My MIL has been sending my DD two 5.5mm cultured pearls every year since she was born. She turned 21 this year, so I took them to the jeweler to be strung into a necklace for her.

Once they strung them, it turns out that there is only 11' worth, not enough for a traditional pearl strand. It's too much for a bracelet, and I really wanted to give her a necklace. Buying more pearls is not an option as these all came from the same jeweler in Upstate NY and indivdually they are in the $30+ range and buying an inch runs about $150! Plus the whole idea is that these are the pearls that Grandma sent her.

The only thing I've seen that I vaguely like is this:




But, I don't want it to look "costumey".....KWIM?


Any ideas or link to stuff ladies???

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Have you thought about making a choker instead? They require fewer pearls and some of the settings are gorgeous.

Even a choker would require 14-15". Thanks for the suggestion though.

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I have 2 different pearl sets that are similar to the one you posted. One has gold chain in between (like the example you posted) and the other has "illusion" thread (sort of like clear string). I don't think either looks "costumey" as I wear them both for fancy occasions. Of course I wear them for every day too when the mood strikes me.

I also have the traditional pearl set. I love it, but it doesn't get as much wear as the other two. That might be a consideration. If the set is too fancy, it might sit in the jewelry box. Less fancy gets worn more.

You could add a filler. Gold beads, silver beads, crystals, but I'd go for the clean pearl look.

Whatever you decide you can't go wrong. Pearls are beautiful, timeless and classic.

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Have you thought of stringing them the traditional way then adding a few inches of gold chain to the back near the clasp? My mom had something similar to that once. It still looks like a standard pearl necklace, but the part up around the neck is chain.

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I have two necklaces like the one you show, one with white pearls and one with black. I love them. I wear one or the other just about every other day. I'm not sure what you mean by "costumey." The earliest I remember seeing a necklace like that was in the movie Tin Cup and I refer to them as my tin cup necklaces . . . I'm a huge fan of pearls, but I wear those tin cup necklaces way more often than I wear my traditional pearl necklace, because they're just a little more casual and go with everything.

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I like the example you showed because I think it is more contemporary and younger looking. I have two strands of regular pearls that I never wear because I think the pearl necklace...while "classic" just looks old fashioned.

this is a style she would wear and not just put in her jewelry box.

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Am I missing something here? You wanted to give her a necklace? Looks like grandma gave her the pearls and you are giving her the craftsmanship and setting? Real pearls are not manmade and can be matched at any quality jewlers. Pearls come from oysters and they just don't all go to top of the line upstate jewlers in N Y. I would ask my daughter if my providing a setting would be the gift of her choice and have her pick the setting.

I would agree with the last post. I think it makes sense to have yoru DD select how she would like to have her pearls used.

cj/

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Toonces--I like the example from your original post....but I really am a casual jewelry type of girl...

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You could fill the back in with smaller pearls maybe.

No you're not missing anything.

I know that the pearls can be purchased and or matched as these are Akoya pearls (cultured) and readily available, but I didn't want to just fill her up to make a 16" necklace, we wanted to necklace to only include the pearls from her grandmother, just for sentimental reasons.....maybe it's dumb....but that's what we wanted.

To get the same type of cultured pearl would run us an additional $900.00 for 5". More than I'm willing to put into this, plus the labor for the stringing, I'd be in for $1000.00

It was supposed to be a surprise gift for her 21st, but the more I look at the "traditional" pearl strand, the more I realize that, like most of the posters here said, they will probably sit in her jewelery box and not be worn. The picture in my original post would seem to suit her more, and I think that's what we are going with.

Thanks for all the input.

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