Making a guard

[Taylor]

Remeber the plique a jour piece I posted a while back? (it is a jour not de jour - but I'm sure you all know by now my spelling is awful.) Well, it has been looked at by many experts and the general feeling is that it is a "married" piece. The pendent should be supported by a gold chain not twisted seed pearl strands. The seed pearls in the strands are bahrianian like the pearls in my little necklace, while the pearls in the pendent are something else - much whiter. So, here is my dilemma. Since the piece is already a marriage, I would like to use the seed pearl strands to make a guard for the little necklace - the colors match. To do this I will need to restring the seed pearls since the existing thread is probably at least 50 years old. I think I can do the restringing myself. I hope it will just take patience. Most guards I have seen hook around the 3rd or 4th pearl inthe strand but I'm less concerned about the strand breaking than the old clasp failing. It must be about 120 years old. So I'd like the guard to attach to the eyelets.
What do you think of this idea? Attached are photos.

 

[Caitlin]

Hi Taylor
I think it would work.

Since you have committed to learning how to restring your own pearls anyway, you can try it out and change it if you don't like it.

I'd love to hear your ideas about the ret of the plique piece as they develop, too.

 

[Taylor]

Hi Caitlin,
The learning-to-string is going pretty well. I've made about a dozen bracelets and necklaces for friends and have taken 2 old ones apart and mixed the pieces to make one. I haven't tried any pearls other than freshwater bead-shop pearls. The knowledge is coming in handy as many things I've inherited are pretty but not worth paying someone else to do... lace agate, old ivory and jade... things like that. 2 of those I've restrung. I've gotten the hang of knotting and will try picking surviors from bead cultured pearl necklaces to make one next. Wish I had enough good ones to make something like that mixed natural of Ellen Barkin's on another thread here.
The plique I've really worried over. I've considered restoring it if I could find a period chain. I've considered making a small necklace or bracelet from the other pearls or earrings from just the navettes. Thus many of the questions asked about drilling, gluing, polishing, etc.
I've spent hours tracing its' history only to wind up with a romanticized
notion and no hard facts. But then most stories of family pieces seem this way.
Will let you know where it leads me,
Taylor

 

[Taylor]

I have finally finished restringing the seed pearls onto one long thread. The single strand is over a yard long and it took me six hours over several days to complete. Most of the time I could not even see the holes in the seed pearls they are so small. I just stabbed at each one with the tiniest beading needle I could find until they sort of jumped on the needle. Thank goodness there are no knots . I should probably rename this thread since I've decided not to make a guard from them. Maybe I'll edge the veil for my daughter's wedding with them.
Anyway, I'm glad I did it. The old thread was so fragile it broke with just a pinch from my fingernails. I would like to say that such patient work has put me in some spiritual place, but it hasn't. I'm thinking of using the central winged piece as an enchancer to a simple string of 7mm pearls. The curve of the wings fits neatly under the strand.
Caitlin, Thanks for the encouragement!