A late Victorian pink doublet set riviere necklace

A late Victorian pink doublet set riviere necklace, the graduated mixed cut oval stones in gilt collet mounts, 46cm long. These pink doublets are probably garnet topped doublets, a composite stone, used primarily from 1850 to the First World War. A thin slice of garnet is cemented to a base of pink paste, then faceted. The reasoning behind the process was to add durability and lustre to paste or glass, which is a relatively soft material.