Pearls and Metal

This week I got to wear a new creation born out of mostly really old things. I’ve had these pins, clip earrings and broken necklace for years with minimal wear. I think I bought most of them when I was young at a flea market. I’ve seen several tutorials for Anthropology copy-cat necklaces (and here), so I thought I’d try and get a new necklace repurposing these old jewels!

I really didn’t follow any specific tutorial and thus it’s not perfect and I got to redo things a couple of times. It’s like that for me with many projects—thankfully I keep at it! A quick run down of what I/my husband did:

1. Take off some pearls to have more string to knot onto jump rings (those metal O’s that can be opened).

2. Connect the pearl necklace to the new metal necklace.

3. My husband removed the pins and earring clip.

4. I started trying to group the “jewels” with jump rings but it wouldn’t work since they flopped all around.

5. My husband taught me how to use epoxy glue to glue metal together. We had a silver metallic version thankfully. Not the easiest task to do and not be messy, as you can see:

 

I don’t think you notice it from the front! Just the glue the original jewelry maker used back when.

I can wear the pearls on top or bottom,

…but honestly the jewels part makes it way down to balance the weight of the pearls on its own. Regardless, I’m celebrating a new necklace and using old things that had little use!

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