A client has brought a beautiful handmade 14ky & diamond necklace to
me that is not laying flat when she wears it. The centre of the
necklace is a one carat diamond prong set attached to an outer circle
that looks like a bezel. On the outer circle. From the outer circle
the necklace has a centre “spine” with “fish bones” attached to the
spine. Their are 2 other diamonds further along on each side. Then
the necklace is a flat woven gold chain to the back where the clasp
is. Where the “spine” attaches to the centre circle they move or
articulate. When the client wears the necklace it falls forward so
that you cannot see the centre diamond. I wonder if anyone can figure
out what I’m talking about or whether you have had this problem on
any other piece. I hate to fix it to find out that someone elsehad
addressed this problem in a different way than I might. I have
pictures I can send if you think you can help.
A photo would be a big help. From your description (“it falls
forward”), it sounds like the pendant’s bail is too near, and
behind, the center of gravity (CG) of the pendant. Probably the CG
extends further away from the wearer’s flesh than the bail-to-chain
contact point. Depending on the way it’s made, you might be able to
bend an extended bail a little forward to bring the CG in line with
the hang line. (A much easier concept to draw than to describe with
words.)
Try this - take the pendant off the chain. Insert a thin rod (maybe
a pick or skinny mandrel) into the bail, and see how the pendant
tilts on that one contact point. This will give you an idea about the
distribution of mass in relation to the contact point. The design of
the bail is going to drive the repair, I think.
When I was doing a lot of jewelry repairs, there were times I had to
just cut off a fixed bail and reconstruct it. With that experience,
I test every piece that’s going to hang, and evaluate this carefully.
I don’t care how lovely the design is, if the piece doesn’t hang
right, it means I still have a lot more work to do, and a re-design
is in order.
Send me a photo and I can give a better suggestion.
When the client wears the necklace it falls forward so that you
cannot see the centre diamond.
Ann-Marie, someone asked me this very question once about a very
expensive tennis necklace. It started at the neck and by the time
you reached the center the diamonds weren’t just angled, they were
looking at the ground.
It was because, even though it was beautifully done, it was made
with bracelet links instead of necklace links. There was no fixing
it, it was just a bad piece. Bracelet links are hinged so that they
wrap around a circle that is oriented on the wrist (hard to
describe, but easy to visualize). Necklace links are jumprings so
that they are oriented on the other axis - around the neck.
Sometimes up at the neck it will be hinged, and then change to
jumprings after a few inches.
That’s just a principle - there are many variations. Look at your
necklace and see if some form of hard linkage is forcing the center
pendant to hang downwards. If so, then that needs to be changed, if
possible.
The other possibility is center of gravity. The pendant needs to be
hungas near to the girdle of the diamond as possible. If the links
are on the back of the pendant (a common mistake), then it will tilt
forward always. Even if the diamond is more raised, it still should
be hung from the edge of your bezel-like trim. I’m delivering a pair
of ruby earrings with that very problem today. Someone had just
looped a jumpring through the undergallery of a basket setting, and
it tilted forward. Raising the linkage - in this case even ABOVE the
girdle - fixed it instantly.