RARE FIND! Antique Art Deco Czech “Lace Glass” Necklace.
A marvelous survivor from the 1920s Art Deco era, this necklace is strung with a sequence of delicate hand-spun pierced lampwork beads in the most striking baby blue. Known to collectors as “lace glass” beads (sometimes also called “wedding cake lace beads”), these were individually crafted in Czechoslovakia during the height of the Bohemian glass industry.
The beads graduate gracefully in size, culminating in a large central bead capped with ornate gilt brass filigree caps—typical of the lavish Art Deco taste for bold centerpieces and geometric balance. Smaller faceted blue glass spacers accentuate the openwork beads, adding shimmer and depth. The necklace is completed with a later-replaced rhinestone-set chrome box clasp, which speaks to its long life and cherished wear.
The openwork, pierced technique was achieved by glass artisans in Gablonz (today Jablonec nad Nisou, Czech Republic), who were famed for their innovation in lampworked and pressed beads. Each bead was painstakingly spun and pierced while molten, creating the lace-like, hollow texture you see. These beads were exported worldwide in the 1920s–30s and became highly fashionable in Paris, London, and New York, where they were often strung into statement necklaces for the flapper generation.
Collectors today prize these necklaces both for their artistry and for their fragility—many did not survive intact. Similar pieces in good condition are increasingly rare, with examples selling in the range of $88 (±R1,500) to $120 (±R2,000) depending on condition, size, and color rarity. Blue, especially in such a soft sky tone, remains one of the most sought-after shades.
Measurements :The necklace with a length of 53cm.The largest centre bead measures 2.2cm in diameter and smallest bead 7.80mm in diameter.The necklace with a weight of 35grams.
