What do Princess Diana and Kendall Jenner have in common? Chokers – how neck jewellery evolved, from ancient Egypt and the Vikings to Anne Boleyn, British royals and fashion runways of the 21st century

Dec 26 , 2023

From Princess Diana to Kendall Jenner, chokers and neck jewellery have endured to this day, with a history dating back to the ancient Egyptians and Vikings, through Anne Boleyn to Princess Diana and the fashion runways and high streets of the 21st century. Photos: Getty

Unexpected pairings, cinched waists and exaggerated silhouettes dominated the spring/summer 2024 collections unveiled this autumn, often accompanied by a muted colour palette that combines olive with caramel and butter yellow with cherry red. Impeccably tailored trouser suits triumphed at Saint Laurent, while cut-out party dresses delighted at Valentino.

The tone was set back in June, when Jacquemus presented a sophisticated selection of all-white during a jam-packed showcase at Versailles. The coterie of A-listers in attendance included Italian actor Monica Bellucci, new-gen supermodel Emily Ratajkowski, and David and Victoria Beckham, all of who journeyed to Paris’ 17th century palace to watch Kendall Jenner walk the runway in an off-the-shoulder, cloudlike romper. But perhaps most arresting was the seven-strand pearl choker fastened around her neck, anchored by a spectacular sapphire bordered by diamonds.

Kendall Jenner for Jacquemus’ “Le Chouchou” Fall 2023 collection. Photo: @jacquemus/Instagram

Choker necklaces, it turns out, are everywhere: from Anita Ko’s textural collar and Vivienne Westwood’s spiked black band to Christian Dior’s gothic interpretation of the zodiac.

Since bursting onto the fashion scene in a riot of crushed velvet, whimsical lace and faux leather, chokers have been recognised as the countercultural statement of the 90s. And now they’ve made their way into the hallowed halls of haute joaillerie – and onto the cobbled stone streets of Place Vendôme.

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“Historically, the choker hasn’t been the style of choice for the Asian market,” says Stewart Young, Bonhams’ director of jewellery and head of jewellery for Asia. “That being said, recent fashion trends have seen a shift in favour of chokers and this is mainly being driven by male consumers who are increasingly more comfortable wearing bolder jewellery.”

Jewellery is a form of self-expression and, ever since the birth of menswear fashion weeks several years ago, trendsetting gents have experimented beyond the customary wedding band. Numerous Chinese celebrities, including singers Kris Wu and Luhan, sport earrings, while BTS band member V (real name: Kim Tae-hyung) was appointed ambassador for Cartier in July.

“More men than ever are wearing statement jewels,” says Young. “So it makes sense that more men are wearing necklaces and that this is contributing to a new cultural wave of chokers.”

From Boucheron’s Nature Triomphante Flèche in white gold to Mikimoto’s string of Akoya cultured pearls, neck jewellery is increasingly being worn by men.

Diana, Princess of Wales, accessorised her famous “revenge dress” with a tightly fitted pearl choker. Photo: AP

In contrast, Chopard’s 2023 Red Carpet collection takes femininity to the extreme with a cameo-style masterpiece mounted with dollops of opal. A symbol of hope, this highly prized gemstone is believed to stimulate creativity and has an otherworldly, iridescent glow.

As if that weren’t enough, this year’s Red Carpet collection comprises a second pièce de résistance: an oversized open collar, which brings a playful edge to an otherwise age-old design. Constructed from suspended briolette-cut diamonds that flutter with the subtlest of movements, this creation is a no-holds-barred ode to the beauty of music.

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Young, however, has a penchant for jade. “If I were to design my own choker I’d want something that isn’t readily available on the market,” he says. “It would be multifunctional. I’d love for the jadeites to be detachable and worn separately. That would be a powerful statement: modern and chic.”

Boucheron Nature Triomphante collection, Flèche choker

Today’s chokers may be modern but their history dates back to the ancient Egyptians, who combined enamelling techniques, including cloisonné, with precious stones and glass beads. Weighted with meaning, these tightfitting necklaces were supposedly endowed with powers of protection, healing and good fortune. This mythology extended into the Middle Ages, when noblewomen wore pendants stamped with Saint Sebastian motifs as protection against the bubonic plague.

Mathilde Rondouin, professor and art historian at L’École, School of Jewelry Arts, explains that chokers were synonymous with strength and resilience – quintessentially masculine traits. “A type of choker called a ‘torc’ was designed and worn by Viking warriors,” she notes. “Made of rigid metal rings that were twisted together, they were secured around the neck.”

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Yet it’s the mysterious and missing “B” pendant owned by Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s doomed second wife, that remains among the most instantly recognisable necklets. After she was executed in 1536 for treason, the queen’s portraits were destroyed. The only likeness that remains hangs in London’s National Portrait Gallery, and it depicts Anne wearing the single-initial lavaliere.

Chopard Red Carpet Collection 2023 opal choker

For several years before her marriage, Anne served Queen Claude, the wife of Francis I, at the French court; so it’s unsurprising that her fondness for chokers was shared with the similarly ill-fated queen, Marie Antoinette. During the French Revolution, women – and by some accounts, men too – would wear a red ribbon around the neck as a mark of solidarity with victims of the guillotine and their families.

The fashion statement was adopted by the British royal family, with an 18th century portrait of Queen Charlotte, grandmother of Queen Victoria, featuring an astonishing 11-row string of pearls that would ultimately be given to Queen Elizabeth’s mother, Queen Mary, as a wedding present.

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However, it was style icon Princess Diana who spearheaded the choker’s most recent resurgence. She was photographed wearing tightly fitted pearls while honeymooning on the royal yacht and later accessorised her 1994 “revenge dress” – which made an appearance on Netflix smash The Crown – with a pièce de résistance embellished using a king-size sapphire brooch. You might recognise this bling from a famous 1985 photo of Her Royal Highness dancing with John Travolta at the White House.

Catherine, Princess of Wales attends The Earthshot Prize 2022. Photo: WireImage

In the years that followed, the subsequent Princess of Wales jumped on the bandwagon – Kate Middleton wore a fabulous emerald choker to the 2022 Earthshot Prize Awards in Boston that was once worn as a headband by Princess Diana.

“[Diana] wore it with a vivid green outfit and I remember being so impressed with how jewellery adds an elegant yet contemporary twist to an official event,” says Rondouin.

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Since Queen Elizabeth’s death, the Princess of Wales has been spotted with the late sovereign’s most treasured choker. Commissioned by Garrard – the then Crown Jeweller – the necklace is secured using a curved diamond-dusted clasp that supports four strands of pearls that Queen Elizabeth received from the Japanese government in 1975.

Over the years, the choker has evolved from the broad collars worn by the ancient Egyptians, through the red ribbons used during the French Revolution to its varied, present-day incarnations. And as it has evolved, so has its cultural significance.

The once-humble necklace has been a symbol of wealth and status, as well as a talisman intended to heal and protect. This fascinating history – combined with a bold beauty – has secured the choker’s place as a permanent fashion fixture.

Special Report - Jewellery

The spring/summer 2024 fashion runaways saw chokers everywhere – from Christian Dior to Vivienne Westwood – on models including Kendall Jenner, while Chopard favours neck jewellery in its latest Red Carpet collection
Bonhams observes a shift towards chokers, with neck jewellery increasingly being worn by men – from Boucheron’s Nature Triomphante Flèche in white gold to Mikimoto’s string of Akoya cultured pearls