This necklace is typical of the kind of jewellery which was bought as a souvenir by English tourists in the 19th century. Although parts of it are old and traditional, it has been put together somewhere in southern Germany, and is not an authentic piece from that area.

The necklace itself is a traditional marriage belt from the Wurttemberg region, and may date from the 17th century, according to the marks on the back of the clasp. It has been converted to a necklace by removing a couple of the links, and closing the hook on the back of the clasp. The two missing links have been added to the front as pendants, and each has received a large filigree object shaped like a bell to finish it off. These filigree pendants are probably Gollermaschen, or collar pendants. They were originally hung from the collar chains used to keep in place the detachable white linen collar which was part of traditional dress in the region. Finally, the converter has drilled a hole through the lower edge of the clasp, now the focus of the front of the necklace, and added a small Swabian buckle from a man’s hat band as a pendant.