“Everyone has something costly hanging round their neck. For the lucky few, it’s not a mortgage, school fees or an overdraft.” —1997 Asprey advertisement for a diamond necklace

Despite the irreverent humor of its advertising campaign, the English jeweler Asprey (now Asprey & Garrard) correctly guessed that most people do have something hanging around their necks, especially for special occasions. Whether it’s the magnificent rocks borrowed by a celebrity for Oscar night or a single pearl on a simple chain, a necklace is often the first piece of jewelry a woman reaches for when she’s finished putting on her party clothes.

There’s something special about the ritual of donning a necklace. What little girl doesn’t feel like a princess the first time—and every time—her mother or father clasps a tiny gold locket or religious charm around her neck? What big girl doesn’t feel like a queen when her mate reaches around her to fasten a necklace as she’s dressing for an evening out? Who doesn’t feel a sense of pride when she finally buys herself the necklace she’s wanted for a very long time?

As the second millennium draws to a close (and with it, we hope, all the hype!), your customers will be searching for something to celebrate the party to end all parties. With a necklace like one of these, they’ll have a keepsake to pass on to the next generation. Now that’s something to have hanging around your neck!