Riviere
/ˌrɪv.iˈɛər/noun
A necklace consisting of a continuous line of gemstones, usually arranged in graduated sizes.
Did you know?The jewelry term comes from French rivière, whose river imagery evokes gemstones flowing continuously around the wearer’s neck rather than appearing as separate ornaments.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*rei-
“To flow or move; a reconstructed root associated with streams and running water.”
Classical Latin
Latin
rivus
“A stream, brook, or channel of flowing water.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
riparia
“A riverbank or riverside region; a related form that influenced Romance words for river.”
12th–13th Century
Old French
riviere
“A river or flowing watercourse.”
18th Century
French
rivière
“A continuous line or arrangement of jewels, named through the metaphor of a flowing river.”
19th Century
English
riviere
“A necklace of closely set gemstones, especially one forming an uninterrupted strand.”