Jewel of The Month - July 2025

A spectacular rivière necklace — featuring diamonds weighing an impressive 110 carats — is Hancocks London Jewel of the Month for July.

The piece in question – An antique Georgian old cut diamond rivière necklace, circa 1820. The necklace is set with twenty eight old mine brilliant cut diamonds,that graduate in size and total approximately 110ct.

Each diamond in the rivière is set in a classic Georgian cut-down collet, silver-fronted and gold-backed, a technique favoured during the period for its ability to enhance both the lustre and structure of the stones. The largest single diamond, sitting at its centre, is estimated at 9.26 carats

Guy Burton, Managing Director, Hancocks London, says: ““a masterpiece of Georgian craftsmanship” is dated circa 1820. Set with 28 beautifully matched old mine brilliant cut diamonds, its extraordinary weight together with its clever design, places it among the finest examples of its kind."

"It’s an antique jewel that clearly carries an extraordinary history - we can easily imagine it having royal connections or being worn by someone notable at a remarkable event. It is certainly of that calibre."

About Rivière Necklace

“Interestingly, as we researched the necklace’s history, we discovered it bears a striking resemblance to the Napoleon Diamond Necklace* with the largest diamond comparable in size to its imperial counterpart. This only highlights its extraordinary significance and how exceptionally rare it is for a jewel of this calibre to come to market.

The rivière necklace was an extremely popular design in the 18th and 19th centuries, crafted in either diamonds or coloured stones, in both uniform and graduated rows. The name translates literally as ‘river’, alluding to the continuous, flowing line of gemstones that encircle the neck. Favoured by royalty and courtiers across Europe and beyond, these necklaces were often worn in multiples to emphasise wealth and status. Like all enduring designs, the rivière remains as coveted today as it was two centuries ago.