Collet necklaces in Regency Fashion Plates

You probably know that my first love is fashion plates, so when I began making reproduction collet necklaces, they were one of the sources I turned to first.  With the exception of original pieces, they are the best source to find documentation for the jewelry of the Regency period (and 18th Century, when available).  Fashion plates are particularly useful, because you can see how and where they were worn.

When I went back and started looking for them, I was shocked by how many I found.  Even though I have looked at thousands of fashion plates, I never really noticed what kind of jewelry our lovely historic inspirations were wearing.  Don't you just love how the same source can keep giving and giving and giving?

Here are a few detailed images, all from Ackermann's Repository of the Arts.

Opera Dress, April 1810

"Ear-rings and Necklace of Pink Topaz"

Ball Dress, March 1810

I don't have the description of this, but I love that she is wearing a matching bracelet (?) shoved up her arm!

(EDIT:  Thank you to a reader who had the description of this plate: "Head-dress, al la Diana, of pearl; necklace and armlets, &c. of the same"  So these are pearls, and those are called armlets.  Oh la la!)

Ball Dress, May 1809

Another example of the matching arm bracelets!

Evening Dress, January 1810

Mourning Dress, 1809. 

I'm unsure of what these stones/beads would be, because she is in mourning, but I was struck by their size.  This is no delicate strand!

And here are a few more, from Fashions of London and Paris (Sadly, most of these come sans descriptions or even titles of the dresses!): 

February, 1808.

June, 1805

1808

Costume de Grand Parure, September 1803

And details from the wonderful plate from 1811, French Vauxhall:

And the big version, because I love you!

I hope this provides some inspiration for the wearing of your collet parures!

EDIT:  I've just started a new blog to talk all about Collet Necklaces and Parures!