Chinese court necklace-blue glass

In Chinese, Qing court necklaces are called chaozhu; the common English names are "court necklaces," "court beads," "Mandarin necklaces," and "Mandarin chains." The necklaces were part of court dress for all at the court, including the emperor, members of the imperial family, and members of the civil service rank five and above, as well as for military officer's rank four and above. (The civil and military bureaus each had nine ranks). Wives were allowed to wear a matching necklace. 

Necklaces belonged to prescribed court attire that was codified in the eighteenth century with the emperor's issuance of formal regulations in Huangchao liqi tushi (Illustrated Regulations for the Ceremonial Paraphernalia of the Qing Dynasty), an eighteen juan monumental, illustrated manuscript laying down the 'proper' paraphernalia for the emperor and his court. The first edition was in 1759.

The design of the Qing necklaces was based on Buddhist praying beads (Buddhist rosary), which were seen in the preceding Ming dynasty, and which were sent to the Manchu court by Tibetan lamas as gifts. The necklaces may have carried a connotation of Buddhist piety early in the Qing, but by the eighteenth century when they became mandatory court attire, they were used to visually signal a wearer's place in the court hierarchy.