Sterling Silver Bead Necklace with English Sterling Large Match Safe Pendant

Elegant antique English etched sterling silver match safe, large sterling silver beads and a handcrafted sterling shell clasp, together make handsome companions. Strike matches, developed in 1832 and called wax vestas, were important for lighting everyday, necessary things like stoves, lanterns and fires. Highly combustible, and, therefore dangerous, soon wax vestas were carred safely in “vesta cases”, also called “match safes”, with the sole purpose to prevent rogue fires. Wealthy smokers often had stunning match safe and cigarette or cigar case sets custom designed by popular English silversmiths. This particular match safe, circa, 1920, with its own strike on one side was probably carried by a gentleman in his waistcoat pocket on a double Albert chain together with his pocket watch.