The spellbinding sway of a tassel is at once mesmerizing and energizing. A fashion and jewelry mainstay that dates back centuries, tassels featured prominently on the garments of Europe’s aristocracy during the Middle Ages and on ornate jewelry from the Victorian era. On flapper fashion during the 1920s, tassels anchored long strands of faux pearls and glass beads (called sautoirs) designed to swing and rock in time with the wearer’s quick-footed dance steps. Today, tassels shimmy to the forefro…