Amethyst Teardrop Necklace

A rope-design necklace anchored by a rectangular banded amethyst, from which three amethyst teardrops fall, shows Spratling building a piece around the color and cut of a single stone. The banded amethyst is the focal point, the rope chain and dangling drops arranged to set it off.

The rope motif ties back to the cord and saddle-ornament designs Spratling named among his earliest sources (Morrill, pdf p. 39), here carried on a heavy link chain that gives the necklace real presence. Amethyst was a recurring Spratling stone, and the teardrop cabochons add movement to the static center.

The necklace is recorded in Goddard's Spratling Silver field guide. First Period necklaces combining a rope chain with a focal amethyst and matching drops surface only occasionally.