Does a pearl shortener work well to make 18" strands look like they are 16"?

[Tucs]

Does a pearl shortener work well to make 18" strands look like they are 16"?

Hi there,
I recently had PP shorten one of my baroque Akoya strands to about 16", and I find that I really like that length on me for certain outfits, but I still would like to have the option of wearing my other strands as 18", so I was considering getting a pearl shortener.
Does anyone have one and use it for that purpose? I wonder if they work well, and if it depends on the shortener style.

 

[JerseyPearl]

I usually prefer a 16" to an 18", but I also love a 22" I haven't tried a pearl shortener, but my mother always used a large safety pin! I think Judith Ripka once produced a silver safety pin for shortening (or lengthening) necklaces.

 

[lisa c]

Giving this a little bump, because I'm curious as well. Who owns a shortener, and how do you like it (or them)?

I'll probably be beaten about the head and shoulders for this, or cut dead, but I just loosely form a knot at the clasp. I doubt that'd work well with bigger pearls.
the knot actually looks like a cluster or a wreath when worn, depending on what it feels like doing at any given moment.

 

[pattye]

Personally, I feel a clasp with a chain extender looks better than a shortener as my pearls/beads are usually large and my hair short.

 

[Purranha]

I have used a variety of shorteners and I find the only thing you need to pay attention to is to choose a more oblong shape than a rounder shape. When you have more width vs length, it is more likely for pearls to slip through the middle.
Both Ebay & Etsy has a large selection, you can pick size & design that goes nicely with your piece. is smooth.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1x-STERLING-...kAAOxy5QtR8hGA
You should browse through the selection on eBay & Etsy and they do always include specs so you can pick smaller or larger ones based on the size of your pearls.
Hope that helps!

 

[lisa c]

Thanks, purranha, that's good info

 

[pattye]

If someone has a shortener they like and use, please show it on the necklace; that would be really helpful.

 

[Purranha]

lisa c, you are the official bumper and conscience of this forum lol!

 

[Purranha]

Hi Pattye! I took some pics of my twistie shorterner with twistie O Toggle. I feel that they play well together.

 

[Purranha]

I'm a big fan of shorterners/connectors in general since I find them to be quite versatile in beading/crafting projects. Plus they are mostly inexpensive except for the ones with little diamonds on them can cost a bit more.
I've attached a picture of a few shorterners I have, and another example where the shorterners were used as connectors instead. I find that they add some interesting texture to the project!

 

[Purranha]

I'm thinking about giving one of those peanut shaped ones a try and will report back when I get my hands on one!

 

[pattye]

Purranha,

Thanks so much for photographing your collection, and showing the shorteners in action! Having them in several sizes is an excellent idea. They certainly add beauty and interest in that gorgeous necklace!

 

[Purranha]

You're most welcome Pattye! Haha since I busted those few strands out for photos, I decided to wear them all together today...
Unfortunately lighting in my apt isn't so great and my photography skill sucks!

 

[Red]

Purranha - Wow, I love that Tahitian pearl, rondelle, and metal chain necklace. There are so many creative uses for bits and pieces of materials. So what if you don't have four matching strands of chain or rondelles. Put them together and make them look wonderful in the process. Now I can begin to imagine what a creative person might do with a half-strand of golden SS pearls, for example.

 

[Purranha]

Hhahahahah thank you Red!!! #^___^#

The Tahitian + rondelle strands are of course "inspired" by the Gellner collections, amongst other P-Gers who have done similar projects.

It's a combo of Labradorite on the outer strand, multi-sapphire graduated into black spinel with larger tourmaline nuggets in the middle strand, and rhodolite garnet with a baby Sea of Cortez pearl on the side strand.

The mixed metal strand is a combination of labradorite, along with a bunch of little gold bracelets I have from when I was much younger and they are a bit too small for me to wear now.

Haha now the pressure is ON for me to make something nice with the half strand GSSP! Thanks Red!

 

[JerseyPearl]

Hhahahahah thank you Red!!! #^___^#

The Tahitian + rondelle strands are of course "inspired" by the Gellner collections, amongst other P-Gers who have done similar projects.

It's a combo of Labradorite on the outer strand, multi-sapphire graduated into black spinel with larger tourmaline nuggets in the middle strand, and rhodolite garnet with a baby Sea of Cortez pearl on the side strand.

The mixed metal strand is a combination of labradorite, along with a bunch of little gold bracelets I have from when I was much younger and they are a bit too small for me to wear now.

Haha now the pressure is ON for me to make something nice with the half strand GSSP! Thanks Red!

Spectacular! I am sure that "nice" will be as gorgeous as the rest. Thanks for the photos.

 

[Purranha]

Thank you @ JerseyPearl!

 

[Tucs]

Thank you everyone for your input!

Purrranha, thanks for the photos, too. And those lovely strands! I love the Tahitians with the beads. Gorgeous!

 

[amti]

Love the strands Purranha! You wear them well too!

Tucs, I have a couple of shorteners and this one works really well with my long 6.5-7mm akoya strand. It worked so well, I was using it to hold my necklace together so I could wear it when the thread broke. :O The other one is more of a safety pin with tiny pearls on it and I never felt it was sturdy enough, so I'm really not sure what it is supposed to be. Since you are wanting to shorten your strand just two inches, you have to consider how big the pearls are too. You may not be able to shorten a strand just two inches with really big pearls unless you use the shortener to clip two opposite sided pearls together and ignore the clasp.

 

[Tucs]

Thanks Amti, my currents strands I'd like to sometimes shorten are 8.5-9.0mm, 9.5-10mm, and 9-10.5mm. Perhaps the shortener in your photo would be too small for them. I guess I need to buy a couple of cheap ones on eBay and try.