[Amrita]

Lovely necklace, Boo! And, Robin, what a gorgeous pair of tin cups you've got!

[knotty panda]

I think the appeal for a tin cup is it goes with everything, denim on up, sturdy, and it's pearls. I don't think diamond or gemstone station pieces carry the same appeal at all. So there's your basic. Variations on the basic aren't worn as often but give the owner some variety because the style itself is so appealing. Who invented it anyway? BTW, the FW baroque stretch bracelet I bought got ripped apart and made into a tin cup. Loved it! Then I ripped that up and wire wrapped it, no chain. Still loved it. Worked in sterling, but I think I would like to eventually use gold and do it up right. The baroques and their iridescence is very appealing. Wish I had more of those little beauties. Need a bracelet. Really is a go everywhere with everything piece. I like how Ashley mixed up her pearl sizes so randomly. Do you think the graduated pearls would be evident with only 7? I do like the idea, though.

[knotty panda]

Boo, love the anchor link. I think a spiral link would look nice too. I've considered a byzantine, then I stood real still and the feeling passed.

[jerin]

Hi Bo, Robinmc, Knotty

I would like to see a real close-up where the pearl links with the chain, so I can see a bit of the wirework involved, thanks. I like Boo´s tin-cup with a larger center pearl but Robin´s aqa coloured I like very much too (that goes for the chocolate tin-cup as well). Linkwise I think Boo´s chain suits the Tahitians very well.

[Nerida]

Love all the tin-cup photos - particularly the early SS one (thanks for the gorgeous photo, Terry), and Robin & Boo - yours are both gorgous! BUT can one of our lovely jewellery makers PLEASE try to make the Olivia Newton John one that was posted a while ago..... I saved a photo of it and keep dreaming about it.. PLEASE? Has to have the great mix of colours to make it perfect, I think.. I'm just not that skilled yet to try it!

[jshepherd]

Originally Posted by jerin

Jeremy,

please explain once again the difference between a "station" necklace and what.

What would such a piece cost? Amanda´s special was about 450 dollars if I remember, but if you are doing a tin cup in only Tahitians with the sizes mentioned that would mean at least 700 dollars or even more, depending on the high gold price and that is quite steep if compared to whole strands in the same quality grade, is that correct?

For myself I hope that it will be affordable so my collection can grow with different styles..

A Pelosi style sounds great but probably way too expensive for us ordinary customers, sigh...

A station necklace is basically a tin-cup necklace. The pearls are situated a specific distance from each other on a chain.

We looked into this yesterday. I had a few chain styles brought in and selected a spool of a medium-weight chain link and 5 mm wire for the wrapping. I matched a few pearl combinations, drilled them and gave them to Hisano (the lady in the office that does most of the wire wrapping). Hopefully she will have some pieces put together by tomorrow.

Regarding the question of cost, after she makes a few samples I will be able to see how much chain is used and how much white gold wire is used on either side of each pearl and to attach the tab and clasp. Regarding the labor side of it, she "thinks" it will take about 30 minutes for each piece.

There is another way of doing it that I have seen primarily in China. A thin chain is used and the pearls are attached with epoxy at different intervals. I've never really liked that style personally. It would be very easy for the pearls to become dislodged. By wrapping them in place they would be permanently affixed.

A Pelosi strand might not be too expensive. It would be best to start with Tahitians and end with a Tahitian in the center to keep the cost down. It is something I'd have to play with again.

[knotty panda]

Originally Posted by jshepherd

I had a few chain styles brought in and selected a spool of a medium-weight chain link and 5 mm wire for the wrapping.

...There is another way of doing it that I have seen primarily in China. A thin chain is used and the pearls are attached with epoxy at different intervals. I've never really liked that style personally. It would be very easy for the pearls to become dislodged. By wrapping them in place they would be permanently affixed.

5MM wire? The drill holes must be huge and it would take a herculean effort to wrap. Can I get you to convert all this to OD, ID and GA? I.E., links, O.D./I.D. of link and ga. of wire.

The good thing about the epoxy tin cup is the pearls don't look like they are wearing a Mickey Mouse hat. Have to be careful of that. The really bad thing is, how in the WORLD do they get the chain through the drill hole.

Wrapped, I already said the bad thing, Mickey hat.

[Ashley]

Originally Posted by jerin

Hi Ashley,

I really do like your tin-cup style with the interspersed smaller dyed freshwater pearls but I wonder why you didn´t have that nice Tahitian from the "extender chain" in the center and the circled one as the end of the extender? The shape of the larger pearl is much more appealing to me and probably the extender is on the back of my neck so the pearl there will not be seen that much

Hi There Jerin-

I just now saw your post on the thread- the way the threads disappear from view for days at a time and then pop back up just drives me crazy sometimes!

Ok- to answer your questions fom the forum, I chose the Lime Green drop-shaped Tahitian for the extender chain because it was so different from all of the other pearls that I had gathered together for the necklace, but it was so interesting that I couldn't bear to leave it out of the layout!! I didn't want any one single pearl to grab the spotlight- IMHO they all should be somewhat matched and complementary.

However, I absolutely encourage anyone who is interested in the Tahitian Tin Cups to guide me with their vision of what makes a fabulous layout! We can easily tailor the piece to your specifications!

Also, I consider a station necklace to be a piece that has pearls that are wire-wrapped onto a specific place (or station ) on the base material used for the necklace, be it chain, ribbon, leather, etc. The Olivia Newton John necklace (very beautiful and apparently she has two or three of them in different pearl varieties yum yum), I would consider to be more in the realm of a "Charm" bracelet cum necklace; the pearls are all top-drilled with I-Pins inserted and then attached to an Open-link chain.

[jshepherd]

Originally Posted by knotty panda

5MM wire? The drill holes must be huge and it would take a herculean effort to wrap. Can I get you to convert all this to OD, ID and GA? I.E., links, O.D./I.D. of link and ga. of wire.

The good thing about the epoxy tin cup is the pearls don't look like they are wearing a Mickey Mouse hat. Have to be careful of that. The really bad thing is, how in the WORLD do they get the chain through the drill hole.

Wrapped, I already said the bad thing, Mickey hat.

LOL
I meant .5 mm wire, not 5 mm wire. That would have been like trying to wrap a pearl with a chothes hanger! I drilled the pearls at a standard .6 mm. This is smaller than average for larger pearls as I drill most Tahitians at either .8 or .9 mm, but as thread is not an issue with these I felt the more pearl the better.

[Ashley]

Originally Posted by knotty panda

The baroques and their iridescence is very appealing. Wish I had more of those little beauties. Need a bracelet. Really is a go everywhere with everything piece. I like how Ashley mixed up her pearl sizes so randomly.

I really, really, really wanted to make the Tahitian Tin Cup a Necklace and Bracelet set!! I Really Did! Mostly, what I wanted to do was turn it into a Convertible set, but I am not sure how to go about that- any ideas anybody??

What I'd like to do is create the 18-inch Tin Cup and a 7-inch Bracelet that would be able to seamlessly combine into one single 25/26-inch piece! I think that the versatility of the 3-in-1 piece may make that a hot ticket, and I love the bracelet idea.

[knotty panda]

LOL, we probably did synchronized "I meant" "I'll bet he meant" double takes! I figured it out. I've used 26 or 28 ga. wire on fairly thin chain. (Been so long, I don't recall which.) But I always have trouble gauging the link size and how it fits with the gauge wire when ordering online. And don't get me started on Royal gauge sizes. Too much for my feeble mind.

[knotty panda]

Ashley, contact Cliclasp and see what she can do for you. I think there is a way to embed the key completely in the pearl. If not, then you could add spacers to the outside of the pearl which replicate the key and make it transparent.

[Ashley]

Wow, wonderful Thanks!

[airdancer]

Originally Posted by Ashley

What I'd like to do is create the 18-inch Tin Cup and a 7-inch Bracelet that would be able to seamlessly combine into one single 25/26-inch piece! I think that the versatility of the 3-in-1 piece may make that a hot ticket, and I love the bracelet idea.

I love that idea - although I don't wear bracelets. I think it would be nice for bridesmaids, if the bride is looking for a gift for them.

[boo]

Here is a close-up, jerin. Mickey Mouse hat style, as per Knotty.