An antique pearl project

[Pearlie Sue]

Hi pearl friends! I haven't been on the forum for a while because I quickly spent too much money when I joined, being surrounded by so many beautiful ladies in their pearls! I took a break to enjoy the pearls I have without being tempted to buy more, but now I'm back with an exciting pearl project! I've purchased an antique pearl necklace with a diamond and platinum pendant. It's beautiful, but it's choker length- not even 14 inches long. It needs to be at least 18 inches for me to wear it comfortably, so I have to decide how I'm going to extend it. The pearls aren't in the best condition, so I think I'll probably scrap the old pearls and start fresh with new ones. (I really have no idea how I would match pearls to the old ones anyway.) They're 6.2 mm pearls, which I'm guessing are akoyas. I'd need at least 100 inches of pearls to be on the safe side. Does anyone have any suggestions for where I'd find reasonably priced matching pearls in that quantity? I'm open to either akoyas or high luster freshwater pearls. For budget reasons I'm leaning towards nice freshwater pearls,.
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But wait, the project doesn't end there! I'll have to save money a little while longer before I take it to my jeweler, but I have a collection of gemstones I've been hoarding for years, just waiting for the right project. I have a moissanite, a lab grown pink sapphire, and a very large Ethiopean opal I'm going to have my jeweler set for me that will be able to interchangeably attach to the platinum pendant. I'm attaching pictures to give you an idea. It will be a while till the project is complete, but I'll be sure to update the forum when it is.
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(Opals are hard to photograph, it's much prettier in person.)
If it wasn't obvious... my style is a little gaudy, lol.

 

[CortezPearls]

G'day! Pearlie Sue
Hey...interesting projects! Be sure to update us and include your photos

 

[Charlotta2.0]

How many strands of pearls are there if you need 100 inches of pearls. 6?. I think it's a fun project and look forward to your photos Pearlie Sue

 

[Pearlie Sue]

How many strands of pearls are there if you need 100 inches of pearls. 6?. I think it's a fun project and look forward to your photos Pearlie Sue

There are four strands in total. The shortest strand will probably be about 19 inches, and each subsequent strand will be a little longer. So, 100 inches is probably way more than I need. 80 might be a better number.

 

[Charlotta2.0]

There are four strands in total. The shortest strand will probably be about 19 inches, and each subsequent strand will be a little longer. So, 100 inches is probably way more than I need. 80 might be a better number.

It's always better to have a little extra lenght, I thought that they maybe were the same lenght. What kind of pearls are you going to use? Akoyas perhaps? Freshwaters could work if you could find any of good quality, do they still produce smallish freshwaters or are they all beadnucleated nowadays I wonder. Or miniedisons? I have seen about 8 mm, maybe that's to big?

 

[jeg]

Welcome back, Pearlie Sue! Can’t wait to see your projects come to life! You could possibly source your freshwater pearls from China if you are trying to save on cost. I also noticed these temp strands on PacificPearls.US, and they seem like they would be the size you are looking for.

 

[KarinK]

It may be very difficult to get an exact match of the pearls if you can't see them in person. An idea would be to make the old pearls stand out and be a part of the design rather than try to make them blend in.