[Ashley]

Originally Posted by purepearls

I agree that the 16" best with strapless frocks. That length seems to balance everything out the best!

Last year, I had a strand of Drop-shaped Baroque Freshwater pearls strung up with Mystery clasps at a 16" and 20" lengths, which I could then screw together for a single necklace of 36" in the 9-10mm size range. I absolutely LOVE it, and wear it to formal dinners, the office etc. It's so versatile, that literally I have 4 necklaces in one... and the Freshwaters are SO lustrous (my favorites actually )

I have to say that after a year of wearing all of them, the 20" is my favorite... Due to the larger size of the pearls, this length hangs perfectly on my frame just a teeny bit lower than the 18" and looks really unique!

[knotty panda]

This is kind of a cross-over topic -- mystery clasps. You all know now my fetish is knotting and clasps. My aversion to mystery clasps comes from the undue stress they place on the strand; i.e., twisting. And cleaning mystery clasps to restring? What a nightmare! But you all seem to use them with ease. Should I incorporate them into my style? What kind of drilling do I need to do to prepare a pearl for the clasp? And, has anyone ever used a pigtail? Thanks!

[Ashley]

Knotty- You're absolutely right about the twisting on the strand, and I have noticed the wear on the silk, but the look is so seamless I dub them: Worth It! As much as I like all the different variations on clasps I really do prefer an uninterrupted line of pearls...

As far as drilling the pearls for the mystery clasps, you actually need to be able to drill the pearls at close to 2.5-3.0mm which is stressful on smaller pearl sizes. Really, I wouldn't go any smaller than the 9-10m. The threads are then epoxied into place...

[boo]

Originally Posted by Ashley

I have to say that after a year of wearing all of them, the 20" is my favorite... Due to the larger size of the pearls, this length hangs perfectly on my frame just a teeny bit lower than the 18" and looks really unique!

I am not alone! I thought I was the only person in the world who prefered that length! I do like ropes for drama and layering (as well as playing with and admiring the pearls ) but for a simple strand, 20" is my favorite.