Inherited pearl necklace ruined by repairers

[WhyCantPeopleBeNice]

I inherited a pearl necklace from my grandmother.
It needed to be repaired as the clasp wasn't attached. I took it to a jewellers who sent it off for repair. It's come back and I am really upset with what they have done. It's been strung so tightly it no longer fits in the original box, doesn't even hang straight and is now an extremely tight chocker.
My husband collected today and I'm so upset, I've called the jewellers who were dismissive told me I have the wrong original box, I explained it isn't because I have the matching earrings.
That these things are always done tight and I need to wear it to soften the silk it's been threaded with.
I've told her I totally disagree, they've destroyed my Nana's necklace and it needs to be redone. She said they'll request it's done loser but it will never fit the box it did when I gave it to them.
I cannot express how snotty she was, telling me I am wrong and they've done it right.
Please look at these pictures, has anyone had similar?
One picture is me holding it from the top so you can see how it curls because it's been done so tight
The other is in the original box so you can see how much has been lost.

Is this to be expected? Are my expectations unrealistic?

Trying to get a close up, not easy!

I would expect it to be a bit tighter and stiffer than before, but that looks like an utterly crap job. There is no way it should hang the way it does in your first picture, it should be flexible!
If it’s too tight to wear comfortably it’s never going to get better.

I have a pearl necklace my husband bought brand new and it was never that tight. I have had it about 14 years and not noticed a significant loosening of the silk so the difference over time will be negligible - not a huge tightening to loosening! They are definitely having you on!

Exactly my question - also any chance any were missing before you took it in?

It should be knotted between every single pearl - that is a very shoddy job.

The price of £75 isn't unreasonable but for that it should be done properly.

Im so sorry that you’re going through this whilst you are still in mourning. I hope advice on here will be helpful to you.

I’m a big lover and wearer of pearls.
Ive got lots of strings in different lengths with beautiful clasps etc.

I’ve recently had a double string with a diamond clasp restrung and made into an opera length necklace so you could say I have experience!

The silk will, with wear, soften and the length will definitely stretch a tiny bit. This will alleviate the kinks but only if you wear them regularly. (I can see they have been knotted individually.)

It might be that your Nan wore them a lot and you hadn’t realised quite how much they’d loosened and stretched? However, the box is quite telling about the original length. I’d wager some pearls have gone missing which is why I count and photograph my strings prior to restringing but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Yours have been strung far too tight so take it back and ask for a refund so you can go elsewhere, or, tell them to use a different stringer next time.

Go into the shop with confidence and be absolutely certain about what you want the outcome to be. Go early in the day if you can, when minds are fresh. You could do a belt and braces and ring in advance to make sure the decision maker is at work.

Don’t be brow beaten. Offer them a choice, refund or re-do. Any decent jeweller with integrity will sort this out. IF it’s a jewellery chain, Google the head office and write to the CEO if you are not satisfied. Send pics. I’ve done that in the past and got something sorted out. Leave no stone unturned.

Good luck OP.

@Dogdilemma2000 when I took it in the clasp only was missing one end, it sat round the box inlay with pearls all the way around, and the chain part l, set a few pearls in was intact but there was looseness. The pearls are perfectly graduated in size, small close to the clasp and slowly getting bigger. I do not recall any that seemed uneven as they got bigger/smaller - so I don't believe any were missing but certainly can't prove it and wouldn't say they've lost pearls.

From the people on this thread I'm thinking it should be knotted every pearl, not every 5th so perhaps that, plus not knotting so tightly might do the trick?
It's so difficult to assert something is wrong when it's something you are unfamiliar with but the comments here are suggesting I am not wrong and I am right to insist it's redone.

I know under consumer rights they need the opportunity to rectify before I demand a refund and take elsewhere so I guess it comes down to her attitude when I go in on Monday because she was awful on the phone - it's ridiculously precious because of it's Provence, I've seen similar on eBay for £20!!! So I know it isn't valuable to them, but to me it's everything

Need photo before and to have counted the pearls...

Im back again OP.

Here you go; my receipt for a double strand made into a single opera length knotted as they should be between every single pearl. Mine look stunning. No kinks. Every pearl returned to me.
See attached pic. Not expensive given the work involved.

I'd get a refund and take it elsewhere. Don't trust people who did a bad job once to do a good job the second time.

YANBU.They haven’t repaired it, they’ve ruined it 😳

I have inherited pearl necklaces and have had them re-strung over the years.

Some questions/points:
The jeweller should always count the pearls when they take the necklace from you so you know you get the same number back.
I always have mine individually knotted so if they snapped only one ever goes rolling off somewhere. This also affects the length of the string. Is it possible yours was individually knotted before and hasn't been?
They should be quite tightly strung because as you wear them the oils in your skin relax the thread and it gives. The stringing 'settles' as lengthens. If they are not tightly strung you end up with saggy stringing. However, this does look a bit too tight but I think you might be surprised after wearing them a few times at how much they 'settle'.

Are you sure that is your necklace and they just didn't put something else in it's place ? Or removed pearls?

They haven't knotted it properly. Don't panic- get your money back and go somewhere else. It's not ruined forever, just badly restrung.

I think the pearls will settle with wear.

Just seen they are knotted after every 5 pearls. I have never seen that before but it may be a way of doing it- the problem is it is causing very strange 'kinks' at the end of each block of pearls because the knots are holding the blocks of 5 together.

Was this style of stringing discussed with you?

I would always go for individual knotting.

They definitely will 'settle' with wearing but not sure how that style of stringing will affect that. Individual knotting means they remain consistently spaced, but you could end up with 'gaps' at the knots with this style.

Real pearls are worth more than £20!

I'd say that the jeweller didn't ask the specific questions you should ask before sending them off to the stringers. I worked part time in a jewellery shop for years, and all of our jobs like that went to the jewellery quarter to a very good firm.
They are supposed to be the experts, not you.
If you're not happy I'd suggest small claims court.

Really sorry for the loss of your grandma. I recently lost my gran and I have inherited my grans ring and would have been devastated if something happened whilst it was being repaired, these things are irreplaceable.

I cant help with pearls (they are beautiful btw) but was wondering if you contacted someone like this seller on Vinted as they and some others seem to specialise in selling vintage jewellery and have lots of lotus pearls, possibly could give u some info on pearl numbers and advice on what to say to jeweller. Also photos of similar maybe for comparison.
Best of luck, I really hope you manage to get it sorted.

@WhyCantPeopleBeNice I've several strings of pearls and whenever they go for restringing the jeweller counts the pearls in front of me and writes the number on the receipt. I'm always asked if I want them knotted or not. When they are returned, there is a small visible knot between each pearl.
As others have said that looks a very amateur job! I hope you get a full refund.

I thought the same 😔

You have to be careful when using a jeweller .Often they will trade on a "small family business " which for some is true ,sadly not all though! I would see if you can take it to a better jeweller (make scrupulus checks ) Our niece bought from a "reputable" jeweller only to discover her engagement ring was base metal! About 2k some time ago!

They are, yes, but OP said later that they're Lotus pearls which will be either artificial or cultured pearls at best

It doesn't make them any less pretty, but surely it's less likely a jeweller would want to pinch them?

What a shame! Take the box when you are a little less upset. Explain the situation and get them to rectify it or maybe go somewhere else for a second go/opinion?
No need for rudeness from them either. Give them a review on Trustpilot xx

So it is right that once you've had the pearls restrung they will be tighter than when you give them in to be done, and the necklace a little shorter and you have to wear them for a few weeks to soften the silk up a bit. That's because as you wear them, the silk stretches and softens - so after a few years the necklace is longer than when you buy it.

However, they shouldn't be so tight that they don't fit the original box, I would take them back.