Pearl

Deborah Rohan <deborah.rohan [at] cambridgeshire__gov__uk> writes

>This is a query on behalf of someone not on the DistList.
>
>    A Victorian gold and enamel brooch has lost the pearl in its
>    centre, a small, off-round baroque pearl rather larger than a
>    grain of barley. Our local jeweller has told us that he cannot
>    obtain exactly this size and shape; the nearest he has are small
>    oval baroque cultured pearls which are bought in strings. Each
>    pearl is pierced through the long axis, instead of half-pierced
>    in the centre, as the original pearl was. One is approximately
>    the right shape and size, but the holes would show if it were
>    set on the brooch, and I would rather find a more suitable
>    match. Is there a conservator of jewellery who would know of a
>    source for one or two-off (keeping a spare would make sense)
>    pearls of this sort in the U.K.?

Sometimes it is not worth the time to get exactly what you want and
it makes more sense to improvise.  If it is possible to get
something of the right size and shape but with a hole that you don't
want, how about plugging the hole with a tiny bit of white wax.  It
is unlikely that anyone but a conservator would notice.

Barbara Appelbaum
Appelbaum and Himmelstein
444 Central Park West
New York, NY 10025
212-666-4630
Fax: 212-316-1039


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 17:51
                Distributed: Thursday, January 29, 2004
                       Message Id: cdl-17-51-004
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