Do you have a string of pearls that you love for sentimental reasons but never wear? Do you think your pearls are old fashioned? Rachel and Ivri Amar, owners of Velvet Box Jewels inside Solene Boutique, 1438 Queen Anne Road, Teaneck, can take your long-forgotten strand of pearls and turn it into the centerpiece of your jewelry collection. On a recent visit to Velvet Box, I was shown different ways that a plain pearl necklace can be revamped into a stunning piece of jewelry, and had the opportunity to sit down with Rachel and Ivri to discuss their craft.

What can you do to an older string of pearls to make it look new?

People who have pearls sitting in their drawers for 10, 20 years, maybe inherited from their grandmother, are now bringing them to us. There are three steps in the process: We’re restringing them. Then we decide on your clasp (closure), which is usually worn in the front. You can wear the necklace with only a clasp or you can add different kinds of charms. We’re doing all sorts of fun and interesting white gold, rose gold or yellow gold charms.

Why put charms on a pearl necklace?

Charms are fun and can add color or dimension to a pearl strand and really elevate the whole look. Whether you like a big and bold look, or a more dainty piece, there are many ways to style charms.

What kinds of clasps and charms go on a pearl necklace?

After we decide on the length of your necklace, we decide how big a clasp you need. Depending on the look we are going for we can choose anything from a small/round gold clasp, to a large statement clasp. We love using these in yellow gold for a bold and unique look. We have diamond clasps in several styles and options. We also have unique and interesting shapes, like a heart shaped clasp with a diamond lock. You open it and can hang charms you like off it. The clasp is very pretty and makes the piece current.

Can this necklace be worn with others?

It can be worn by itself or it can be worn layered with other things like a small diamond tennis necklace or a gold chain of a different size and proportion. It’s a game of layering and styling.

Our customers are wearing pearls again because these revamps make them look like a totally new piece of jewelry.

Can a pearl necklace be redesigned into earrings or a bracelet?

Yes, we’ve made awesome cluster pearl earrings. Another interesting thing we’ve done is split a set of pearls to make a half pearl half chain bracelet and/or necklace. We have beautiful Italian chains to choose from. Half the bracelet will be pearl and half will be gold. We have jumbo size and small, dainty chains. It depends on your taste. Something really special that we’ve done for customers who have very long strands of pearls or many strands of pearls is splitting the strands up and keeping one for themselves and one for a daughter, sister or family member. It’s a really special way to take something sentimental that hasn’t been used and give it life again.

How do I know if my old jewelry has potential?

Bring it in and we’ll help you figure it out! We’re all about styling. People think the jewelry they inherited from a grandmother or mother is dated and not worth more than its weight in gold but they could not be more wrong. Cleaning and polishing a piece of jewelry, wearing it in a different way, pairing it with something new or making a small alteration can make an enormous difference.

A customer came in last week with jewelry she inherited from her grandmother. We took one of the pieces apart, cleaned and polished it, and put it on our favorite gold chain. The finished product was incredible and looked like a brand new piece that would have cost thousands of dollars. Bring your jewelry in and we’ll see what we can do.

Do you work with all kinds of jewelry?

We work only with fine jewelry. Everything is 14k or 18k gold, diamonds and other precious and semi-precious stones.

Do you do the work here?

We do the styling here and while some of the work is done here, most is done by a jeweler who we trust and is very talented. We’re very happy with his work. The turnaround time is anywhere from a few days to a week or two, depending on the scope of work.

Can you give me a price before I make a decision?

We often know what things will cost ahead of time. Sometimes, if we have to source stones or different components that need to be purchased, we will price those out and come back with an estimate before anything is done. The customer then decides whether to proceed or not.

Does Velvet Box Jewels also have jewelry for special occasions and gifts?

Yes, we have jewelry for bat mitzvahs, graduation, bridal, yichud rooms gifts and more. We just launched a Velvet Box Registry in store and online. Bat mitzvah girls come in regularly and choose what they love. It makes the gifting process such a breeze for friends and family.

Prices start at about $70 and go into the thousands. One of our favorites is a 14k bracelet with different semi-precious stones that starts at $150.

We have beautiful jewelry for toddlers and newborns, including bracelets and screwback earrings.

For adults, we have everything from fun and affordable layering rings, bracelets and necklaces, to tennis necklaces and statement diamond jewelry. We do custom bridal jewelry such as eternity bands and engagement rings. You can come in with an engagement ring to reset, or bring a ring you inherited to redesign.

Do you also do repairs or resizing without design changes?

We do all jewelry repairs, cleaning and resizing. Bring in your bracelet or necklace that’s too long or too short and we’ll make it fit!

For more information, call (201) 530-7402 or visit www.velvetboxnj.com

By Bracha Schwartz