Ready in Red, Roman Red Dress, with beaded neck. Dress of the Day 434. Buying beads and identifying imitation pearls.Are these real pearls?
I took this photo on a timer. My surprised look is because the flashing second sign on my mobile, propped up on a high kitchen work surface, jumps to two unexpectedly soon, rather than the ten seconds which I usually select. However, the surprised look with the arms flung out looks good, so I kept it.
Who can resist a dress in red? Broderie Anglaise? Those sexy, see-through, suggestive eyelets.
This dress is lined, refined. Beaded neckline. The seller described it as a summer dress. A similar dress elsewhere on ebay was described as an occasion dress. (Short for special occasion.)
Zip at the back and two vertically aligned buttons, covered with the same red fabric, with loops.
It is slightly loose under the arms. Shows my bra - which is a tasteful orange pattern. I thought of tightening the dress to make the armholes smaller and less revealing, and the bust more fitted. However, I wore it all day and it seemed comfortable and looked find on a special occasion Zoom meeting.
The dress already has neck interest. Long red beads look unusual, but are hardly noticeable from a distance. The long red beads alternate with faceted imitation glass beads.
Buying Beads
If you want to buy beads, Etsy has a lot of USA suppliers which means cheaper postage if you are in the USA. Ebay has UK suppliers. Amazon supplies me with free postage because I am a prime member.
Jewellery
I dolled it up with a double string of pearls. A necklace which is close to the neck looks good on zoom, not disappearing when you lean forwards.
Real Pearls?
Are they real pearls? they look lovely.
Disappointingly, no, not real pearls. The pearls near the clasp on the back of the neck are peeling. They are incorrectly matched in size, growing larger nearer the clasp and then smaller, on one of the two strings.
The second string is wrongly attached, so that it does not, lie inside or outside the other string but crosses over. Oops - that was my mistake. I attached the clasp wrongly!
The Classy Clasp
The clasp is very good quality. Unusual. It has a tiny pearl in the middle. In addition, a tiny extra chain connects one of the strings from beyond the first pearl on both ends so that if the clasp comes undone, (or is undone by a thief?) the necklace stays attached.
However, I think most strings of real pearls would come with either silver or gold clasps (the gold being higher priced).
I looked at similar ones in John Lewis in Watford one Christmas some time ago. An admirer, for want of a better word, thought I ought to wear pearls, rather than my assorted 'cheap' bohemian pendants. I think that the assistant said that the clasp could be silver or gold. She either had both in stock, or was able to change the clasp.
At that time I thought pearls were boring and elderly. Now I think this pearl necklace looks just right. It fills in a U-shape neckline nicely, frames the face. Without a central pendant or stone, it cannot hang looking lopsided, but looks neat from every angle.
What can we call pretty fake pearls, politely? Costume jewellery. Who thought up that term! Somebody in marketing, somewhere, some time ago.
Re-Stringing Pearls
I went off pearls when I discovered that you were supposed to re-string them with fresh string every year to guard against loss. You have to pay a jeweller to do this. You would also have to trust them not to break or lose or steal or swap the beads.
Alternatively, learn how to re-string. You would have to invest in a bead tray and strong but light thread. I have a bead tray and stretch elastic transparent twine spools in two or three sizes. I have never used them. Now I find a use for beading thread. Which is not the same as sewing cotton.
You have to thread beads with separating small spacer beads. These little beads can be of the same or a different colour, or gold/gilt.
Alternatively, tie some sort of knot between each bead to stop the beads sliding around and damaging each other, Rubbing each other.
Also if the clasp breaks off, with luck, you lose only the end bead and all the others stay pu, in place, held by the knots.
How To Re-String Pearls
Real pearls will be graded in size so you have to re-string them in size order. This involves removing them very carefully, one by one, or in the groups of three sizes.
Or wearing them only at home waiting until they break. Then crawling around the living room floor retrieving them from the carpet and the corners and under the sofa.
Useful Websites
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl
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