The Marseille necklace
The Marseille necklace is generally 45 cm long and is made of smooth hollow yellow gold balls connected by small links. Its origins date back to the 18th century, in the heart of Marseille's markets.
The "partisanes" owned market stalls, passed down from generation to generation. They saved their money by buying small gold balls, which they strung onto a simple thread to create a necklace.
In the 19th century, middle-class families adopted this tradition. From birth, little girls in Marseille received a golden ball for important events such as communions, Christmas, and birthdays.
When a young girl from Marseille reached the age of 16 , a special tradition took place. The gold balls accumulated throughout her youth were then assembled to form a single necklace: the Marseille necklace.
