Re-Doing a Necklace for Comfort and Quality

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Re-Doing a Necklace for Comfort and Quality

by Dr. Gail Devoid
(Need for Beads)

This is a necklace that was given to me by my son, from a friend of his who traveled extensively throughout Asia. The piece was from India.

Originally, the piece was strung with monofilament, brass clamshell findings, and silver-lined seed beads as spacers.

The necklace was not only very stiff, but plastic was sticking out of the clamshells and was very scratchy.

I did not wear the piece, because it was unattractive, and uncomfortable to wear. However it was a keepsake and meant quite a bit to me.

I decided to re-do the necklace using knotting techniques. I added gold beads in place of the tarnished silver-lined beads.

The necklace was a little tight so I decided to chain. To that chain I added a decorative dangle.

The new findings were 14KT gold-filled instead of brass.

Other than the updated findings and stringing material, I did not change the design of the necklace, as I wanted to keep it as close to the original as possible.

The stones are beautiful, and I will always treasure them. One picture shows the basic design of the necklace:

Another picture shows a closeup of the stones used:

Gail Devoid - re-stringing bead necklace

And lastly, the third picture shows how I completed the necklace, with clasp, chain, and dangle:

Gail Devoid - re-stringing bead necklace

To show you what the necklace looked like before, here are a few pictures. The knotted technique improved the drape tremendously, and the new style is very attractive:

Gail Devoid - re-stringing bead necklace

The old clasp, with clamshells and scratchy plastic ends poking out:

Gail Devoid - re-stringing bead necklace

If you have piece that you are not wearing, consider giving it an overhaul.

You may need some new findings, but the beads are reusable and you will save money making your new piece. Then wear it, and enjoy!

Need For Beads offers designer jewelry by Gail Devoid, designer jewelry kits, and designer jewelry patterns. Free tutorials on the Need For Beads website at teach how to use stitches to create designer jewelry. Beading supplies are available.

Dr. Gail Devoid
Need for Beads

Comments for
Re-Doing a Necklace for Comfort and Quality

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Making a necklace more wearable
by: Rena

Thanks so much for this great example of making-over an uncomfortable piece of jewelry that was not originally made as well as it could be.

Your re-do added greatly to the quality of this piece. The back looks SO much nicer now! And now that it fits well and doesn't stab the back of your neck, you're much more likely to wear it!

This is also a lesson in making sure our jewelry designs are comfortable without scratching, poking, or otherwise making the wearer miserable.

Thank you, Dr. Gail!

Comfortable Jewelry
by: Dr. Gail Devoid

You are welcome. I've seen discussions in which people argue whether they can sell a piece as "new" if they have worn it even once. My position is that if you do not wear it at least once, you will probably not discover problems like a wire sticking into the back of your neck and making the piece uncomfortable.

I wear a piece at least for an hour before I put it up for sale. My opinion is that low level of wear hardly categorizes the piece as being used. I think of it as being tested.

The number of pieces I modify thereafter are small, but I am sure my customers appreciate the effort taken to make sure the jewelry is high-quality.

Re-Working
by: Diana

Your article and tips for re-working a cherished necklace was great. The pictures were perfect and it's so fun to see before/after photos.
I also re-work jewelry and it is mostly for myself or friends and family. They now know I can do this so I'm the go-to jewelry fixer upper.
I actually like this because I get to see how things are made and what works and what doesn't. Plus I get to see the smiles on people who have that one piece that means so much and they finally find that it is beautiful and comfortable to wear. Adding precious metal is a great idea.
Thanks,
Diana

Adding Precious Metal
by: Dr. Gail Devoid

As this necklace was made in India, it was surprising to me that gold was not used originally. However, people there, just like here in the USA, used what was affordable and at hand.

Adding the gold beads did make quite the difference in the look of the final necklace. What was beautiful, whether in the original or the remake, were the stones. They really are finished expertly.

From what I have read, in India, most of the stones are done in the most primitive conditions. It is the skill of the lapidary worker that makes these stones so beautiful.

Thank you for your comments.
Gail

Great tips!
by: Lynda

What a wonderful example of what can be done with a piece that has good bones, but needs some improvement!

I make crystal and semi-precious stone jewelry and also look at estate sales and bazzars for vintage pieces that can be reused.

Many of the older pieces have broken or missing beads so I take them apart and rework them to create a "new" but "vintage" recreation! Usually the findings have turned green or the finish has worn so badly they are useless. So, I like to think I am recycling what would otherwise be thrown away.

Thanks for your article, I enjoyed it very much.

Restyling and Careful Engineering
by: Patricia C Vener

This article intersects with two of the topics that I am close to. The first, reworking an unwearable piece is something I usually do with old pieces that are either broken or boring. The second is making sure that every piece I create is comfortably wearable bu almost everyone. Because a lot of my pieces are larger works, I am careful to make sure the back of the necklace is counterbalanced to the front so there isn't a lot of weight pulling down on the neck. I hate that, don't you?

Counter-weigh
by: Dr. Gail Devoid

Yes, too much weight can make a piece unwearable, and to build in a counter-weight just gives more opportunity for artistic expression.

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