Pearl reno: Deborahs' triple treat

Several years ago, Deborah from Vancouver bought two pearl ropes from Kojima Company: first, she chose white circlé South Seas, which she found "too white", and a short time later, iridescent Chinese baroque freshwaters. The CFWs were bought to recover from the South Seas; however, their champagne iridescence wasn't the compensatory move she'd hoped for—so there they sat. 

Just like buying a beautiful dress that turns out not to be right on you, the pearls needed attention or would eternally languish. (The 30-day return-for-refund policy addresses such lapses, but it's all too easy to keep a piece and hope things magically work out.)

Deborah sent both necklaces to Sarah Canizzaro at Kojima and asked for ideas. I'm delighted that she agreed to share the results with us!

The reveal

Above, top and bottom: The white South Seas were made into two necklaces: 

1. A cheeky choker (16 in.) on neon pink knots, which will look terrific on a crew neckline.

2. An 18 in. gold and white SS necklace. The addition of six gold SSs to each side lights her face and softens the whiteness—genius!

Middle: 

The champagne CFWs' flashy overtones settled down when knotted on teal thread, a move an experienced designer like Sarah knows, and a revelation for me.

Design à deux

Sarah sent options to Deborah as each piece progressed:

Deborah bought two new clasps, a 14k gold ball to replace a tarnished vermeil "bean", and the silver orbit. The original granulated gold hook-and-eye on the CFWs was reused:

There is of course labour—but the stringing is straightforward and uses Beader's Secret, which lasts far longer than silk.

She gave her sister a luscious gift, the surplus 16 in. of CFWs, which will be strung to her taste. (Deborah says she has two daughters but they are already "well-pearled"; I'm stealing that term.) One reno, four necklaces: must be a record!

What a fizzy moment when a package with the Kojima chop arrives, and there are your perfect pearls! Here's Deborah in her 'new' CFWs:

The last word should be hers: "I have worn all three necklaces more in the last two to three weeks than I did in the years since I bought them."