Featured Two necklace mysteries- can you tell what these materials are?

Oh, no! Did you find them all?

 

Sweeeet! Venetian, right?

 

Yep!

 

I would have crawled through fire for those Venetian beads. I usually don't see rhinestone rondelles on original Venetian beading, I thought the rebeader added them. She did a nice job.

I have never had wire chain break on me, but I can't tell you how many times I have had old thread give out. I remember picking up a rainbow/iris glass double strand faceted necklace, only $25 in my antique mall, and the string gave out. They glared at me, but it wasn't my fault the string was dry rotted and couldn't hold the beads. I played 52 pickup then because I was getting every single one of those beads they don't produce anymore. I picked up an old mother of pearl strand, very heavy, should have bought it, and the string broke. The seller was understanding.

I went to Wal-mart to get Simichrome, but the guy was too busy playing on his cell phone to help me except to say he never heard of it. I looked all over, gave up, and ordered it from Amazon Prime. I will keep you posted.

 

Yeah, I don't know who did the "original" stringing.

But I think they used up ALL their supplies.

 

What is it strung on now? I don't often like wedding cake beads, but the muted colors of these are eye pleasing. Eclectic is the word you're looking for.

 

Some kind of very fine twisted cable wire coated in plastic.

Or that's my best recollection (they were re-strung 30+years ago) and after looking without my magnifying glasses.

I think these are the only fiorato I ever bought. Of course, when you have this many in one piece, why would you need more?

And yes, I refuse to call them "wedding cake beads" -- I don't know where that name came from and I hate it. There is no rationale behind my hatred and I'm usually loosey-goosey with new names/changing language/non-traditional.

But not on this one.

 

That coated wire is a standard beading material if you want strength & aren't going to knot. A quick & easy way to string. I have always assumed 'wedding cake' for the look of fancy icing.

 

I assume so, too. And romance.

To me, they're more "birthday cake" than "wedding cake"...

I think "wedding cake" feels like marketing to me.

 

Suppose what you perceive is influenced by the cakeways of your culture.

 

Fair enough.

Still can't make me say it.

 

I never knew the original name. I'd have knotted the beads onto waxed linen, the way they should have been done in the first place. I have a hunch those were strung in the States; no Venetian worth his salt would have just strung them on cotton. They'd have been knotted.

 

They were never strung on cotton, they were on a very lovely and very delicate chain.

So, should not have been a huge surprise when it broke.

I don't know where it was strung, but small bead as separator (as opposed to knots) was not uncommon.

I have wondered about the hand-faceted beads -- on any other necklace, I would have guessed Czech.

But the fiorato/i(?) are textbook Venetian (for the period -- which I think is late 1950s/early 60s).

For all I know, could be beads with a mix of origins and strung in Rivendell.

 

The latter is my best guess. I've redone some of those Venetian necklaces when the original cording has gotten damaged. A lot of the flower beads were probably exported as was and restrung however. I'm not fond of "however". The twisted wire cording is a little stiff but doesn't go anywhere.

 

@Marko did the beads test as Bakelite?

 

Or maybe faturan, eh?

 

Faturan, another one of the forum's rabbit holes. Ok, I'll bite. Does it smell of incense?

 

Welcome @namik tamer .