Final questions about my dream bracelet. Need color help.

[lovedogs]

Hi all,
My almost 2 year journey collecting perfect pearls to make my mishmash dream bracelet is coming to an end. Finally!

I now have enough pearls to make 2 bracelets which will be able to connect and wear as a necklace, which is exciting.

I met virtually with Hisano Shapard of PP today to discuss, and they will drill + knot the pearls for me.

That said, I need to come up with a final layout and I am struggling. I feel like maybe I need 1-2 more deep golds? Or green? I don't know, but I'm just not sure it's the exact right order and color. Need experts like @yssie @NY_Resonant @MakingTheGrade !


The small pearls are my 3.5mm baby blues so I can see if it's long enough (I think not but with knotting and clasps it might be).

Pearls in the middle 2 trays are leftovers that can be added or not.


Please tell me if you'd switch the order/add colors/remove colors, etc.

the middle fat one, and the 2 on either side of it (from SoC, Moline, and katbran) aren't movable or negotiable haha, but others I'm open to rearranging and/or replacing.

 

[yssie]

So couple thoughts from me...

First, I think you're probably actually way closer to final length than you might think! Because those baroques, most of them are N/Z on the tray right now, but in reality they'll be E/W when strung. You might try turning them on the tray to see exactly how much more length you'll gain.

Second, for the ordering - you've got these photos for reference now so you can muck it all up as much as you want I do see that you've got them ordered to be symmetric on both sides. One of the challenges IMO is that whilst there's symmetry there's also asymmetry, and I wonder if that's what your eyes are picking up on - the symmetric asymmetry. Try dumping all the pearls aside from your center three into a cup and just pull them out randomly, see what sort of starting point that gives you? If you hate it you can always come back to this arrangement

My last thought - the lineup errs cooler, for sure. That bright gold is the exception. I agree a couple of gold keshi (maybe even some gold FW!) would "even" the colour balance up (I'm sure I butchered whatever the appropriate description is but you get me, I get you)

 

[yssie]

Oh! I forgot to say!! Hisano has a marvellous eye, what does she think?

And Pearl Paradise will take good care of your nacre babies - they're in the best hands for drilling and stringing!!

 

[lovedogs]

Oh! I forgot to say!! Hisano has a marvellous eye, what does she think?

And Pearl Paradise will take good care of your nacre babies - they're in the best hands for drilling and stringing!!

She agrees with both you and I that gold would help. She's going to see what they have that might work. Meanwhile I'm going to look at etsy to see if anyone has Keshi or baroque golds. Round gold pearls are $$ and I don't care about round anyway

 

[lovedogs]

Etsy makes stuff easy!

Bought these 2 south sea:





And this pair of FW. Hope the FW reads golden instead of mauve/pink. But they were pretty cheap so I'll just sell them or give them away if the color is wrong.

 

[yssie]

I saw that second GSS on Etsy earlier when I went trawling and had it saved to send you - you waste no time!!

And what a perfect way to use a slightly mismatched pair of FW!! I’m very interested to hear what you think of those when you see them!

 

[lovedogs]

I saw that second GSS on Etsy earlier when I went trawling and had it saved to send you - you waste no time!!

And what a perfect way to use a slightly mismatched pair of FW!! I’m very interested to hear what you think of those when you see them!

Lol the 2nd GSS immediately captured my eye, and the other one seems fairly deeply saturated too, which I love.

The FW were a total gamble. But for under $50 for the pair it feels very low risk haha.

Also I realized my entire layout needs to shift, because in my excitement to do a layout I forgot that the 2 bracelets will connect via the orbit clasps from PP (pic here)



Which means I need to think of the layout as 2 semi circles and make sure my favorite pearls won't be at the "ends" near either of the clasps. My attempt to draw how I need to lay it out here:



So now I need to figure out whether my "favorite 5" are all going on 1 bracelet so I can keep the look I have laid out above, or if I should change it.

 

[CMN]

@lovedogs I noticed that your front 5 are comprised of 3 out of 5 being white, whereas the rest of your strand is more random with colours. I would try swaping the white pearl second to the right in the photo (ie next to the gold) for another colour to see how it looks.

 

[yssie]

@lovedogs Question: Will the two bracelets be long enough for you to wear comfortably as a necklace? I ask because connecting two of my bracelets yields an uncomfortably tight (for me) choker.

I prefer to optimize for whatever form will be worn and enjoyed most. If you'll be wearing it as a bracelet most of the time then - whatever makes for the best bracelet gets my vote!

 

[lovedogs]

@lovedogs Question: Will the two bracelets be long enough for you to wear comfortably as a necklace? I ask because connecting two of my bracelets yields an uncomfortably tight (for me) choker.

I prefer to optimize for whatever form will be worn and enjoyed most. If you'll be wearing it as a bracelet most of the time then - whatever makes for the best bracelet gets my vote!

Yup, I need to figure that out. My 3.5mm pearl bracelet is 7.5 inches, and the shortest necklace that I like wearing is ~17 inches (I prefer 17-1. So unfortunately that means I'm 2-3 inches short and don't quite know how to fix that issue. I wrote hisano about it and am hoping she has a creative idea I haven't thought of. I'd really like to be able to use it as bracelets or necklace, but obviously if it won't work then I'll pivot.

 

[yssie]

What if you did three sets of clasps with some stunning charms so it looks deliberate? One 7” bracelet and then two 5” lengths with clasps between?

 

[lovedogs]

What if you did three sets of clasps with some stunning charms so it looks deliberate? One 7” bracelet and then two 5” lengths with clasps between?

Good ideas!

 

[lovedogs]

#Sorrynotsorry, but one of my favorite eBay pearl vendors was having a sale and I did a thing.

If I want to go in the 2 bracelt direction, I realized that I want to keep the WSS circles as the "center pieces" of 1 bracelet. But that means the other bracelet won't have any "center pieces", which I don't like. So I went looking for colorful circle pearls of a different color/type and found these. I think it'll be a cool "light/dark" if one bracelet features WSS circles and thw other features tahitian circles.


Biggest one for the center:








And smaller ones as center accents. Not sure I'll use the one on the far right in the first pic, and far left in the other pics (the other 2 are my favorites), but they came in this set of 3







Will be redoing the layout as 2 bracelets once I get these and the GSS I got.

 

[lovedogs]

I'm getting closer! I decided that I'll probably do a bracelet (7.5 inches) and then a "rope/connector" thingy that's about 10 inches. That way I can wear it as either a bracelet or attach them into a necklace.

Still waiting on my 4 more gold pearls, but the 3 tahitians came and I'm really liking the 2 separate bracelet/connector strands so far.

New pearls are marked w red lines in the 2nd pic.

Top is an existing bracelet for length purposes.

Middle will be the bracelet

Lowest will be the "connector strand"











Close up of middle


Close up of right side


Close up of left side

 

[ShinyPink]

Each pearl is so unique and stunning! I could spend hours staring at them!

 

[mayaINaU]

#Sorrynotsorry, but one of my favorite eBay pearl vendors was having a sale and I did a thing.

If I want to go in the 2 bracelt direction, I realized that I want to keep the WSS circles as the "center pieces" of 1 bracelet. But that means the other bracelet won't have any "center pieces", which I don't like. So I went looking for colorful circle pearls of a different color/type and found these. I think it'll be a cool "light/dark" if one bracelet features WSS circles and thw other features tahitian circles.


Biggest one for the center:








And smaller ones as center accents. Not sure I'll use the one on the far right in the first pic, and far left in the other pics (the other 2 are my favorites), but they came in this set of 3







Will be redoing the layout as 2 bracelets once I get these and the GSS I got.

Would you mind sharing the names of the eBay and Etsy vendors?

 

[yssie]

I am really liking your new layouts @lovedogs! The colours feel more balanced even without the extra golds - and this still gives you the flexibility on usage

 

[lovedogs]

Would you mind sharing the names of the eBay and Etsy vendors?

Willpearl for the golden ones on etsy (haven't gotten them yet but he was nice about answering questions).

Ehret design gallery on eBay for the tahitians (on etsy too but prices are better on eBay). I think some folks have had negative experiences with this vendor, but I've purchased multiple times and been happy.

 

[lovedogs]

I am really liking your new layouts @lovedogs! The colours feel more balanced even without the extra golds - and this still gives you the flexibility on usage

Thanks! I agree, the colors feel more balanced w the extra tahitians.

 

[yssie]

Have you decided on a clasp type yet? Or metal colour?

 

[lovedogs]

Have you decided on a clasp type yet? Or metal colour?

Pic of the clasp is in post #7 (from the pp website). I told hisano that I'm leaning towards white gold, but that if she sees the pearls and thinks yellow that I trust her eye 100%

 

[mayaINaU]

Willpearl for the golden ones on etsy (haven't gotten them yet but he was nice about answering questions).

Ehret design gallery on eBay for the tahitians (on etsy too but prices are better on eBay). I think some folks have had negative experiences with this vendor, but I've purchased multiple times and been happy.

Thanks, this layout is looking gorgeous. Looking forward to seeing your updates!

 

[Begonia]

Maybe an 18kt gold (if you can afford it?) clasp and 1 decorative 18kt bead thrown in? I'm spit ballin' here.

 

[yssie]

Pic of the clasp is in post #7 (from the pp website). I told hisano that I'm leaning towards white gold, but that if she sees the pearls and thinks yellow that I trust her eye 100%

Ah, orbit clasp, I missed that.

So the only thing about those IMO is to double check it works for you with a short strand that’s got lots of curvature (because wrist shape) - my understanding is that they’re rarely used for bracelets because they take up so much length and because they require one side rest perpendicular to the wrist. But they’re definitely elegant statement clasps! Could you maybe have one sent out to see in-person ahead of stringing?

 

[lovedogs]

Ah, orbit clasp, I missed that.

So the only thing about those IMO is to double check it works for you with a short strand that’s got lots of curvature (because wrist shape) - my understanding is that they’re rarely used for bracelets because they take up so much length and because they require one side rest perpendicular to the wrist. But they’re definitely elegant statement clasps! Could you maybe have one sent out to see in-person ahead of stringing?

Ooo thanks for the info! Hisano said the orbit would be best, but I'll definitely ask once they're back from their NYE brief break next week.

 

[Dreamer_D]

If you also buy a length of chain then you could attach the 10" one to it and wear it as a necklace at the same time as the bracelet... might work!

 

[Dreamer_D]

I'm the opposite of an expert here, but like Yssie, I'm not *loving* this clasp. Do you like it aesthetically? I have seen clasps that are like little gold balls that screw together and look like another pearl. Using something like that would be so elegant and I don't see why they couldn't work in this application?

 

[lovedogs]

FINALLY!!! It's ready to be shipped to PP.

Final layout





And bonus video:

https://imgur.com/a/n2AHK6x

 

[ShinyPink]

@lovedogs Are you taking orders for bracelets? I'd love one!

 

[lovedogs]

@lovedogs Are you taking orders for bracelets? I'd love one!

hahahaha if you let me spend your money and give me 2 years? HECK YES!