Happy new pearl year: Charmed, I'm sure!
Well hell-o, honeybunches! I'm happy to see you in the Passage as we begin 2025. Some things endure, and that includes women asking me how to restyle classic pearl strands.
With a matched strand (all the pearls are more or less the same size), you can create a knockout piece via an easy zhuzh: the toggle clasp + charm. (The midcentury graduated pearl necklace is another matter; either have it cleaned and restrung to wear as is, or restyle as shown here among other posts; see "Restyle pearls" in the menu bar.)
Step 1: Restring with a holder-type clasp
There are various styles for clasps that can double as charm holders. I like a toggle, shown below on a necklace from Etsy seller IJDesignBoutique. A toggle adds just enough detail to be worn to the front on its own, or at the back. Buy a good solid one in silver, gold, or gold fill.
Photos: IJ Design Boutique |
Buy a charm, or have one made from bits and bobs: an old ring; single earrings, or gifts that were never quite you. You can have charms attached permanently, as in this example from IJ Design Boutique, or use detachable ones.
Here's how a permanent charm looks attached to the toggle's ring, on a necklace that incorporates aquamarine beads, 9-10mm freshwater pearls and a gold-plated pendant:
Photo: IJ Design Boutique, Etsy |
Charms to change
Let's hop over to New York's Lizzie Fortunato to see how to play with detachable charms. Shown, the pearl base necklace with a toggle clasp, and charms attached with an s-hook, specifically a perpendicular s-hook, shown in the window below, which is hard to find.
If you're are using s-hooks, the diameter of the toggle will determine how many hooks will fit. (If clasp chat makes your eyes cross, bookmark this post to show your jeweller or stringer.) A bench jeweller can make perpendicular s-hooks from gold or silver wire, not a complicated job, but show them a picture.
Photos: Lizzie Fortunato |
There are other options for the clasp-as-charm-holder: the pinch connector, and the sailor's clasp are two that, in larger sizes, leave room for adding charms.
Bottom left: 10mm peridot and 14k charm from Etsy seller Faxxelange, a good source for gemstone charms; $CDN 51.
Centre: Vintage Gemini intaglio on glass, $CDN 295 from charmco.
Top right: A single flashy Tahitian like this 13mm baby will ice the cake! From Kojima Pearl Company; price, $US 594.
Bottom left: Norwegian vintage pink enamel pendant/charm from Etsy seller Nordicgeordie, $CDN 120.
I had my CFWs restrung by Sophie Strings Pearls; any size of pearls will work for a base necklace as long as the clasp is proportionate. I like them strung on synthetic thread like PowerPro, for added security.
These 10mm pearls were chosen 30 years ago by a beloved friend; the pearl charm is from Kojima (about 5 years old); the Tibetan "endless knot" is a Diane von Furstenberg by H. Stern pendant over 20 years old. It symbolizes the interconnectedness of all beings, among other interpretations.
In what's bound to be a year of change, an update to something worn for decades feels right—and a reminder to protect what is precious in the world. That may be timely for you, too.
Comments