When the author says that "women have no caste nor class," the meaning is

that it is charm and poise, dignity, beauty and elegance (all superficial traits)
that really put women on a pedestal. In other words, even the poorest girl
with no class, without a famous last name, and without connections, could
land herself a rich husband if she unites the physical traits that make the
man look good.

This, however, is a focalized opinion based on how Mathilde views her role
as a woman. We should greatly disagree with the way that the narrator
makes the statement because such a statement is a conclusion from
Mathilde's shallow mind. Moreover, the statement is greatly outdated since
in today's modern, Western society, caste and class can take you far, but
other variables can do just as much.

In today's world, a young woman like Mathilde would have found it much
easier to make those "good marriage" dreams come true. It is much easier
in today's society to make it to the top if you have the skills, the wits, the
willingness, the opportunities, and the ability to make a talent, or a job
skill, pay you back.

Now, the necklace itself is a mirror image of Mathilde. It is flashy, it is

pretty, it "looks" sophisticated enough, it can pass for a real thing--but it
was none of those things. The necklace, flashy and pretty as it was, was a
fake. It was made of paste and was not worth any money. No wonder
Mathilde immediately connected with it out of all the pieces she saw: It
reminded her of herself!

The necklace can also represent the injustice of the class system. Notice
that, when Mathilde lost it, she had to figure out a way to pay it back. She
endured anger, frustration, poverty, limitations and many, many sacrifices to
pay it back--thousands of francs she had to pay for the replica of the
necklace, which she went and got to put in place of the original.