Questions about clasp and beads on necklace?

What do you call this kind of clasp? Does the tension hold it together?
What do you call these gold tone beads? I have seen filigree and cage beads?
The entire necklace is in great shape but the blue beads are faded in some areas, mainly in the middle of the necklace, is there a specific kind of plastic that does this?

 

As soon as I saw that fleur de lis hangtag on the extender, I knew Vendome. But your piece is clearly marked so no question. Very nice!

Not sure if there is a name for that kind of hook closure, maybe others will know. Yes, just works with a combination of hooking and tension.

As far as the plastic beads being discolored I would take a touch of soap and a wet Q-tip or lightly damp towel (neither dripping at all) and see if by chance that discoloration wipes off. If not, they may have had some exposure to sun, or even a reaction to hair spray. If it doesn't clean up, I'm afraid there isn't much you can do.

I don't have an exact name for those metal beads. Maybe someone else will think of a descriptor word.

 

Tumbleweed?

 

Would Vendome use plastic beads? Guess I'd call it a hook & chain closure, adjustable length necklace. Like tumbleweed, other words that come to mind are basket & reticulated.

 

They don't feel like glass and would glass fade? Could there be a coating on them?

 

Any hint of when this was made?

 

Vendome frequently used glass in their pieces, but they also used plastic. Numerous signed examples out there with plastic.

I would date the necklace to the 1960s/70s plus or minus.

 

Thanx!

 

It is an eyecatcher, and I'm with Lucille, 60s-early 70s.

 

In a book on Miriam Haskell jewelry, that type of clasp is referred to as a "hook and tail clasp," but I think it's more commonly just called a "hook clasp."

"Filigree" is probably the most commonly-used name for the metal beads, but the flattened shape is unusual. It looks like they were made from filigree bead caps with the scalloped edges bent under and then two strung together.

The faded beads look like they reacted to a substance that caused the discoloration. Maybe the wearer touched them with lotion/perfume on her fingers, or something spilled/dripped on them and wasn't cleaned off. If that's the case, and you want to wear the necklace, you could restring them and move the discolored beads to the back (if they're strung on a fine chain, you could use cording to restring). Or maybe experiment (at your own risk) with a turquoise highlighter pen on the light spots to make them less conspicuous???? The necklace is quite attractive -- Vendome was a subsidiary of Coro that made more expensive jewelry.

 

"Filigree bi-domes." How's that?