The Steel Peridot Fringe Necklace

Sotheby’s

We’ve got one more peridot piece to spotlight in our celebration of August’s birthstone: a dazzling gold and peridot fringe necklace that once belonged to the world’s bestselling living author.

Sotheby’s

Sotheby’s sold the necklace at auction in New York in September 2014. The lot notes from the sale describe the gold and peridot necklace as “set with rectangular-faceted and pear-shaped peridots supporting a fringe composed of 86 drop-shaped briolette peridots.” The name of the maker was not provided; neither was the date of the piece’s construction. To my eye, it appears to be a relatively contemporary piece, perhaps inspired by jewelry of the ancient world.

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The seller’s identity was revealed however: the novelist Danielle Steel, whose romances have been on bestseller lists around the world for decades. She’s a jewelry lover, with an extensive collection of her own. (Above, she sparkles for a fundraiser for AIDS research in New York in 2005.) Her books often feature jewelry-centric plots as well.

Sotheby’s

The eye-catching necklace features four rows of rectangular and pear-shaped peridots, bezel-set in gold. A fringe of briolette peridot drops extends from the bottom row, offering the piece a sense of movement and energy.

Sotheby’s

A hidden clasp allows the necklace to look almost like a jeweled collar. I’d love to see a necklace like this one worn with a simple navy blue gown.

Sotheby’s

Auction estimates for the piece in September 2014 were set at between $12,000 and $15,000. And, when the hammer fell on September 23, that’s precisely what the necklace fetched: $15,000. I can only hope the current owner is wearing the piece as exuberantly as Danielle Steel surely did!