The Antwerp Necklace

Look closely and the collar gives itself away as Belle Époque: sapphires, carrying a soft royal blue that seems to come from inside, held by fine millegrain. Each stone is closed in its own collet, the way settings were made before machines. A dealer we trust brought it down from a Budapest family, kept in a bank drawer far longer than it was ever worn. It has outlived everyone who owned it and shows no sign of stopping.