggestion would be to wear a chunky necklace to draw the eyes upward, this will accentuate the top half of the body rather than the lower half, thus creating balance. Choose necklaces that are colorful, bright or shiny which will ultimately draw the eyes to your neck and away from the hip area.
Apple Shaped Body
An apple shaped body is typically characterized by a full face, broad shoulders, full bust-line, a slightly undefined waistline and a flat bottom. When possible it is better for apples to draw attention away from the mid-section by wearing a necklace that will not accentuate the thickness of the neck, because many apples have a broader and shorter neck. Chokers and short necklaces are not as flattering and should be avoided. Instead, consider a double or multi-tiered cowrie beaded necklace because the beads are more delicate and are available in longer lengths.
Hourglass Shaped Body
Hourglass bodies are curvy and well proportioned with broad shoulders, defined waist and full hips and thighs. The hourglass is a well proportioned and symmetrical body shape, so it really is not necessary to try and balance it with an over sized necklace. However, it may be helpful to accentuate the curves by drawing attention to the waistline without adding size anywhere else. This can be achieved by wearing a necklace that is long enough to add length to the torso. A good costume jewelry necklace style would also be one that adds length to the neck, although just about any necklace style will work well for the hourglass because shape-wise, they are already well balanced.
Inverted Triangle Shaped Body
Inverted triangle simply means that the shoulders are strong and the bust-line is wider than the bottom half of the body (hips, butt and thighs) with strong shoulders. One hint is that you will find this particular body shape to be common among runway models.The best necklace choices for this body shape are ones that vertically slim down the chest and make it look leaner.
Rectangular Shaped Body
The rectangular body lends to a more athletic look. The bust and hips are of approximately the same width and very little definition of the waistline. It is usually common to have a thick neck and very well proportioned legs and arms. This particular body shape is fortunate because like the hourglass shape, little if anything looks bad on them. The main focus would be on selecting the best necklace color to compliment the complexion of the wearer.
Remember Neck Length
Always take into consideration the length of the neck, when selecting a necklace. Longer necks work well with shorter necklaces and chokers, while the shorter neck will appear more elongated with a necklace that falls anywhere from mid-chest to the top of the waistline.
In conclusion, costume jewelry, is an affordable way to accentuate your look. Necklace choices are endless no matter what your preference of style may be. With little effort and the correct choices in jewelry design, your wardrobe will be enhanced and your unique fashion savvy will be quite evident.
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However, if you’re feeling a bit more hands-on and crafty, this video will show you a quick & simple way of how to put together your own Swarovski crystal heart necklace. Supplies used: – 18″ box chain – 2x small leaf pinch bails – 10mm Fuchsia AB heart pendant – 14mm Crystal AB heart pendant All supplies can be purchased from: www.my23crystals.com 10% off coupon code 23lovesErica Thanks for watching! Twitter: www.twitter.com Blog: missericasblog.blogspot.com Contact me: missericaonline @ gmail.com
