MAKE A GREAT ADD-A-PEARL NECKLACE

An add-a-pearl necklace is basically a starter pearl necklace.

It begins with just a couple of pearls (see picture, top necklace) and you keep adding pearls to it over the years until it gets totally full and looks like a normal pearl necklace (see picture, bottom necklace).

“When I grow up, I wanna be a pearl necklace!”

It makes a great gift for a young woman or teen. Most add-a-pearl necklaces lead off with either 3 or 5 pearls (an odd number so it looks balanced).

People love them for a really good reason: They know what to buy for that next special occasion.

How many pearls do you add at a time?

A full strand of pearls can usually hold about 30-40 pearls, depending on the mm size of the pearls you select and the length of the chain desired. And as far as the length goes, I advise 18″. That’s a perfect size for a pearl strand; It’s not a choker, and it’ll rest on her neck nicely and be seen.

Add-a-pearl necklaces cost?

Here’s the cool thing about add-a-pearl necklaces; Buying a couple of pearls every year is much cheaper than forking out $3,000 for a nice strand. It makes it affordable to buy one over the course of 10-20 years.

But here’s the really interesting thing that people don’t realize: Most add-a-pearl necklaces are never worn…

Odd eh? Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose?

Why not wear them?

Because it’s not full. It’s partially filled, meaning, it may look silly wearing a thin chain with just 3 pearls on it.

Get it?

So the necklace you’re making ends up sitting in the box until it’s finally finished.

But what’s even crazier…

People buy new pearls every year… and still keep adding them to the necklace.

Yes… Every new pearls added get strung on the chain (at a cost to you, no doubt).

And jewelers usually charge around $2.00 an inch. But they may also have a $20.00 minimum stringing fee too. So the price goes up fast, doesn’t it?

This is what I always advise:

Will she wear the necklace now?

If the answer is “NO“, then don’t spend the money on getting it restrung every time pearls are bought. It’s silly! Wait a couple years until you collect about 12 or more, then have it restrung. Paying by the inch is expensive, so you should at least make it worth your while.

And, when you do have it restrung… Have them;

Individually knotted.

Make sure you get them individually knotted (a knot between each and every pearl).

That knot does a couple great things; It keeps the pearls separated slightly so they don’t rub against each other and break off the outer shell…

And… It keeps the pearls secure.

The knot keeps the pearls safe in case you accidentally break the cord. If the strand or cord breaks, only one pearl will fall off the strand (instead of 40 pearls rolling all over the floor).

So get them knotted! It’s a must!

Pearl consistency:

Try to keep your pearls consistent as well. This is something people tend to forget.

When you opt to buy more pearls for a birthday or Christmas gift, take the strand of pearls with you, so the jeweler can match and measure them for size and color. That way all your pearls will look alike.

Stay away from graduated pearls:

I would suggest staying away from making a graduated pearl necklace. That’s where the sizes of the pearls go from big to small. Some people like to have bigger pearls in the center, then having them get smaller and taper to the ends of the necklace…

I love them, they look good, but when you’re wearing the necklace, the bigger pearls will never be centered on your neck. They will always be riding up and driving you crazy straightening them.

So if you get them all the same size, you won’t have to worry about that maddening problem.

The best size of pearl to use:

The perfect mm size of pearl to purchase for an add-a-pearl necklace is 5mm. 5mm pearls are ideal because 5mm is what I would call an every day pearl size. Not too big, not too small. They are the great to wear every day (She’ll get more use out of them).

In summary:

Knot the pearls individually, create an 18″ necklace (with a 14kt gold chain and clasp), buy matching pearls in size, shape and color (Slight pink, or rose tone works BEST), string them every couple of years to save you money, and wear the necklace often.

Wearing the necklace often is better for the pearls… Because the oils from your skin will keep the pearls looking shiny and lustrous and pretty. Packing them away in a box will dry them out and make them turn yellow, ugly and crack (so don’t do that).

And lastly, don’t forget about making that matching pearl bracelet.

Cheers! :)