Rehab Your Pearls: Grandma's graduated akoyas, for Miriam and Noelle

Welcome back to the Passage, and its traditional reopening pearl post! We've had a lushly-blooming summer despite record-setting wildfires which swept through Northern Québec.

I've been thinking of you... and pearls.

I received two letters during the summer, both asking about family pearls. So, today we look back forty or more years to the classic graduated, small-to-medium sized necklaces often referred to as "grandma's pearls".

This is the #1 question I receive; evidently women would like more ideas.

Request #1: What to do with aged akoyas?

Miriam wrote about her grandmother's 5mm akoyas; they are from Birks, the renowned Canadian jeweller. She said, "Sadly, I never wear them. They are formal and I am not." Ben voyons, as we say in Québec: Well, let's see about that!

The first step is to assess their condition. Pearls languish in an airtight environment, and if worn often before being handed down,  you might only rescue a half-dozen from a strand. If so, don't abandon those beauties who made it through. Akoyas, especially those of forty years ago with their thick nacre layer, can transform into an alluring new piece.

This is Poppy Finch's Gradual Pearl Necklace, three graduated pearls on 16-inch 14k chain; £315 at Tomfoolery London. As the French say, "Jamais deux sans trois."

H. Samuels' Open Circle necklace sets ten pearls a-dancing. This circle is czs but a hammered silver circle would make a casual pendant, and polished or matte gold would look elegant, too. 

Earrings

Another idea for a graduated strand: cascading pearl earrings from Mizuki; also made in an extra-long length. The chain that resolves the cascade—that's why Mizuki earns those design awards.

 Bracelet: Twenty small pearls on the wrist

Ten Thousand Things Multi-Pearl bracelet is another design direction, with small pearls pinned to an oxidized silver chain and accentuated with silver studs. The sculptural clasp is a cool touch. If you adapt this idea, note that there is considerable labour involved to insert those silver accents, but you could do a simpler version that wire-wraps the pearls onto the chain.

Request #2:  What to do with an Add-a Pearl necklace?

Noelle said that she began an Add-a-Pearl necklace when her daughter was born, and asked how to update that now that she's turning age 40, a "sophisticated grownup". Those sweet pearls were usually akoyas; Add-a-Pearl's maximum was 8mm. 

She would like to add gold elements.

For soignée, refined ideas, we return to Mizuki. Below, three examples of her work with small akoya pearls—each is a never-take-off piece. Please click on the links, because these are more captivating on the site.

Left: Mizuki Cascading Pearl collar: a gold neck wire, a tiny diamond to kick things off, and a luxurious fall of small, graduated pearls. Also made as a chain necklace. Definitely a sophisticated design. 

The two other designs are pearls on chain, which makes any type of pearl more contemporary.

Top right: Mizuki Graduated Pearl and Diamond necklace (detail shown), which would use a good handful of the akoyas and an accent diamond.

 

Bottom right: Mizuki Kissing Double necklace (detail shown), two sizes in a harmonious pairing. (She could also add small diamonds to some of the pairs.) Great necklace for layering.

Look at the closeup of the Cascading Pearl necklace, so you can see the diamond at the top. This grace note could be another gem, too—perhaps her birthstone if she especially likes it.

Another approach: use some of the pearls and mix with coloured stones as well as gold elements, as in this necklace by Australian jeweller Jan Logan, who adds lapis and green amethyst beads, and gold teardrop plaques to make an airy, graceful piece. Notice the stones use different cuts: rounds, ovals and rectangles:

Help me, rondelles

Many jewellers will suggest rondelles; regularly-spaced gold beads create a more static and therefore formal design; below, an example of a necklace by Mateo with 14k yellow gold and diamond rondelles:

 

Not all rondelles are traditional. For a more contemporary look, harvest three to five 7mm-8mm akoyas and ask Jan Logan to make a version of her Frattina Pendant. (She accepts commissions from clients around the world.) These organic rondelles—more like gold sequins—are not a huge investment gold-wise. 

If you are working with a local jeweller, look for one who makes her own rondelles or gold elements or uses handmade vintage ones; stock manufactured rondelles result in a much less pleasing piece.   

The re-no: Wearing the strand as is

If a significant reno doesn't appeal, you could do as our Gwen of perfumeniche does: wear them.  

When a dear friend returned from Tokyo in 1980 with a strand of akoyas, he offered them to his circle, who were accustomed to buying exceptional wares he found on his travels. She bought them, recognizing their sublime quality, but then wore them rarely because she felt that they looked, in her words, "too preppy, demure, Ralph Lauren." 

For many decades, they embodied the Trop Belle Syndrome, in which you buy a beautiful thing that somehow does not work for you. But this was not a sunk cost; she says, "I loved them; I knew I’d wear them…. I just didn’t know when."

Forty years on, Gwen now says, "they look like they belong on me", and zhuzhs her strand by pairing it with completely current eyewear, her signature red lips and a tee. By playing against their proper upbringing, she brings them to a new level.

Check out the incomparable lustre of her akoyas! Gwen receives compliments whenever she wears them (which is most days), and says that she is a believer in "the pearl effect".

Gwen's vintage akoyas

If yours were worn regularly in the past, have them cleaned and restrung, and perhaps add a few, because necks grow up, too. (Sometimes women tell me their pearl necklace is "too girlish" and but it is actually too short.) Think about swapping the filagree clasp for a simple ball, s-hook or lobster style; it is not essential, but gives more versatility. Then, take them out for a spin with your shirt or tee, and a spritz of fragrance (applied nowhere near your pearls). 

The daughter dilemma

To close, I pondered Miriam's words, "My daughters are not interested in wearing the necklace." But what if you slipped those akoyas into a hip, beaded piece like Tai's freshwater pearl and turquoise necklace?

It's not a "pearl necklace", it's a necklace with pearls. Grandma's akoyas are playing with new friends. And each daughter could have one! 

For more ideas, see London's éliou, maker of playful pearls worn by Harry Styles. They even throw letter beads into the pearl mix! Below, small  round pearls act as 'spacers' for big baroques. (You know who can supply those; Kojima Company have far more pearls available than those on their site.)

Voilá, the granny pearl rescue! If you have already done yours, or are wearing vintage pearls as is, we'd love to see that.

PS. A number of readers have sent me a link to a recent New York Times article, ("Grandma's Pearls, In Fresh Fashion"). There's not much news there—brides are seeking pearls as earrings, shoes, and sewn onto their wedding gowns— but there was one good quote from Zamir Kassam, a New York jeweller:

"Pearls can be one of the most economical choices for fine jewellery. They may not necessarily be valuable, but it doesn't really matter."

Photo: Jimmy Choo

The pearls on the glamourous $2,500 Jimmy Choo sandals featured are faux. For that money, I would buy real pearls, and let them glow all my days.