Smart PS colored-stone and jewelry experts -- I need your help and good taste!
My sister inherited this lovely 18K YG bracelet -- it has V-shaped links and is florentined on the outside. It was purchased (and made?) in Istanbul c1960 or so. It's 6 1/2 in long (usable length) and ~ 3/4 in wide and it's pretty substantial. It's made to be worn fairly snug and sister needs to add ~ 1 in of length. I initially wanted to add an extender but after looking at the very complicated clasp -- tongue and receiver plus two safety clasps -- I think the best bet is to keep the clasp mechanism intact and (eek) split the bracelet and create a focal point in the center with a bezel-set colored stone. (We have some extra material [bottom picture] from when it was originally sized down -- but there's no easy way to add that back and it's still not enough length.)
The only 3/4-inch (18 mm) colored stone either of us can afford (!) is a tourmaline and she loves blue-green. So I was thinking of something like this:
I'm not sure how to get an inch of real estate out of this -- I guess a halo or something. A wider tourmaline would be too "deep," probably (and too spendy).
I just think a columnar-looking blue-green tourmaline would look so cool on that bracelet.
Opinions on: 1) how that might look; 2) how to stretch my "concept" to add an inch of length; 3) other things to add an inch while creating a blue-green stone as the focal point of the bracelet...or any thing else you can think of!
The work will obviously cost more than the bracelet is worth -- but it has an amazing amount of sentimental value and I'd love for my sister to be able to wear it.
Thank you!
My sister inherited this lovely 18K YG bracelet -- it has V-shaped links and is florentined on the outside. It was purchased (and made?) in Istanbul c1960 or so. It's 6 1/2 in long (usable length) and ~ 3/4 in wide and it's pretty substantial. It's made to be worn fairly snug and sister needs to add ~ 1 in of length. I initially wanted to add an extender but after looking at the very complicated clasp -- tongue and receiver plus two safety clasps -- I think the best bet is to keep the clasp mechanism intact and (eek) split the bracelet and create a focal point in the center with a bezel-set colored stone. (We have some extra material [bottom picture] from when it was originally sized down -- but there's no easy way to add that back and it's still not enough length.)
The only 3/4-inch (18 mm) colored stone either of us can afford (!) is a tourmaline and she loves blue-green. So I was thinking of something like this:
I'm not sure how to get an inch of real estate out of this -- I guess a halo or something. A wider tourmaline would be too "deep," probably (and too spendy).
I just think a columnar-looking blue-green tourmaline would look so cool on that bracelet.
Opinions on: 1) how that might look; 2) how to stretch my "concept" to add an inch of length; 3) other things to add an inch while creating a blue-green stone as the focal point of the bracelet...or any thing else you can think of!
The work will obviously cost more than the bracelet is worth -- but it has an amazing amount of sentimental value and I'd love for my sister to be able to wear it.
Thank you!
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