De-Stash Project - Stash Bash

[Narcissa]

I went through Bags O' Stuff.
Found these rectangle faceted aquamarines, realized I have had them almost 20 years.
Put them together into a necklace. Needed something to make it long enough - why, yes, Pearls of course.
Didn't like any pearls for it from what I had on hand. Wanted to make it now. Used what I had.

So, maybe the pearls are not as delicate as these pale aquas. Maybe they're a wee bit large.
Taking advice and suggestions, but in the meantime, going ahead anyway, just to go ahead anyway.

Tactical Issues
I started with Aqua Beader's Secret - a perfect color match! But it wouldn't go through twice for back-knotting. So I switched to this synthetic I use, back to the original way I learned to knot, with one strand and no needle. Not as pretty, pout pout.

It's a bit short: choker length is not so great on me. But I held out 2 for earrings. Not because I'm crazy about matching earrings, but I thought I would actually wear earrings themselves much more often. If I hold those earring stones out, I suppose I will have to put double pearls at each end. A bit sketchy perhaps for such pretty little baubles?

I color adjusted a bit, trying to make these look like life:

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Another thing you can use if you don't like the look of white thread is very fine gold colored nylon-coated beading wire, with crimps at the clasp. I've used it with my tiniest tourmaline beads.

http://www.beadalon.com/content/choosing_the_right_bead_stringing_wire.asp

 

[lisa c]

Wow, Wow, WOW! They're so pretty I'm distracted- was there a question???

 

[Marianne]

Oh so pretty! Maybe several sets of 2-3 pearls between the Aqua….. spaced throughout the strand.. would give more length and not look as if they were just added on at the end.. Then it should be easy enough to back knot thru the pearls

 

[pattye]

Agree with Marianne about adding a few sections of pearls; love the combo of gems!

 

[GemGeek]

Thanks for sharing - it looks great!

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Since you don't sound quite happy with the outcome, I would rework the design until it makes you perfectly happy. Otherwise, you won't wear it.

I would use the aquas to do two strands at the front, alternating with pearls, and then do just pearls at the back. Here is a quick, bad sketch for you.

 

[Katbran]

I find that after I string things together a few times to see if I like the look of a piece, if it's not coming together then I just stick it in a bag and set it aside for a few weeks. Sometimes things are just 'ok' ... nothing really wrong with it..but it's just lacking 'wow' ... Lady D is correct..if you don't like it..you won't wear it. Maybe it needs to wait for the right third element to suggest itself.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

This is so true. I've made things that just sat there, and redid them over and over until the results finally grabbed me.

 

[pattye]

Love the idea of 2 strands in front, too! For myself I sometimes find it is an engineering issue, other times its something about the material and color combos.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Also, it is one thing to look good on the beading board and another thing to look good on your neck.

 

[CathyKeshi]

Well, I think it's a perfectly lovely idea If you wear your hair down often, the extra pearls for length won't be noticed. If I recall from the Ruckus, your hair was up, then I favor Maryanne's idea of a few pearl stations around the necklace for length and symmetry. Regardless, it's a very pretty combination

 

[JerseyPearl]

Love this necklace as a single strand, all the way around...one thing you may consider, to add length...a small highly polished little silver (white metal) bead, maybe 2mm, on either side of the aquas...also, a toggle clasp would add more length as well. I am in awe of the people who design and make their own jewelry! I have no such talent...

 

[CathyKeshi]

Wouldn't it be fun at a future Ruckus, to have an hour or so of "Stash Ideas" ... where we could lay out stash that's been around forever, and needs help, and just brainstorm and write down all the ideas to get stash "unstuck" ?

 

[GemGeek]

Y'All are coming up with super ideas!

 

[Narcissa]

Oh thank you everyone! I just love breaking out of my own thinking. I extrapolate easily but that tends to be logical trajectory rather than creative expression.

Pearl Dreams - I like the beadalon idea, and am putting some silver and gold on my order list.

Lady_D - wow thank you for the sketch! After dreaming for a bit about how to engineer that I remembered that strands with a center point had better have a heavy one, or they stick to my skin and go wonky as I wear. One thing and another, my life is wonky enough already, lol.

Cathy Keishi - hair up a lot, so hot so much of the time, dontcha know And I second the idea of a Stash Bash.

Marianne - these particular pearls are large enough in comparison that I fear more at a time would overpower the look of the pale little aquas. I have smaller pearls but they're not nice enough to use here. I used them on the similar (same purchase) emerald bead strand I made a couple years ago, and then ended up replacing them with 14k gold 4mm round beads.

JerseyPearl - I am thinking I will do that: 2mm argentium or white gold spacers. Toggle clasps have fallen off me before, on a strand as lightweight as this, and always seem to get snaggled with a few hairs, just enough to be annoying and a little painful. I considered a hook clasp but am still leaning in favor of something with a safety catch.

So now, I have fallen off the idea of "use what you have" because - can anyone relate - no matter what I have stashed, it's never quite enough or quite what I have in mind, lol.
But I am still going ahead on a remake, and will put smaller pearls and spacers on my purchase list.

Elizabeth

 

[Narcissa]

OK, here is the next mock-up, with 2mm plated beads I had from eons ago, just to see how it would look and what it would do for length.
I like it! It went from a fairly chokey choker to 22". The silver adds a little sparkle too, without flash.

 

[CathyKeshi]

VERY pretty; love it! Blue sky, blue sea with silvery sun ray reflections off the water and white puffy clouds

 

[Katbran]

There's the third element I was talking about !

 

[GemGeek]

Looks faboo, and that's such a good length. My spell check had replaced faboo with Fabio!