Joy of Earthly Existence

elva

The double snake head stopped us in our tracks. In all of our years of treasure-hunting at antique and flea markets, we've never seen anything quite like this vintage beauty, and we were immediately taken by its charm and craftsmanship. Rendered in brass and decorated with carved and polished amethysts, the buckle hails from Mexico, bearing a mark of origin on both pieces of the buckle's reverse. A bit of digging revealed that the buckle may have been made by Hubert Harmon, an American jeweler who trained in Paris and worked as a metalsmith in Mexico in the 1940s. This unusual and highly-rare buckle becomes the clasp of the necklace here, fastening strands of tumbled and polished Peruvian opal, mixed with bits of amethyst and purple magnesite. Perhaps the snakes feature at front or side, or, for a more subdued look, they can rest at back to allow the beads to be the main event. Measures approximately 18.5" in overall length, the buckle itself measuring 6" in length.

$ 358.00