Art Deco Dresden Metal Ring Mesh Festoon Necklace

Developed by Charles Whiting -- of the famed Whiting and Davis company -- in 1892, handmade ring mesh became a staple in ladies handbags for more than 40 years. 

These individual rings were originally connected by hand until 1909 when the first automated ring mesh fabric machine was invented. 

However, it wouldn't be until 1927 before Mr. Whiting would try his hand at adding color to his delicate ring mesh creations. While companies had been painting flat mesh purses for a few years, painting ring mesh proved to be a challenge because of their more open design. 

Whiting chose to take a watercolor Impressionist approach when painting these bags, opting for soft blurred lines and a hazy appearance instead of more defined geometric patterns, which were popular at the time. It was an immediate hit! 

It was also around this time when the Dresden ring mesh bag first came to be. These painted mesh bags were made of the smallest diameter of ring mesh possible, giving the bag an almost silky, satin-like drape. 

While these painterly creations commanded a higher price tag at the time, they sadly did not hold up as well as their flat mesh counterparts. 

So what does all of this purse history have to do with this necklace? A lot!

With the success of Whiting's Dresden mesh in the United States, soon other companies began trying their hand at the technique and they didn't limit themselves to just handbags! 

This incredible festoon necklace was made in Germany using painted Dresden ring mesh. The pattern is so intricate it almost looks like crochet work, but it is all made of metal. 

It is painted in the same Impressionistic watercolor method and all of the paint fluoresces under UV light. 

We have scoured books and the Internet and have not been able to find another one, so we think this is truly a special conversation piece.