Like bootleg pants, skinny shirts and double-knits, neckwires were hugely popular in the 1970s. And like bootleg pants, skinny shirts and double-knits, neckwires are back in vogue for the 1990s.

These delicate circlets of gold, silver and platinum never went out of style completely. But like pearls and cashmere twin sets, they enjoy periods of being particularly fashionable.

Neckwires, with their clean elemental forms, have always been plentiful at the Basel fair, mostly in the German pavilion. They’re also a signature look for some U.S. designers, most notably Etienne Perret. But when trendsetter Tom Ford showed neckwires with Gucci’s unbuttoned-to-there fall collection, it was clear they were poised for a major comeback. Indeed, by the 1996 summer jewelry shows in Las Vegas and New York, a plentiful selection of neckwires and pendants provided a hip and sophisticated alternative to the Omega-and-slide combination.

With an endless array of styles in price points from under $50 to over $5,000, bet on the neckwire and pendant to be the next “must have” for fashion-conscious jewelry collectors everywhere. Continued on page 124