The most characteristic element of Swiss traditional jewellery is the lavish use of chains and filigree.

Göllerketten, meaning collar chains, are among the most unusual kind. Originally Swiss women used laces to hold their detachable white linen collars in place, but by the 19th century they had switched to silver chains. They wore them in pairs, one on each side of the body. These chains linked the lower outside corners of the collar, at the front and back, by passing under the arm. At each end there was a decorative filigree hook, which was attached to the corners of the collar. The hook at the front usually had an elaborate filigree rosette hanging down from it. In this example the front hook is missing, and only the pendant rosette remains at the front.

Göllerketten are unique to Switzerland and parts of southern Germany, and were worn in most regions, although the design varied from valley to valley. This Göllerkette was described as 18th-century Bernese when it was acquired by the museum in 1870. The Bernese costume had been adopted as an unofficial Swiss national costume in the second half of the 19th century, and was very popular in the UK at that time for dressing-up. Large quantities of Bernese-style chains and filigree were imported into the UK from around 1875. Despite that, this chain is more characteristic of the kind worn in the neighbouring canton of Nidwalden.