The Game of Thrones Melisandre Necklace: What Most Fans Get Wrong About That Red Glamor

Red. It was always red. From her hair to her robes to the pulsing, rhythmic glow of the Game of Thrones Melisandre Necklace, the Red Priestess was a walking advertisement for the Lord of Light. But that piece of jewelry wasn't just a fashion choice for a high-ranking cultist from Asshai. It was a lifeline.

You remember the moment. Season 6, Episode 1, "The Red Woman." Melisandre stands alone in her chambers at Castle Black. She’s defeated. Stannis is dead. The "Prince That Was Promised" is a frozen corpse on a table. She unclasps the heavy, hexagonal choker.

The camera lingers.

As the necklace hits the table, the illusion shatters. The smooth, porcelain skin of Carice van Houten withers into the grey, sagging flesh of a woman who is centuries old. It was one of the biggest "holy crap" moments in television history, even if book readers had been screaming about "glamors" since George R.R. Martin’s A Dance with Dragons came out years earlier.

But honestly, the necklace is more than just a magical battery pack. It’s a masterclass in costume design and narrative foreshadowing that most people actually missed on their first watch.

How the Melisandre Necklace Actually Works (In Lore)

Let's get into the mechanics. In the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, what Melisandre does is called a "glamor." It’s basically a magical trick of the eye. It doesn't actually turn an old woman into a young one; it just makes everyone else see a young woman.

In the books, Melisandre explains to Jon Snow that these illusions are easiest to maintain when there’s a physical object involved—a "touchstone." For her, it’s that massive ruby. For Mance Rayder (in the books, at least), it was Rattleshirt’s armor.

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The ruby is the engine.

Notice how the Game of Thrones Melisandre Necklace pulses whenever she’s doing something heavy? Like when she drinks the poison Maester Cressen offers her in Season 2. The ruby glows bright red. The poison doesn't kill her because the necklace—or the power channeled through it—is literally burning the toxin away. It's not just jewelry. It’s a protective ward.

The Costume Design of Michele Clapton

The necklace itself was a collaborative effort between costume designer Michele Clapton and jewelry designers Yunus & Eliza. They wanted something that felt "other." It doesn't look like Westerosi gold. It’s brassy, jagged, and looks like it could choke the wearer. The metalwork is meant to look like bird wings or something organic, trapping the ruby in place.

Clapton has mentioned in interviews that the color red was a mandatory requirement, but the hexagonal shape of the links was a specific choice to make Melisandre look sharp and dangerous.

The Infamous Continuity Error: Was It Really a Mistake?

If you’re a die-hard fan, you’ve probably seen the memes. Back in Season 4, there’s a scene where Melisandre is taking a bath at Dragonstone. Selyse Baratheon walks in. Melisandre is naked.

She isn't wearing the necklace.

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And yet, she still looks like Carice van Houten, not a 400-year-old grandmother.

People lost their minds when the Season 6 reveal happened, calling it a massive plot hole. But here’s the thing: it might not be. Some fans argue that Melisandre allows Selyse to see her "true" form—or at least a version of it—because Selyse is a true believer. Others think Melisandre was using a different kind of magic, like the potions she mentions in that very scene.

However, if we're being 100% real? It was probably just a continuity slip-up. The showrunners, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, knew they wanted the "old woman" reveal eventually, but they hadn't quite nailed down the "necklace rules" by Season 4. It happens in productions this big. You forget the necklace once, and five years later, the internet never lets you live it down.

Why the Ruby Matters for the Ending

Think about the final moments of the series. The Battle of Winterfell is over. The Night King is dust. Melisandre walks out into the snow as the sun comes up. She takes off the Game of Thrones Melisandre Necklace one last time.

She dies.

She doesn't just die; she turns to dust. This tells us that the magic wasn't just keeping her pretty—it was keeping her alive. The Lord of Light was finished with her. Her purpose—bringing the fire and ice together—was done.

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The necklace represents the burden of her faith. She wore it for centuries, doing terrible things (RIP Shireen) because she thought she was right. When she takes it off, she’s finally letting go of that burden. It’s a very quiet, very human ending for a character who spent most of the show acting like a demigod.

Buying a Replica: Don't Get Scammed

Because the show was a global phenomenon, the market for replicas is absolutely flooded. You’ve got everything from $15 plastic junk on eBay to high-end, officially licensed prop replicas.

If you’re looking for the real deal, you have to look for the Yunus & Eliza authorized versions. They are the ones who actually designed the piece for the show. Their "MEY London" collection featured a version that was as close to the screen-used prop as you could get.

Specifics to look for in a good replica:

1. The Links: They should be hexagonal, not round.
2. The Color: It shouldn't be shiny gold. It should be a weathered, antique brass or "vintaged" gold look.
3. The Ruby: In the show, the ruby has a "cabochon" cut (smooth and rounded), not a faceted diamond cut. If it looks like a giant red diamond, it's not screen-accurate.

Actionable Steps for Fans and Cosplayers

If you're planning on putting together a Melisandre cosplay or just want to display a piece of Westerosi history, here is what you need to do to get the look right.

• Weather Your Jewelry: If you buy a cheap replica, it’s going to look too shiny. Use a bit of black acrylic paint thinned with water (a "wash") to get into the crevices of the metal. Wipe the excess off with a paper towel. This makes the "wings" of the choker pop and look like it’s been through a few centuries of use.
• The Glue Factor: If you’re building your own, use E6000 for the ruby. Hot glue will pop right off the metal if it gets cold.
• Spirit Gum is Your Friend: For cosplayers, the choker can be heavy and slide around. Use a tiny bit of spirit gum on the back of the center piece to keep it centered on your throat. It prevents that "lopsided" look in photos.
• Lighting the Ruby: If you want that "Lord of Light" glow for a convention, you can actually hollow out a resin ruby and tuck a small red LED and a coin battery inside. It makes a massive difference in how people react to the costume.

The Game of Thrones Melisandre Necklace is arguably the most important prop in the show because it’s the only one that hides a character's entire identity. It’s a symbol of the "glamor" we all wear—just, you know, with more fire and blood involved. If you're going to own one, make sure it's a version that does the Red Woman justice. Just maybe don't take it off if you're over the age of 30 and feeling insecure.