When this Egyptian Revival necklace popped up in my email inbox, I thought, “oooh, pretty.” But when I read the accompanying press release and realized how cool its story really is, I knew I had to share it with you.
Gorgeous, isn’t it?? I didn’t take much notice of this beautiful piece the first (or second, or third) times I watched The Devil Wears Prada, but I’ll never miss it again. I love how the vibrant colors of the antique enamel, turquoise, and coral look peeping out of the clean lines of Meryl Streep’s Vogue editor persona’s chic tailored shirt and jacket.
Even better? This Egyptian Revival necklace wasn’t created as a prop for the movie, it’s a real antique from the 1800’s, commissioned by a future King as a gift for his mistress, a famous actress of the day.
Let’s get a closer look and dive into the past.
Here is the necklace in all its glory! It’s a fantastic example of 19th century Egyptian Revival, a trend that was spurred in that era by Napoleon’s expedition to Egypt and the excavation and opening of the Suez Canal in the 1860’s. But the trends of the day weren’t the real reason why this piece was made.
It’s time to introduce you to the necklace’s first owner, Lillie Langtry. A society beauty first famous for her loveliness and later for her talent, Langtry decided to pursue a stage career after playwright Oscar Wilde encouraged her to give acting a try.
Despite her marriage to Edward Langtry, Lillie was also the longtime paramour of of the Prince of Wales (later, King Edward VII). Her royal lover lavished her with gifts and built a house for the two of them to share in Bournemouth by the late 1870’s. According to family history, this is when the Prince presented his lady love with the Egyptian Revival necklace.
Left, King Edward VII & Queen Alexandra. Right, Lillie Langtry in 1881
Why was Egyptian Revival the perfect gift for Ms. Langtry at that moment in time?
Well, because the actress was about to star in Anthony and Cleopatra at London’s Princess Theater. According to family sources, Langtry wore this exact necklace for her opening night of the show before it was replaced by a larger costume version for future performances.
It is worth mentioning that Langtry’s salary for Anthony and Cleopatra was, at the time, the highest ever paid to an actress. She also established the “Lillie Syndicate,” her successful business empire of celebrity product endorsements, which was groundbreaking for the era.
So Lillie wasn’t just a pretty face who got gifts from princes, she was a businesswoman getting things done.
Langtry’s Egyptian Revival necklace has now returned to Hancocks London, the same jeweler who originally made the piece in the late 1800’s.
The piece features a gold necklace with a serpent’s head clasp suspending a winged enamel scarab, a large faience scarab, a carved carnelian shell, and tassels of coral drops, Ram’s heads, turquoise cabochons, and carved moonstones.
Even better: the necklace still resides in its original Hancocks box from the late 1800’s.
According to Guy Burton, Managing Director of Hancocks London:
“The Prince of Wales commissioned Hancocks to make this piece for his mistress at the time, Lillie Langtry, who was regarded as one of the most glamorous and beautiful society women of her era. He was known to be deeply enamoured with Ms Langtry and is believed to have presented her with the necklace during their time together, marking it as a token of affection from a royal admirer.
[…] For the Prince of Wales, it would have made perfect sense to commission this piece for Ms Langtry given she was appearing as Cleopatra in the West End.”
The necklace’s journey didn’t end with Lillie Langtry. In 2003, it was auctioned by a private vendor whose grandmother had received it as a gift from the actress. Hancocks London re-acquired the piece and soon loaned it to a Hollywood production, facilitating the piece’s appearance in the iconic 2006 film, The Devil Wears Prada.
The Egyptian Revival necklace was then sold to an American collector, and just recently has been re-acquired by Hancocks once again.
Isn’t that an incredible jewelry story? If you’d like to see this storied Egyptian Revival necklace in real life, Hancocks London will be displaying it in early October in honor of the West End production of The Devil Wears Prada that’s coming to London at the same time.
See more Egyptian Revival jewelry in my archive here or my Pinterest board here.
All images and info c/o Hancocks London.
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