Graduated Strand of Pearls

Q: I hope you can help. An elderly relative willed a saltwater pearl necklace to me in 2000. I had it appraised at that time and that appraisal is $1900 total. The necklace has 72 pearls on a single strand. The largest pearl is .10mm, two are 9.0mm, eighteen are 8.5mm to 7.5mm, two are 7.0mm. Forty-eight are from 6.5 to 4.5. All are well matched. Color is creamy, good luster and shape almost round. Strand is 21 inches long. The reason for my writing is do you think I need to have this necklace restrung as it was purchased in 1947 which is almost 60 years ago? I am afraid to wear it for this reason. Looking forward to your reply.

A: If the strand has not been restrung in many years it should definitely be done before you wear it. I suggest having it strung on silk thread only and make sure the strand is knotted. Silk thread is much gentler on the pearls and has a fluid hang. When the pearls are first re-strung, they should appear to be a bit kinked. This indicated a snug knotting job and as they are worn for a few hours, the silk will naturally relax into the knots and the hang becomes attractive. If the strand is knotted too loosely, that natural relaxation process will cause the pearls to be too loose on the thread which will become soiled and frayed much more quickly. A strand that is worn regularly will need to be re-strung approximately every year but you can judge the timing by looking at the thread to see if it has become soiled or the pearls are wiggling between the knots.

It sounds like you have a strand from out of Japan after WWII and during the reconstruction. Graduated strands were very popular with American servicemen and more readily available than a uniform size strand due to the limited availability of pearls at that time. It was much easier to match a graduated strand of pearls than all uniform sizes until years later when the industry was stronger again and more production was in place. Wearing the pearls is very good for them since they are porous and the natural oils are beneficial to keeping them from becoming brittle. Do beware however about any soft of chemical exposure to the pearls such as hairspray, sun block, perfumes, even chlorine in tap water. Should they be exposed to anything like this, wipe them off with a soft cloth like diaper cloth or t-shirt to clean the surface. One other caveat about pearls in general is not to keep them in an airtight container for any length of time such as a safe or safety deposit box. It may seem counter-intuitive but by preventing the pearls from getting exposure to the moisture in the air, they will become brittle and the surface will turn chalky. The damage from either of those issues is permanent with no recourse and since your pearls are not only lovely, but have sentimental value as well, I wanted to give you that information to help you protect them and keep them lovely for years to come.

We do offer restringing services at Pearl Paradise but you would need to ship the pearls to us. If you feel more comfortable having them restrung locally and have a reputable jeweler you trust, most will offer that service as well. Should you have no recommendation for a local shop, you might call a high-end jeweler and ask for their recommendation for a stringer.