According to "The Illustrated London News" of 1901, "lavallire is the Parisian name for a very fashionable little adornment of the hour, a single stone hanging close up to the collar on an extremely fine, almost invisible chain, the latter preferably of platinum, as that makes the strongest chain possible, and so can be fine as a hair. On it, or at each end of it, dangles the bauble - a fine diamond or a specimen ruby, or opal for choice, set invisibly and appearing, when looked at from the distance, to sustain itself by magnetic attraction. Alternatively, it may be hung with two rough baroque pearls. The lavallire is worn at all times of the day and may be seen carelessly falling from the white collar of a business-like tailor-made gown, as well as sitting serenely against a beauty's bare throat in the evening. These stones are more conspicuous by reason of the fineness of the setting and of the chain."