Featured Does this vintage coral necklace need restringing?

Got this sweet vintage coral necklace today! Since it costs me a lot, I start to worry about the string as it got some age, but upon closer inspection it looks fine - the beads are seemingly strung with double plastic thread, no sign of wear throughout. Do you think I should restring it for safety, or will it hold just fine?

 

How cute! And what a perfect length.

I usually look at how secure the knots near the clasps are. If it's the first plastic wire then the stringing is fairly recent and that stuff holds a good long time. I wouldn't restring.

 

Thank you! None of my other beads, be it vintage or deco, is strung with plastic so it might be a recent one

 

Give it a tug. If it stretches or snaps, you know what to do!

 

It feels really tight and the beads barely move, so I think it’s fine

 

Gorgeous necklace, shammie. It looks recent, but excellent quality.

Also your Art Deco beads are probably Mediterranean red coral, and these beads are Momo coral, from the Pacific near Japan and Taiwan.

Like Med red, Momo is also a precious coral, but it is more orangey than Med red and it can have occasional white spots called the 'soul' of the coral. A few of your beads have those spots. The soul spots aren't flaws, but a feature of Momo.

 

Thank you AJ yes it’s sold to me as momo coral, that’s reassuring to hear. Since we are so close to where momo is found, it’s relatively easier to import. Still, they are really expensive! Added to my wishlist for my next visit to Japan

 

Yes, they are. But very beautiful.

 

I think I might just leave it for now and once I got bigger beads, I will restring to upgrade it

 

The stringing looks new and fine for now. Old clear nylon tends to shrink. If an old necklace string looks "wavy", restring ASAP because the nylon will soon be shorter than the beads and will snap.

 

Thank you