The lariat is a style of necklace, particularly common in pearl jewellery, characterised by its open-ended construction. Unlike a conventional strung necklace, which has a clasp that joins two ends to form a closed loop, the lariat has no clasp; instead, the strand is long enough to be wrapped, knotted, looped, or otherwise secured around the neck and upper chest. The name derives from the lariat or lasso of the American West, reflecting the long, flexible, open-ended character of the form.

Construction

A pearl lariat is typically constructed of a single strand of pearls, knotted between each pearl in the standard manner, with both ends finished with a tassel, a single decorative pearl drop, a small charm, or another finishing element. The total length is generally between 90 and 150 centimetres (36 to 60 inches), considerably longer than the standard 16-inch choker or 18-inch princess necklace, and long enough to allow the strand to be wrapped around the neck multiple times or to hang in a loop with the ends emerging at the front or side. Modern lariats are often constructed in cultured freshwater pearls (Chinese), Akoya pearls (Japanese), or South Sea and Tahitian pearls, with the choice reflecting the desired colour and overall aesthetic.

Wearing the lariat

The lariat's defining design feature is the variety of ways it can be worn. The most basic configuration is to drape the strand around the neck with both ends hanging at the front, creating a long pendant-style line. Alternatives include passing one end through a loop at the other (Y-style), wrapping the strand twice around the neck for a doubled effect, knotting the strand to vary the length, or threading both ends through a sliding bead or focal piece to create a tied-off appearance. The flexibility of the form has made it a durable design despite its lack of a clasp, since the wearer can adjust the look to the occasion and the neckline.

Historical context

The lariat as a pearl style emerged in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, with the long, multi-wrap pearl strand being a recurring feature of fashion in the period. Coco Chanel's signature multi-strand pearl style of the 1920s and 1930s, while not a lariat per se, contributed to the broader fashion for long pearl strands, and the lariat as a more specifically open-ended form developed within this context. The 1920s also saw the popularity of the sautoir, a related long-strand necklace style, often with a tassel at the end, that overlapped substantially with the lariat in form and fashion.

Modern use

The lariat continues in use as one of the standard styles in contemporary pearl jewellery, particularly favoured by designers and wearers who appreciate its flexibility and the lack of a clasp (a clasp can be a point of failure on a strand and adds a hardware element that some wearers prefer to avoid). The form is also used outside pearl jewellery, in beaded designs, in chain-link gold and silver work, and in mixed-material designs. The CIBJO Pearl Book and the standard pearl-trade vocabulary recognise the lariat as one of the standard necklace forms.