Washing, matching and shortening jewellery

Orange top and necklace.

 I found discarded jewellery. You can buy jewellery online. Whether its new or second hand, somebody may have touched it. A second hand.Given Covid-19, I had to wash them before wearing them. 

I wondered, I was going to write worried, but wondered is a friendlier word, I wondered, whether the water might rust metal, or remove colours. or float off a varnish or paint or covering. 

But the items had cost me nothing.

Cheap jewellery. Not gold or silver. Not valuable or fancy. 

But to me an orange and red necklace, any piece of jewellery, provides a new look, a new inspiration. I looked for something in the same colour. I had several caftans with a red or orange background and flower pattern scattered about on the background with red or orange or pink in the flowers.

But the necklaces and pendants looked wrong against patterns. The jewellery distracted from the fabric pattern. The fabric pattern distracted from the jewellery.

I realized that statement jewellery, the sort which hangs down, only works against a plain background. 

I could have prevented the long necklaces from hanging by shortening them into a loop at the nape of the neck. Or cutting out a section. Bridging it with a large link, or clasp, or two ribbons sewn through a circle of metal. I could have turned a long necklace into a short necklace with a matching bracelet. Or two matching bracelets sewn onto the cuffs of a plain blouse. 

That was for later. I was in a hurry.

 I found an orange top which I had worn before and was plain. It needed something to enhance the ordinary neckline. I tried on all the necklaces until I matched a necklace. 

Useful Websites

You can find clasps for necklaces under findings in jewellery sections of major online suppliers of assorted goods.

I bought lots of ribbons from Daiso and Spotlight.

Americans spell jewellery as jewelry.

About the Author

Angela Lansbury is a travel writer, photographer and speaker.