What to do with this pearl necklace?

[paleshadow]

Originally Posted by Zombie

No, not that kind of pearl necklace, you perv. Wocka wocka.

I thought about asking this on the Stevie forum, but I think this would be a better place instead.

I recently inherited a beautiful string of pearls. It's a classic style (a short one, almost like a choker?), with wonderfully colored pearls, all uniform in size. I would love to wear them, but sadly, the necklace is just so not my style. I feel like a 50s housewife in them, and not in the cool rockabilly way.

So I'm thinking about having them unstrung at some point and then turned into something that I would actually wear on a daily basis, but I am not sure what I would do with them design-wise. I know that if I had something Stevie-esque made, I would definitely wear them constantly (even if only one or two of the pearls were incorporated into the piece), but I can't recall ever seeing a photo of Stevie with pearl jewelry, and I am not sure one exists.

Do any of you have any suggestions? If you have a pic of Stevie in pearl jewelry, that would rock, but I'm definitely open to other suggestions.

Before anyone asks, I have thought about just putting them away (maybe for my daughter, when she grows up, if she wants them as they are), but my problem with that is that they belonged to my mother, who passed away at the end of January, and I really want to wear them.

That might sound demented or disrespectful - if I want to wear my mother's pearls that bad, I should maybe just wear them as they are, or something - but I don't mean it that way. They are just so not my style that I feel pretty goofy in them and I don't want that. She had another string that was much more my speed - they are freshwater pearls - but my sister wanted those, and I will be damned if I turn into one of those vulture people that engage in fisticuffs over objects when a loved one passes away.

Anyway, if I can't find something suitable to reconstruct them into, then I will definitely put them away, but I'd like to try anyway.

Any ideas?

Sorry about the loss of your mother. My mom passed away 4 years ago, and I kept some things that I would never pick out myself, but I wanted them because they were hers, so I know how that can be. I guess you have to ask yourself if you would feel the same way about them if you altered them? Is there a way you can use them without changing them? Could they be worn as some type of hair accessory? Could they be worn as a bracelet?