Merv Necklace

A horizontal row of rectangular gemstones strung at the collarbone, with small triangular bugle-bead pennants hanging from each one and long beaded fringes descending below, with each fringe weighted at the bottom by a focal bead.

The form is borrowed from the matha patti, an ornate headpiece traditionally worn by Turkmen brides- a horizontal band with chains of beads falling from the brow. Here the same structure sits at the throat instead of the forehead. The name comes from Merv, the Silk Road city in what's now Turkmenistan, where styles from across Asia crossed paths.

Wear yours with a v-neck or a wide scoop, where the fringes have room to swing.