A Moline multicolour masterpiece

[MakingTheGrade]

Folks, I'm going down the figure out your color season rabbit hole!!! I want to know what I am but I need help lol! This should probably go into another thread @yssie But I thought this would give everyone a giggle
Your pearls looks stunning on you @yssie

You should start a new thread! We can help each other figure out our seasons and what color pearls look best on us! There’s so many more pearl colors than gold colors!

 

[yssie]

@Pinkmartini87 Thank you!!


@MrsBlue Thank you I really like that photo too, the overtones in both strands really are something else IRL


@oceanblue Than you! I’m really hoping to get out to a Mikimoto with a friend soon. It’s been years since I saw Miki pearls in person. I’m very curious about their Tahitians - from photos and descriptions online, Miki likes their Tahitian strands very very dark, very very well-matched, but not particularly colourful...

I’m not sure if Andrew is reading this thread still but I share the sentiment, he hit jackpot finding PS A forum full of people whose hobby is nitpicking nuances… Well, you win some, you lose some


Thank you @dk168 These two are my heart strands


@Mcgregor Thank you!! And he really does! I had a few people email me, and I should probably add here that he’ll source for various pieces at a variety of pricepoints. And occasionally the pricing is a happy surprise - in my case the second (better!) set of gem Tahitians was actually less per pearl than the “almost but not quite” first attempt

 

[SparklieBug]

Gaaaaaaah!!!!! The pearls! The pearls... Gorgeous, @yssie! I saw them on Andrew's IG feed and instantly knew they were yours—even though I didn't consciously know this. LOL!

Love, love, love your journey (and sharing it with us), especially the photos.

I check into the Pearls forum regularly, although it can lead to t.r.o.u.b.l.e. with yet more rogue pearl purchases.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Gaaaaaaah!!!!! The pearls! The pearls... Gorgeous, @yssie! I saw them on Andrew's IG feed and instantly knew they were yours—even though I didn't consciously know this. LOL!

Love, love, love your journey (and sharing it with us), especially the photos.

I check into the Pearls forum regularly, although it can lead to t.r.o.u.b.l.e. with yet more rogue pearl purchases.

Yaah to more rouge pearl purchases

 

[yssie]

@lissyflo Those six hundred photos gotta be good for something right?

In hindsight my descriptions of other pearls discussion venues might have veered a bit too far into Judgy McJudgeroo… But PS is still the bestest!


@MakingTheGrade ’S almost perfect. Just needs something small and white added in. I’m hoping the 6-6.5 gemmy akoyas that Pearl Paradise has for me will work. ‘Cause I don’t really want to buy yet more akoya. But if they don’t work, and I do need some smaller soap bubbles, well, then I need some smaller soap bubbles. You know what I mean.


@SparklieBug Thank you!!

Okay I’m so curious, what gives my pics away? Is it the tan background!? I’ve been using that same background for years and years - it’s a neutral that flatters all sorts of gems, and I really like how the texture shows up in pics, and it’s a super absorbent material so no weird reflections… I feel like this will probably bulldoze any intrigue but I’ve always been a big fan of Costco notebooks - for maybe unusual reasons



Rogue pearl purchases. If intent wasn't present is good enough for our legal system then surely it’s reasonable justification for unanticipated pearl needs?

 

[SparklieBug]

@SparklieBug Thank you!!

Okay I’m so curious, what gives my pics away? Is it the tan background!? I’ve been using that same background for years and years - it’s a neutral that flatters all sorts of gems, and I really like how the texture shows up in pics, and it’s a super absorbent material so no weird reflections… I feel like this will probably bulldoze any intrigue but I’ve always been a big fan of Costco notebooks - for maybe unusual reasons

LOL! Nope, not the background or lighting, but the actual pearls themselves! Just the ethereal and perfect look of them—lustre, color, dreaminess... I'll stop there before I get carried away.

Rogue pearl purchases. If intent wasn't present is good enough for our legal system then surely it’s reasonable justification for unanticipated pearl needs?

Oooh, I like this! Wel-l-l-ll, the intent definitely wasn't present to start with, but then one thing led to another and my credit card was whipped out and plunked down faster than than one can say, "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" and lo, it was done. I will eventually start a thread with the confessions...

 

[yssie]

@bling_dream19, @Begonia You’re both such sweethearts, thank you so much

The PS threads... I always just wait until I’m in The Right Mood, and then when I am - they kind of write themselves. My job is fixing all the typos within the edit window And they’re pretty predictably wayyyyy longer than intended so it’s always a mix of cheery surprise - and, um, cheery glee? - when folks read all the way through

This project was a stressfest. As far as jewellery projects go. It was worth it, I can say that without hesitation, but I'm definitely not looking to try any more complicated custom projects anytime soon... I really do think I created a lot of needless worry for myself. The drilling angst is a good example - that whole process is a black box to most customers, just not something they would think to concern themselves with, so why did I decide to make it my problem?

Sorting through pearls was tons of fun I wouldn’t ever want to do it full-time but for this one project the novelty persevered Here’s one of my million sorting pics - holy grail and gateway pair up front, the lot on the far right end is the “almost but not quite” from Andrew, middle two sets are some of the greenies and blues from Pearl Paradise, my old Pearl Paradise bracelet pearls loose on the left



@bling_dream19 Ditto @Daisys and Diamonds - you should start a palette thread! It’d be fun!! I’m guessing a lot of people would play but most of them will probably miss our chatting in the last page of a random Tahitian thread

 

[MakingTheGrade]

@yssie
Oooo. I think you’d love tiny akoya for stacking. I might try stacking with the small akoya keshi I have coming just to add some textual variety to things.

 

[yssie]

LOL! Nope, not the background or lighting, but the actual pearls themselves! Just the ethereal and perfect look of them—lustre, color, dreaminess... I'll stop there before I get carried away.


Oooh, I like this! Wel-l-l-ll, the intent definitely wasn't present to start with, but then one thing led to another and my credit card was whipped out and plunked down faster than than one can say, "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" and lo, it was done. I will eventually start a thread with the confessions...

The pearls are listening - and if their egos are stroked and their heads do swell to say 13, 14, 15mm - I'd be a-okay with that

I look forward to the confessional And your PS friends will be more than happy to help you right your path with appropriate penance... No worries at all... Really, no worries at all...

 

[molinePDG]

I really do think I created a lot of needless worry for myself. The drilling angst is a good example - that whole process is a black box to most customers, just not something they would think to concern themselves with, so why did I decide to make it my problem?

Because like the good PriceScoper you are, you demand to know too much about everything. It's a blessing and a curse.

OK, carry on....

 

[yssie]

 

[icy_jade]

Based on these palettes I’m closest to a Dark Autumn. Basically opposite from you. I have darker skin but I’m very very not-saturatedly coloured... Everyone always says dark-skinned women should wear jewel tones, but blue-tinted colours and almost all brights wash me out. Other than the lighter yellows and greens and the true blues his palette is pretty dead on for me I think, warm and earthy. Blue akoya - I don’t know why I chase blue akoya the way I do, they honestly don’t flatter me at all and I know it

Totally understand actually. It’s like why I look cr*p in GSSPs and yet have a strand and matching earrings and a pendant

Your palette is totally different indeed! I find it hard to be a winter cos i’m not the sort that likes to be the brightest clothed person in the room but what to do when the muted colors make me look terrible? And looking at my colored gemstones collection, I feel like maybe that’s why I have so few pastel stones? Anyway that explains why I love wearing black

Your peacocks are a delight Those overtones are terrifically vivid - and almost all the pearls show a full rainbow, that's so special

Yeah, they are lovely even just to look at. Maybe I’ll put them on my work desk to admire but right now there is already an abalone shell on the desk and it basically puts all the pearls to shame *laughcry*

 

[icy_jade]

Folks, I'm going down the figure out your color season rabbit hole!!! I want to know what I am but I need help lol! This should probably go into another thread @yssie But I thought this would give everyone a giggle
Your pearls looks stunning on you @yssie

Actually it could be very helpful, especially for those who buy online. I buy most of my pearls in person and I’ve always thought it must be really hard to buy online when even the shade of white matters to whether the strand will flatter your skin or make you look sallow.

 

[Slickk]

O. M. G. I may need some pearls now!! What a delicious thread and so informative and interesting!

Thank you for sharing @yssie Your jewelry collection is truly sublime. Every piece you own looks exquisite on you! You wear them so well!

 

[yssie]

Totally understand actually. It’s like why I look cr*p in GSSPs and yet have a strand and matching earrings and a pendant

Your palette is totally different indeed! I find it hard to be a winter cos i’m not the sort that likes to be the brightest clothed person in the room but what to do when the muted colors make me look terrible? And looking at my colored gemstones collection, I feel like maybe that’s why I have so few pastel stones? Anyway that explains why I love wearing black



Yeah, they are lovely even just to look at. Maybe I’ll put them on my work desk to admire but right now there is already an abalone shell on the desk and it basically puts all the pearls to shame *laughcry*

I put my sparklies on the desk when I'm working too.
Easy way to admire them with no risk of damage - no way they're going to accidentally smack or drop or fling themselves!

I wear a lot of beige. I prefer a rich brown to black - black is harsh on me unless I'm pretty heavy-handed with the makeup. My colouring is just so oddly muted, despite being darker-skinned! @bling_dream19 we really need that thread!

 

[yssie]

O. M. G. I may need some pearls now!! What a delicious thread and so informative and interesting!

Thank you for sharing @yssie Your jewelry collection is truly sublime. Every piece you own looks exquisite on you! You wear them so well!

Thank you so much!! That's really kind of you
And welcome to the pearl way, may your limbs be well-adorned and your wallet not-too-much-thinner
Although, as a friend pointed out, if you judge by face-up size - compared to diamonds pearls are bargain bin gemstones

 

[icy_jade]

I put my sparklies on the desk when I'm working too.
Easy way to admire them with no risk of damage - no way they're going to accidentally smack or drop or fling themselves!

I started doing that cos I’ve been WFH for the past year and have no opportunity to wear most of my pretties. I actually dropped something before when I suddenly whipped up some papers. Thankfully no damage but now I put my eye candies where there is no chance of accidentally dropping them

 

[yssie]

In NZ we called those paua shells - @Daisys and Diamonds would know about those too

I have so much paua in silver - stuff. Maybe like your necklace or bracelet at the bottom there? Jewellery, cutlery (which is completely impractical), my parents had a game table that had a paua shell mosiac. My violin bow has paua insert in the frog

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Totally understand actually. It’s like why I look cr*p in GSSPs and yet have a strand and matching earrings and a pendant

Your palette is totally different indeed! I find it hard to be a winter cos i’m not the sort that likes to be the brightest clothed person in the room but what to do when the muted colors make me look terrible? And looking at my colored gemstones collection, I feel like maybe that’s why I have so few pastel stones? Anyway that explains why I love wearing black



Yeah, they are lovely even just to look at. Maybe I’ll put them on my work desk to admire but right now there is already an abalone shell on the desk and it basically puts all the pearls to shame *laughcry*

In NZ we called those paua shells - @Daisys and Diamonds would know about those too

I have so much paua in silver - stuff. Maybe like your necklace or bracelet at the bottom there? Jewellery, cutlery (which is completely impractical), my parents had a game table that had a paua shell mosiac. My violin bow has paua insert in the frog

Im not sure what part is the fog but id love to see

i want a paua pearl one day but they are hideously exspensive and even the most exspensive ones are marketed toward the tourist and usually look kinda tacky to me

The prettiest paua shell non jewlery i ever saw was as tiles in a bathroom

There is a paua shell factory shop on the way between Wellington and the Wiarapa
Gary would never ever stop
Ive seen some quite tasteful glass placemats with paua inlay ive had by eye on

My other half gets very worked up if he ever sees mini paua shells or cocktail paua on a menu as in the wild they are undersize
Also divers must free dive to get pauas

Of course paua pearls are a farmed product

 

[icy_jade]

In NZ we called those paua shells - @Daisys and Diamonds would know about those too

I have so much paua in silver - stuff. Maybe like your necklace or bracelet at the bottom there? Jewellery, cutlery (which is completely impractical), my parents had a game table that had a paua shell mosiac. My violin bow has paua insert in the frog

Oh, pics pls. I just like how vibrant the colors are. I’ll love to have a jewelry box made of paua shell like this:

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fromnz.co.nz

Bottom is an off round Tahitian strand

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I have a paua shell in the garden somewhere near the backdoor
i hope it wasn't the crunching i heard under foot the other day
Mind you they are a dime a dozen not that we have the right kind of coast line for them here

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Oh, pics pls. I just like how vibrant the colors are. I’ll love to have a jewelry box made of paua shell like this:

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fromnz.co.nz

Bottom is an off round Tahitian strand

Those colours are sublime

 

[icy_jade]

Mind you they are a dime a dozen

But the touristy stuff are so expensive!!! Ok next time if I can travel to NZ again am going to ask for recs on where to buy affordable paua shell stuff before I go.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

But the touristy stuff are so expensive!!! Ok next time if I can travel to NZ again am going to ask for recs on where to buy affordable paua shell stuff before I go.

I'll remind you
But defiantly not from shops or tourist attraction gift shops in the likes of Auckland, Rotorua or Queenstown

I do like that jewlery box but the colour should be brighter

 

[yssie]

If there's a "classic Tahitian" colour this is it, right? I want to put those on a bright red thread - or bright red bumpers - for Christmas

 

[Snowdrop13]

Actually it could be very helpful, especially for those who buy online. I buy most of my pearls in person and I’ve always thought it must be really hard to buy online when even the shade of white matters to whether the strand will flatter your skin or make you look sallow.

It totally would! Possibly save a lot of purchasing errors. I’m a “warm spring”, tried to buy Tahitian Pearl earrings, ended up with steel ball dark grey pearls on white gold which did not suit me at all! I love the idea of having some but I really don’t think Tahitians are for me. it was an expensive way to find out!

 

[737liz]

It totally would! Possibly save a lot of purchasing errors. I’m a “warm spring”, tried to buy Tahitian Pearl earrings, ended up with steel ball dark grey pearls on white gold which did not suit me at all! I love the idea of having some but I really don’t think Tahitians are for me. it was an expensive way to find out!

Tahitians come in all colors so the ARE for you, but maybe you want the lighter body ones. I have been searching for oatmeal/milky coffee colored Tahitian studs because despite looking boring and drab compared to dark body peacocks, they make my skin look really good!

 

[Snowdrop13]

Tahitians come in all colors so the ARE for you, but maybe you want the lighter body ones. I have been searching for oatmeal/milky coffee colored Tahitian studs because despite looking boring and drab compared to dark body peacocks, they make my skin look really good!

Maybe! I have looked at the Fiji pearls which have some lovely greeny golds and other colours. They’re just so hard to get hold of, though. I’ll definitely be buying in person, next time!

 

[yssie]

Well, over a month later, finally getting around to posting some comparison pictures

I've got two multicolour round Tahitian strands on hand right now. One in "warm" tones (greens and pinks) with fourteen pearls from Andrew and one pearl from Pearl Paradise. The other in "cool" tones (blues, purples, silvers) with fourteen pearls from Pearl Paradise and one pearl from Andrew. The "warm" bracelet has a YG clasp and the "cool" has WG. The cool strand will be staying in my family

Pricing reference. Maybe one day pearl grading will be standardized!! Until then - cool strand ~5k, warm strand ~30k. Earlier in this thread I called the cool strand "80% as awesome" as the warm; it's been several weeks and that description still feels appropriate.

In the lightbox:

 

[yssie]

Office fluorescents.

This lighting favours the warm colours, I think - the cooler bracelet looks more subdued than it does in other lighting environments. This lighting does show luster off very nicely though! The warmer strand is on the right in these photos. It wins on contrastiness - I put that down to superior luster, smoother skin, and darker body tone.



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Spotlights in a grid pattern highlight both just how lustrous both strands really are. The grid is pin sharp in almost all pearls in the warm strand - the cool strand has more luster variance.



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