White Copper Dragon Shaped Necklace

The whole chain is one dragon, and the clasp is in the tail. The advantage is that there is no pendant, nothing hanging at the neck, so it sits under a shirt or a high collar without digging in. The drawback is that the length cannot be altered. Shorten it and there is nothing to join, lengthen it and there is nowhere to take up. Measure before you buy, and leave a finger's width of slack when you measure your neck rather than ordering the number on the tape. The clasp in the tail means that once it is fastened the tail rejoins the body and the line looks continuous, which is more dignified than a clasp at the head.

The body carries scales all the way into the links. Every link has them, and a fine gap between links lets the chain move. The arrangement follows a rule. The row along the spine is the largest, the scales shrink toward the flanks, and under the belly they become horizontal bands. That is the scale order of a real fish, with a dragon substituted for the fish. Done well, the scales are offset like roof tiles. Done badly, they line up in rows like a fence. Depth matters too: pressed deep along the back, shallow under the belly, so that in light the body appears round.

The head sits at the collarbone, mouth open, holding a pearl. The dragon pearl is a very old element. Han reliefs mostly show dragons with a pearl in the mouth, and the explanations differ, some saying thunder and some the moon. Folk tradition later turned it into the dragon playing with the pearl, a festive motif, and the link with rain-making faded out of it. Whether the pearl is loose or cast in place shows in the gap. A gap means it turns. Cast solid means one piece and less work. A loose pearl has its own trouble: it loosens with turning, dust collects in the gap, and it wants a rinse in warm water.

The chain is softer than you would expect. Bend it dozens of times and it will not break, but it will fatigue. Sleep in it and a link may be out of shape by morning. Ease it back with your fingers, but do not keep working the same spot. Take it off for a shower. Soap stays in the joints, dries white, and that white line is hard to get rid of. The links are soldered, and if a joint has gone black the temperature was too high at the time. It does not affect wearing. It just looks poor.

For wearing, the chain wants an open neckline, with the head showing in the hollow of the collarbone and the body running along the side of the neck. A round neck or a high collar buries the dragon and leaves a length of tail showing, which is a waste of the piece. In cold weather it can go over a jumper as decoration and is less fuss than a scarf. In summer, with more sweat, it will leave a mark along the side of the neck by evening. Rinse it in clean water at home and dry it with a cloth.