Scalloped Fan-Plate Bib Necklace

• Seven articulated etched plates
• Scalloped edge detailing
• Lobster clasp closure
• Adjustable fit
• Lead and nickel free construction

Each plate is individually etched by hand, so slight differences in line depth and pattern placement will show from one plate to the next.

Scrollwork like this — tight spirals branching off a central stem, ringed by a beaded border — is a longstanding decorative device in Anatolian metalwork. Flat sheet metal is engraved or etched rather than cast, letting the pattern sit crisply on the surface instead of being molded into it.

Building a necklace from a run of separate stamped plates, each etched individually and joined by jump rings into a flexible band, is a construction method suited to small-workshop production. One etched master motif repeats across the piece while the finished necklace still moves and sits naturally at the neckline, the way a solid collar could not.

Each plate begins as a flat sheet of pewter zinc alloy, stamped into its fan shape and pierced for the connecting rings. The scroll and floral pattern is worked in by hand, and the piece is given a matte oxidized finish to bring the etched lines forward before the plates are linked and fitted with a lobster clasp.

• Technique: Hand-etched Turkish metalwork

Wipe with a soft dry cloth after wear, and store away from moisture so the etched finish stays crisp.