Made a new necklace with half strand of Tahitian pearls

[StarryPearl]

This long weekend I stayed at home and made a new necklace. The pearls came in half strand. Many of them have beautiful bands, and a few have a rainbow on them. The picture was taken after pearls were rearranged.

When I was placing the order, I was thinking of making a tin cup necklace out of them, and I almost settled with GF wire wrapped with a closed jump ring in between. But the pearls ended up knotted on sterling chain.

I specially designed the toggle clasp to be a black-lipped oyster shell and a flying seagull. I LOVE my self-designed clasp and I think it's natural and romantic. Never been to Tahiti but I know they have these. (They do have seagulls, right? Anyone?) The plan was to oxidize the chain, but I couldn't find my LOS, so I had to knot the pearls with light color thread and silver gimp to make a shiny version.

Hours later, I found my LOS . After a half-hour debate in my head, I cut all the knots and oxidized the chain.

Now the "oyster" is finally "black" lipped.

And then I knotted the pearls back on with dark color thread... and went to bed...

Took the pic above this morning.
And that's how I enjoyed my long weekend.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Great story-- and they look wonderful!

I've read that one can oxidize silver by soaking it in water in which one has boiled eggs or egg shells (because it contains sulphur) but I've never tried it. Next time I boil eggs....

 

[eolian pearls]

Oh StarryPearl what a great necklace you made and I love your clasp!!!! I like both versions sterling and oxidized silver but you are right the black lipped oyster fits the necklace a little bit better. Very very pretty!!!!

 

[BWeaves]

OOOOOOh! I love it. What a great clasp, too.

 

[jshepherd]

Great piece and I especially like what you did with the clasp!

 

[StarryPearl]

Thank you so much, Pearl Dreams, eolian pearls, BWeaves, and Jeremy, for your kind words and for liking my self-designed and self-made clasp. I am so flattered that I almost want to register a patent for it.

Pearl Dreams, I heard of a similar method and tried it many years ago, before I switched to LoS. The version I heard of was to put silver together with a hot freshly hard boiled egg in a sandwich bag, seal the bag and crush the egg. It worked for me, but of course I lost that egg . Your "soaking it in water" approach sounds way more economical.

 

[CathyKeshi]

Your new necklace is creative and wonderful, StarryPearl!

 

[SurfnSci]

Your necklace is gorgeous and I LOVE the clasp - so creative and cool!!!

 

[CortezPearls]

Just like everyone else here: I love the clasp and it just suits up the pearl necklace PERFECTLY.
A great way to spend the weekend StarryPearl

 

[Charlotta]

Very pretty and I love your clasp

 

[StarryPearl]

Thank you CathyKeshi, SurfnSci, Douglas, and Charlotta!

 

[pattye]

So creative, StarryPearl, with a cool, cool clasp! I love LOS to darken chain also.

 

[StarryPearl]

So creative, StarryPearl, with a cool, cool clasp! I love LOS to darken chain also.

Thank you, Pattye! I will need some more needles and thread for my bracelet restring soon. So grateful to always have you and your wonderful varieties of serafil thread cards to rely on!