How to arrange these vintage pearls?

[A Breaker]

I just got this lot of vintage Deltah cultured pearls (guessing the 1940-50's) and would love the best ideas to arrange them. There are 52 pearls, but several are less than 2mm!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I recommend you use a beading board and a pair of bead tweezers (they are spoon-shaped to pick up beads easily) and play around with them until you find an arrangement that pleases your eye. Don't worry too much about symmetry. I think you can come up with something interesting to look at and fun to wear.
Do you like the idea of contrasting color thread? Like red, or turquoise?
Are you open to adding other kinds/colors of beads or pearls to make a longer necklace?

 

[pearlescence]

Are they drilled?

 

[A Breaker]

Yes. They were for Deltah's add a pearl, so they were drilled

 

[BWeaves]

I was just about to ask if they were "add a pearls." They struck me as "add a pearl" type pearls. That means they were probably drilled to be strung on thin chain.

What about making a tin-cup? Since the sizes are all over the place, make it a random tin-cup with random spacing, and sometimes having several pearls together.

 

[pattye]

What a fun project! Laying the pearls out on a beadboard will help you figure how many inches of pearls you have. I agree a tin cup would be fun and likely you'd have enough for earrings and maybe a bracelet.

 

[A Breaker]

BWeaves...these are the add-a-pearl from the 1940's-50's. It seems as you had them restrung each year to be suspended between a chain or put on a new wire each year between a chain... I have seen them both ways. I think I have enough for graduated...I'll have to see. (I am sure I have extra lose pearls that would match)