At the turn of the last century, this type of staggered pendent necklace came to be referred to as a "lavallière". The name was borrowed from that of a well-known Parisian actress Eve Lavallière who could be seen at the Théatre des Variétés. Prior to her stage career and the changing of her surname from Ferroglio, she worked in a hat factory, tying ribbons. The cravats created at the factory were called lavallières, hence her chosen stage name. It is likely that the name of the cravats referred back to that of Louis XIV's mistress, Duchess Louise de Lavallière.