As suggested by the inscription on the box, the necklace was an essential part of court dress, indicating both rank and season, with different gemstones required for different ceremonies. The materials and form of the mandarin court necklace were strictly defined in the Qing huidian tukao, written in the early Qing dynasty and also in the Huangchao liqi tushi, compiled during Qianlong's thirtieth year (A.D. 1767). Cf. a court necklace with amethyst, pink tourmaline and coral beads, included in the joint exhibition Secret World of the Forbidden City, The Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, California, and the Palace Museum, Beijing, 2000, illustrated in the Catalogue, p. 72, where the author instructs on how to wear the necklace.