Vintage Wendy Gell Crystal Encrusted 1982 Signed Necklace 22" One of One

Truly unique: this necklace is one of one and handcrafted by artisan Wendy Gell. It is a large crystal, jewel, and rhinestone encrusted statement necklace. The pendant is 4 7/8" long and 2 5/8" at the widest part hanging from a 22" necklace that is Y shaped with the tail of the Y adding an additional 2 3/4". It is hand signed by Wendy Gell and dated 1982. As far as I can tell there are no missing stones, though, the clasp does show signs of wear and the brass on the back of the pendant could use a polish. The two purple beads near the clasp glow green under a UV light indicating uranium or manganese and the orange crystal bead and orange crystals on the pendant also glow under UV light indicating the presence of cadmium. Wendy Gell has an amazing story. Working as a cab driver in the 1970s in NYC she created her first "wristie," a large statement cuff bracelet, for a friend as a birthday gift. From there she was thrown into fame and began creating pieces for A list celebrities worldwide. She was featured on the cover of Vogue numerous times, and by the mid 1980's had a contract with Disney designing pieces for Disney parks. She also designed the accessories for Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Dick Tracy. She is still alive today creating art, and though she is no longer creating jewelry you can still find her unique statement pieces available online.