I have been lovingly referring to this necklace as the "Austrian Vampire" necklace since I got it, due to its incredibly romantic and brooding Gothic feel. Despite my nickname for it, this necklace actually has a much lighter backstory- this is a fantastic example of a traditional Austrian necklace meant to be worn with "Tracht," traditional folk costumes from German-speaking regions (think dirndl and lederhosen). Made at the very beginning of the 20th century, this wonderfully detailed, layered, rich silver collar necklace is made in a style that is still duplicated for traditional costumes today. It is made of silver high-relief cast links (likely 800 or 835 silver, not sterling) and is set with a bright Mediterranean coral cabochon in the center for a pop of color. Traditional Austrian folk jewelry made during this period is a wonderful melding of art nouveau design influences, and distinct Renaissance revival themes.
This necklace is in perfect condition. The only notable "flaw" is that the spring ring clasp is a modern replacement, which is not uncommon for Austrian folk necklaces, as they are often handed down and, ultimately, repaired. There are two stamps on the ring end of the clasp, though I cannot make them out. They are most likely the silver hallmark (3 numbers), and some sort of city/regional stamp consisting of 2 characters. Necklace measures 16" long.
