What are gerlots in jewellery?
By Jared James · Last updated 21 May 2026
Definition
Gerlots are small, elongated pendant beads traditionally used as decorative drops in jewellery, often hanging from a larger central element or strung along a fringe. The term is found in antique and historical jewellery descriptions and refers specifically to these slender dangling bead forms rather than round beads. They appear in period pieces where a cascading or fringe effect was desired, and the word is rarely encountered outside antique and specialist jewellery contexts today.
Frequently asked questions
- Are gerlots still used in modern jewellery?
- The term itself is largely historical and specialist, but the form, small elongated pendant drops hung as a fringe or cascade, remains common in contemporary jewellery, where they are more often called briolettes or pendant drops.
- What is the difference between a gerlot and a briolette?
- A briolette is a specific cut form, a teardrop-shaped stone covered in triangular facets, while gerlots is a broader historical term for any small elongated pendant bead, faceted or plain.
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