WELL, ITS TIME has come. On Dec. 9, 2021, And Just Like That, the reboot of Sex And The City, debuts on HBO Max.
For the New York premiere, Sarah Jessica Parker wore one of her favorite looks (and one of my favorites too): layered rivière necklaces, which were styled by Molly Rogers, one of the show’s costume designers. The rivière is a necklace that was developed in the 18th century and originally set in all the same size stones or slightly graduated sizes around the neck in collet, closed foil back settings, often silver top over gold with rose cut or mine cut diamonds. This was to enliven the stones, which were cut by hand in Georgian times. The diamond one that SJP is wearing in the photo above is antique from Fred Leighton and is comprised of 22 carats of old mine cut diamonds.
A photo of SJP wearing Emily Satloff’s modern day rivière from 2017 courtesy of Shutterstock
In prior years, Parker could be seen layering designer Emily Satloff of Larkspur & Hawk’s modern day rivières (which Fred Leighton once sold in its shop) in different sizes and colors. Satloff, once an avid Georgian jewelry collector, used the foil back method with beautifully cut stones to evoke the feelings of the past but with a contemporary effervescence. Parker would wear them on talk shows and to red carpet events also mixed with the antique versions from Fred Leighton.
I am wondering if the pink one worn to the premiere with Fred Leighton’s is a Larkspark & Hawk that SJP owns? In any case, when it comes to fashion and jewels, what Sarah Jessica Parker wears in publicity shots, in real life and in Sex and the City creates trends.
Over the past five to 10 years, the rivière necklace has already piqued jewelry collectors’ interest. Throughout the 20th century, it was revamped into more modern settings that went in and out of fashion and did not have the character that the original antique versions had. Today, however, designers like Satloff and also Nak Armstrong, who creates his own modern unique spin using opaque stones and calls his versions “tile rivière necklaces,” have brought back the soulful appeal of those worn in candlelight. Authentic antiques have been selling in diamond, gemstone and paste versions. SJP wears one of Armstrong’s versions with different outfits through the show, which we originally showed in our And Just Like That gallery.
Summing it up — since we have now seen the rivières in trailers and on-set photos for the show and now at the premiere — it’s a sure bet that this necklace in its antique and antique-style interpretations will evolve and become an even more popular trend in 2022.