A Necklace Makeover

A Necklace Makeover

Several months ago, I was asked to do a repair on a vintage, signed, Miriam Haskell necklace.It had 2 strands of deep coral beads in various shapes; tubes, large and small rounds. It had brass and pearl accent beads, as well as a truly stunning focal clasp.

The Story: The customer bought the necklace online, and was proud of her vintage "find," but it was very tight; only 15 inches long. Here's the original necklace. Click on the image at right for a larger view.

The Challenge: Increase the length of the necklace by about 2 inches. Because this is a vintage necklace, I couldn't just shop for more of those beautiful orange beads, or so I thought. I tried various combinations of other vintage orange spacers, brass beads, tubes, the list went on. Nothing was quite right. As it grew closer to the holidays, I became busy with some custom orders, and so I had to put the necklace aside temporarily.

The Discovery: Then imagine my surprise when the customer emailed me with a link to some beads she found on eBay; the beads looked remarkably similar to the ones in the necklace, and they were advertised as "Miriam Haskell vintage beads." I told her I couldn't be certain they would match, but she authorized me to purchase them for her. When they arrived, I was amazed to find they were the same color and style as the beads in the necklace. Here's the necklace with the "new" vintage beads. Click on the image at left for a larger view.

I congratulated her on her find, and got to work. I told her there were 2 ways to increase the length. One was to add beads to the design in a subtle way, and the other would be to add the beads near the clasp. She chose the former.

The Solution: As you might imagine, I took my time deciding where to place the new beads, since this was such a statement piece! Here's a photo of the finished necklace. If you can't pick out the spots where I added the beads, read on for the description. Click on the image for a larger view.

I placed all the new beads on either side of the pearls, with the exception of the 2 center units on both strands. If you look closely, you'll see that the beads I added are the only ones that don't have spacers on both sides. I also added 1 bead on either side of the clasp.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Tell me your birthday (month and day) and I'll send you a special discount or offer in your birthday month. Click the button to enter your info.

	Of All The Beads Newsletter	February '10 Hazel Brutsché
Upcoming Events McLean Jewelry Showcase, February 6th, 11 AM to 5 PM: Stop by and visit my booth at this all-jewelry juried show, just in time for Valentine's Day. At the McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Avenue, McLean, VA. Click here for details. A Necklace Makeover Several months ago, I was asked to do a repair on a vintage, signed, Miriam Haskell necklace.It had 2 strands of deep coral beads in various shapes; tubes, large and small rounds. It had brass and pearl accent beads, as well as a truly stunning focal clasp. The Story: The customer bought the necklace online, and was proud of her vintage "find," but it was very tight; only 15 inches long. Here's the original necklace. Click on the image at right for a larger view. The Challenge: Increase the length of the necklace by about 2 inches. Because this is a vintage necklace, I couldn't just shop for more of those beautiful orange beads, or so I thought. I tried various combinations of other vintage orange spacers, brass beads, tubes, the list went on. Nothing was quite right. As it grew closer to the holidays, I became busy with some custom orders, and so I had to put the necklace aside temporarily. The Discovery: Then imagine my surprise when the customer emailed me with a link to some beads she found on eBay; the beads looked remarkably similar to the ones in the necklace, and they were advertised as "Miriam Haskell vintage beads." I told her I couldn't be certain they would match, but she authorized me to purchase them for her. When they arrived, I was amazed to find they were the same color and style as the beads in the necklace. Here's the necklace with the "new" vintage beads. Click on the image at left for a larger view. I congratulated her on her find, and got to work. I told her there were 2 ways to increase the length. One was to add beads to the design in a subtle way, and the other would be to add the beads near the clasp. She chose the former. The Solution: As you might imagine, I took my time deciding where to place the new beads, since this was such a statement piece! Here's a photo of the finished necklace. If you can't pick out the spots where I added the beads, read on for the description. Click on the image for a larger view. I placed all the new beads on either side of the pearls, with the exception of the 2 center units on both strands. If you look closely, you'll see that the beads I added are the only ones that don't have spacers on both sides. I also added 1 bead on either side of the clasp. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Tell me your birthday (month and day) and I'll send you a special discount or offer in your birthday month. Click the button to enter your info.
Of All The Beads » Hazel Brutsché