|Necklace of Gold and Diamonds| United States, Circa 1960 The
Victoria & Albert Museum For several years, after the Second
World War, gemstones were so expensive as to be prohibitive and
their trade was extremely rare in Europe. Gold jewelry therefore
became fashionable for those who could not afford pieces which
were encrusted with gemstones. A trick employed by many jewelers
to make their gold jewelry more affordable was to reduce the
amount of precious metal that was used by using wire, often
corded in ornamental patterns. These pieces appeared heavy and
chunky, but were often hollow. Small diamonds were set into
these playful pieces in order to create the illusion of sparkle
and color on a greater scale. Here’s a great example of this
practice. Made around 1960, this necklace of gold is set with
small diamonds. It was made in the United States.