Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 16

14K Gold 52" Station Chain, Circa 1960 with Rolo Links Carved Stone Scarabs

$5,880
£4,489.86
€5,111.86
CA$8,256.45
A$9,025.91
CHF 4,775.12
MX$108,009.57
NOK 60,756.48
SEK 55,616.41
DKK 38,182.45

About the Item

This extra-long chain -- over four feet long -- has oval-shaped bezel stations, each holding a semi-precious stone carved to look like a scarab beetle. The stones are a fairly typical mix of hardstones used for scarab carvings: they're mostly in the chalcedony group, including bloodstone, chrysoprase, tigers eye and carnelian, but there's also a couple of lapis, an unakite (the green and pink stone, which is actually a mix of different stones), and one stone that is too hard to be anything but red jade. They're all 16mm x 12mm with varying depths. We estimate a total stone weight between 100 to 120 carats. Fun fact: like most scarab stones, the backs are all marked with mysterious symbols and pictograms. What do they mean? Absolutely nothing!! Originally, these marks were added to convince tourists that the stones were pulled right out of Nefertiti's hat pin, but once the carvings started showing up in commercial jewelry, it became customary to include the marks -- completely random gibberish -- as an authenticating touch, basically to say, "This was carved by hand. Whose hand? That's none of your business. But it was a human hand, by golly!" There are only fourteen stones -- this necklace is more about being a chain than it is about mysterious ancient beetles. And what a chain it is -- three inches of lofty 3mm rolo* links between each stone adding up to a versatile 52 inches. The chain is finished with a simple lobster clasp. There's a chain tag on the eye ring marked "IL 1," which is a mark or brand that we've seen on other chains but we haven't been able to foot it to any specific manufacturer. This chain is 14 karat gold and weighs 70.9 grams. NOTE: We can alter this chain for you if you would like a shorter chain, or two chains, or a bracelet and a chain, or a multi-strand bracelet, or just about any variation you can think of. Just let us know what you'd like us to do and we'll give you a quote, timing and options. * Rolo links are made from half-round wire, so they're rounded on the outside and flat on the inside.

More From This Seller

View All
Vintage 27" Two-Strand Prince of Wales Slider Chain in 14K Gold with Tassels
Located in Sherman Oaks, CA
This amazing, highly wearable early 20th century necklace features 28" of double-strand Prince of Wales chain joined by a shield-shaped slider pendant with a raised design, ruby cabo...
Category

Early 20th Century American Edwardian Chain Necklaces

Materials

Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold

Set of Three 36" Gemstone Chains in 18 Karat Gold: Moonstone, Garnet Citrine
Located in Sherman Oaks, CA
An endlessly versatile set of three long gemstone chains. You can wear them together or separately, doubled or single, or you can hook them together to make nine continuous feet of ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Chain Necklaces

Materials

Citrine, Garnet, Moonstone, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold

"Baby Boom" Necklace with Eleven Gold Antique American Baby Rings on Black Chain
Located in Sherman Oaks, CA
Baby rings were popular sentimental jewelry items in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Babies wore them for their christenings, or for photos, or (ickily) for their funerals, or mot...
Category

Early 20th Century American Victorian Pendant Necklaces

Materials

Blue Diamond, Emerald, Garnet, Lapis Lazuli, Pearl, Ruby, Blue Sapphire,...

Antique Book Chain Bracelet in 18 Karat Yellow Gold with Chrysoprase Box Clasp
Located in Sherman Oaks, CA
This unusual chain is a segment from an 18 karat gold 40" long necklace that one of our customers inherited from a great-great-great-blah-blah aunt. We know it's European, because her people immigrated from Poland, and we know it's at least a hundred years old (by the number of "greats" in front of the distant aunt) but that's about it. The mark on the original clasp just says "18K," with no tasty hallmarks to help with identification. We've never seen a chain like this. It resembles a book chain, but the construction is different. Basically, it's two lengths of rolo-style cable chain connected to each other by horizontal oval loops with links on each end. It's got great, loose-snaky movement, and every other center loop has been stamped with a bubbly pattern, just to give it a little more visual oomph. We're going to cut this chain down for various projects because it doesn't really work as a necklace. (It's the kind of thing you'd wear with your metals of office, which you don't have, and neither does anyone else.) Project numero uno is this one-of-a-kind, absolutely unique bracelet, which combines the chain with a fantastic vintage 14 karat box clasp, salvaged from an ugly bead bracelet, that's been sitting around the shop just waiting for this chain to come along. It's a big oval box clasp set with a chewy chrysoprase cabochon, nicely cut, great color, and about 15 carats. The clasp is stamped "585" and "14" on the back, along with the maker's mark (MG) for Manchu Gems, which was a Hong Kong jeweler that produced a lot of distinctively "oriental" jade, coral and chrysoprase jewelry...
Category

2010s American Contemporary Chain Bracelets

Materials

Chrysophrase, Gold, 14k Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold

"Cobblestone" Necklace in 14K Gold with Multicolor Tourmalines by Eytan Brandes
By Eytan Brandes
Located in Sherman Oaks, CA
This extraordinary, one-of-a-kind new necklace by Eytan Brandes features five beautiful but distinctly different slices of natural tourmaline, one of Eytan's favorite gemstones. The...
Category

2010s American Modern Link Necklaces

Materials

Rubelite, Tourmaline, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold

Italian Chain Necklace with Oversized and Textured Links in 18 Karat Yellow Gold
Located in Sherman Oaks, CA
The big, airy links in this striking 19" long necklace come in five sizes and two shapes (ovals and circles). Each flattened link has two flat sides: one side is stamped with an abs...
Category

2010s Italian Contemporary Chain Necklaces

Materials

Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold

You May Also Like

Vintage 18K Gołd French Egyptian Revival Scarab Multi-Stone Necklace
Located in Venice, CA
In a beautiful array of colors, shapes, and sizes, this fabulous French necklace combines some of Kirsten’s Corner’s favorite things: Egyptian Revival and nuggets. In between each sc...
Category

Vintage 1980s French Egyptian Revival Link Necklaces

Materials

Lapis Lazuli, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold

Vintage Handmade 14k Gold Multi Gemstones Sapphire Station 38" Long Necklace
Located in Montclair, NJ
--Stone(s):-- Numerous Natural Genuine Gemstones - Including Sapphire - Round & Oval Cut - Bezel Set - Vivid & Pastel Colors Material: Solid 14k Yellow Gold Chain, Bezel 14k Gold Ha...
Category

20th Century Chain Necklaces

Materials

Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold

14k Yellow Gold GIA 90ctw Cabochon No Heat Unique Sapphire 46" Wrap Necklace
Located in Montclair, NJ
--Stones:-- 102 Natural Genuine Sapphires - Oval Cabochon Cut - Bezel Set - Green Yellow to Blue Colors - Graduated in size from 4.6x2.9mm to 7.3x5.3mm approx. - 70-90ctw approx. Se...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Pendant Necklaces

Materials

Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold

Antique Hardstone Intaglio Necklace 14 Karat Gold Ball Chain
Located in Munich, Bavaria
Five agate intaglios of varying size and age have been mounted in 18 karat gold settings. The settings are connected by golden balls made out of 18karat . They are threaded on a foxt...
Category

Antique 1880s American High Victorian More Necklaces

Materials

Gold, 18k Gold

1990s Pomellato gold chain with onyx
By Pomellato
Located in London, GB
This elegant gold chain from Pomellato is made of 18k gold which beautifully accentuates the single onyx bead positioned next to its chunky clasp. A classic piece which can be work e...
Category

1990s Italian Contemporary Chain Necklaces

Materials

Onyx, Gold

Elegant Multiple Semi Precious Stone Gold Necklace
By Christina Addison
Located in New York, NY
Elegant Multi Stone Semi Precious Necklace set in 14kt yellow gold with 21 multi shaped eye glass set Citrine, Blue Topaz, Amethyst, Lemon Citrine, Smoky Topaz, and Garnet. The sto...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Chain Necklaces

Materials

Amethyst, Citrine, Garnet, Peridot, Topaz, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold