Completed my planned double strand of vintage freshwaters

[multichrome]

Hi, everybody! I restyled a triple strand I got on eBay into a double strand with a vintage double clasp. I will likely redo it, but I’m happy with how my skills are progressing! The pearls came strung without knots, but with a pretty clasp. They were strung so tight that they were unwearable—there was so little space between each pearl that each strand almost kinked. I bought them on eBay, and only after taking them off the thread I realized how very silvery and metallic many of them were—though not very round.

So I found a pretty goldtone vintage double clasp on eBay, and I knotted them with Beader’s Secret #40, Ivory. The two strands are ca. 21 inches and 22 inches. I’ll likely redo/lengthen the shorter one, because I would like them to nest, and currently it is a little too short to do that when I’m wearing it.

Thank you for reading. I REALLY love knotting with such lovely string as has been recommended here. It’s very meditative for me, and a beautiful alternative to making pieces by wire wrapping beads or stringing them on elastic, although those are also useful skills!

Accidentally attached is an image of the triple strand from the eBay seller. I have some weird issues with deleting attachments, as I’m on the Apple platform and using an iPad. However you can probably see how different the pearls looked when they were so tightly strung.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

They look wonderful!

 

[Gemandpearlover]

Beautiful work. I love how romantic your double strand looks with the gold tone vintage clasp. Your photograph- with the backdrop of tea roses gave me such a peaceful feeling. I imagined another era in which lovely ladies wore their pearls as they gathered to have tea together.

 

[CathyKeshi]

Really lovely job ... your pearls just glow now ... gorgeous!

 

[86Corvettegirl]

What a great job you did! The necklace looks beautiful & definitely wearable now!

 

[multichrome]

Thank you all for your kind and encouraging responses! I really learned what a difference a knotting job can make. Here are more photos of the necklace before, and then my redo. I can do a neck shot when I’ve restrung the shorter, inner strand to my liking. It really was a fun and rewarding project. Have a great day!

Original necklace, photos by seller:





More photos of the revamp, including the clasp:

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Knotting between pearls gives the strand flexibility and enables it to drape nicely.

 

[BWeaves]

Nice redo!!!!

To delete photos, you have to click on Edit Post and then scroll down and click the Manage Attachments button.
There's a section at the bottom with attachments. Each attachment has a little X in the corner that you can click to delete it.
I can never tell which attachment is which, so I usually just delete them all and then reattach them.

 

[multichrome]

That looked like the only way—thanks for confirming!

 

[pattye]

Those don't look like the same pearls, Multichrome! Awesome clasp and the strands are lustrous! Congratulations! Of course, I'm delighted you found my Serafil thread easy to work with!

 

[Charlotta]

Such a pretty redo.

 

[BeadersSecret]

I am happy you had a positive experience.

You have done a terrific job, well balanced, and the clasp you chose compliments the pearls beautifully.

Beaders secret thread is quite flexible and not stiff like a lot of synthetic threads on the market, it also absorbs instead of repelling moisture unlike Spectra or Gore-tex threads.

 

[GemGeek]

A wonderful transformation and a great job!

 

[multichrome]

Thank you all again so much for your encouraging comments. I’ve practiced a lot, but I’ve benefited LOADS from the PG tutorials (especially by Pearl Dreams). An artist friend of mine wants to learn to knot pearls, and we’re getting together in a couple of weeks so I can give her a short lesson. I think she will take to it easily, but we have PG’s great resources to help us if we get stuck. I’ll probably order more needles in preparation. I don’t mangle them so badly now, but I want my friend to have plenty. By now Pattye may be wondering how I can go through so many!

Have a great rest of the week!

Cece