Jeweler won't let me find my own pearls for custom earrings?

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I think that is what I will do.

The ONLY reason I was hesitant, is that I am getting unplated WG. I LOVE the soft warm white color.

I know it is silly, but I am suuuuper sensitive to slight differences in color. I wanted the alloy of the gold for the dangles and earrings to match.

But, I want the style of hoops which I think are very unusual and lovely, and then also the pearls I want...both of which, I want more than tiny bits of metal in the dangles to be precisely the same alloy.

I am....neurotic.

Just for fun...these are the 13mm oval hoops!

Lots of people are colour sensitive, and its your hard earned money
you get what you will be happy with long term

 

[katbran]

Sounds like it's all sorted out. I can understand their reluctance to order the pearls themselves. It's very hard , even for jewellers , to judge the depth of colour on pearls from a photo. Blue Akoya can be especially difficult as they can look quite blue but in real life be more silver. With you supplying them it removes their risk.

Before you buy the pearls, ask for several photos in different light and showing all sides.

I love the hoops !

 

[Cerulean]

I actually went for a bluish / white / multi color pair of baroque Akoyas. They had the luster I was after, are a smidge bigger than I initially hoped for (9mm) but they also had the slight "drop" shape I so badly wanted - so all things considered, I got very close to hitting my very specific criteria.

I kept looking at blue Akoyas, and found exactly what you described - many fell flat to silver in multiple lighting scenarios and I wanted something with a bit of "rainbow" - the vendor I bought from had other, more blue Akoyas with gorgeous color that would've fit the bill, but when I saw the strange color mix of these I fell in love! I love the range of whites, blues, silvers, greens and pinks!

I know these are hardly everyone's dream pearls - but there's something for everyone

They are pair "D" and the middle pair in the other photos

 

[Pearlescence]

For some reason blue seems to be disappearing from akoya and south sea pearls. The colour is serendipitous anyway. Last time I was in Hong Kong I couldn't find any and there were only paler blues through the whole harvest when I worked on an akoya farm.
Blue is elusive at the best of times and whatever causes it seems to be absent at the moment. At least the really dark blues of around five years ago

 

[SparklieBug]

@annagene12 Firstly, annagene, I love your pearl earrings design! I'm actually on the hunt for similar hoops for my chunky (and gorgeous) copper-green-gold pearls! I had my pearls put on a big yellow gold eye-ring, and thought it would be easy to find suitable hoops. Uhm, not so much... Can you or @Begonia please share the Etsy store where you purchased these?

 

[Cerulean]

For some reason blue seems to be disappearing from akoya and south sea pearls. The colour is serendipitous anyway. Last time I was in Hong Kong I couldn't find any and there were only paler blues through the whole harvest when I worked on an akoya farm.
Blue is elusive at the best of times and whatever causes it seems to be absent at the moment. At least the really dark blues of around five years ago

Yes - I had a hard time finding Akoyas - I only found warmer colored south sea pearls and a few dark grey...certainly not blue, let alone baroque for either. I don’t know why exactly. Interesting to note they are disappearing. One day I’d love a pair of beautiful richly blue round Akoyas! They felt less “bridal” anyways, not that the weird rainbow color I nabbed is traditionally bridal anyways...but in my weird brain it felt like a better fit.

 

[Cerulean]

@annagene12 Firstly, annagene, I love your pearl earrings design! I'm actually on the hunt for similar hoops for my chunky (and gorgeous) copper-green-gold pearls! I had my pearls put on a big yellow gold eye-ring, and thought it would be easy to find suitable hoops. Uhm, not so much... Can you or @Begonia please share the Etsy store where you purchased these?

Ooooh id love to see the pearls you are talking about!!! I love colored pearls in a sea of white...I like non-white (even warmly colored) diamonds too, go figure.

here is the vendor/listing to my earrings - it took a LOT of hunting to find these...

Oval Huggie Hoop Earrings, Tapered Huggie Earrings, Solid 14K White Gold Hoops, 14 K White Gold Huggy Hoops, Real Gold Jewelry, 13mm Hoops - Etsy

This Hoop Earrings item by Studiometals has 71 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from Canada. Listed on Jun 16, 2024

www.etsy.com

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

I love the pearls you selected. As a CS girl I can't wait to see them in different lighting environments.
I think you have made some beautiful selections with your sapphire and now these pearls.

 

[Cerulean]

I love the pearls you selected. As a CS girl I can't wait to see them in different lighting environments.
I think you have made some beautiful selections with your sapphire and now these pearls.

Thank you

I’m learning! With lots of help from other PSers!

 

[OdetteOdile]

The pearls you picked are gorgeous!!

 

[SparklieBug]

Ooooh id love to see the pearls you are talking about!!! I love colored pearls in a sea of white...I like non-white (even warmly colored) diamonds too, go figure.

here is the vendor/listing to my earrings - it took a LOT of hunting to find these...

Oval Huggie Hoop Earrings, Tapered Huggie Earrings, Solid 14K White Gold Hoops, 14 K White Gold Huggy Hoops, Real Gold Jewelry, 13mm Hoops - Etsy

This Hoop Earrings item by Studiometals has 71 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from Canada. Listed on Jun 16, 2024

www.etsy.com

Thanks so much for the link, annagene! I love the y/g version with the matte finish. Will take some photos of my pearls when there’s good light. Pearls are such chameleons!

 

[Cerulean]

So - I hope you guys can see this video.
The earrings vendor shared a video of the pearls!!! Fun surprise, there were two extra!

There is a blemish on one of the set I bought - but honestly looking at it, and seeing the baroque shape and color - I could care less. They look SO lovely to my eyes!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ii5mBAcyGmma2BbFUhqLq3qNjMKosYTI/view?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ii5mBAcyGmma2BbFUhqLq3qNjMKosYTI/view?usp=drivesdk

I’m having them make the 3rd slightly wonkier pearl that in similar in color to make a pendant. The 4th pearl - although it’s beautiful- It’s just not my preferred color, I don’t know anyone who likes pearls and I figured since I got two extra, I actually decided to give it to the vendor. Not many nice or pleasant surprises happening these days so wanted it to go to someone who’d like it.

i am VERY excited!

 

[katbran]

Looking forward to the finished piece !

 

[Cerulean]

I just wanted to follow up on this thread. Studio Metals (Etsy), the vendor I worked with, ended up being positively lovely to work with after an initial hiccup with communication, that was fully rectified.

I sourced beautiful baroque Akoyas from Reens pearls on Etsy, they threw in two extras! One was ivory white, and I was so pleased with Elizabeth and Travis at Studio Metals that I gave them the white one (I don't care for white or off white pearls). The 3rd rainbow/silver pearl has "more character" but it is still so lovely.

I found out I was allergic to nickel in the middle of my project with Studio Metals, and they graciously remade the earrings and didn't charge me for a nickel alloy pair they had already made. I had them make the 3rd surprise pearl into a matching pendant so I could wear all three at once on my wedding day. This worked out so well, because I had had a custom nickel WG necklace and pendant made for our wedding day, and now have to give it away as it irritated my skin almost right away. What an expensive allergy to find out about AFTER I had thousands of dollars of jewelry made! But this is a beautiful alternate and I already have a chain!

The pearls definitely lean blue/silver in most lighting, but have beautiful rainbow-y colors, with purples, greens, whites, pinks yellows. I have never had pearls like this before, and they have many moods! I LOVE them!

 

[SparklieBug]

Wow! Thank you so much for sharing photos, @annagene12 ! The earrings and pendant came out beautifully. They look great on you.

 

[Bluemuse]

Gorgeous Anna Gene! It was worth all the back and forth because they look beautiful.
Glad your experience with the vendors was very positive ultimately. I love the presence they have and the soft rainbow of colors on those pearls is so so pretty.
I remember the feeling of trying to figure out wedding jewelry and the $$$ spent in the process. I just chalked it up to part of the wedding expense and now I have a small collection of “wedding pearls”, earrings and a couple necklaces.
Good luck on your upcoming wedding!
You will be a beautiful bride and having pieces like these will make it very special.

 

[Cerulean]

Thank you @Bluemuse and @SparklieBug for your kind words, it means a lot!

 

[autumngems]

I love your earrings, give me an idea for the Tahitians I have

 

[LemonMoonLex]

I just wanted to follow up on this thread. Studio Metals (Etsy), the vendor I worked with, ended up being positively lovely to work with after an initial hiccup with communication, that was fully rectified.

I sourced beautiful baroque Akoyas from Reens pearls on Etsy, they threw in two extras! One was ivory white, and I was so pleased with Elizabeth and Travis at Studio Metals that I gave them the white one (I don't care for white or off white pearls). The 3rd rainbow/silver pearl has "more character" but it is still so lovely.

I found out I was allergic to nickel in the middle of my project with Studio Metals, and they graciously remade the earrings and didn't charge me for a nickel alloy pair they had already made. I had them make the 3rd surprise pearl into a matching pendant so I could wear all three at once on my wedding day. This worked out so well, because I had had a custom nickel WG necklace and pendant made for our wedding day, and now have to give it away as it irritated my skin almost right away. What an expensive allergy to find out about AFTER I had thousands of dollars of jewelry made! But this is a beautiful alternate and I already have a chain!

The pearls definitely lean blue/silver in most lighting, but have beautiful rainbow-y colors, with purples, greens, whites, pinks yellows. I have never had pearls like this before, and they have many moods! I LOVE them!

Understated. Simple. Elegant. Classy.
They look absolutely beautiful on you & your skin tone!
I found those hoops on etsy & am thinking about the 18k rose gold
ones or the unplated white gold!

 

[Cerulean]

Understated. Simple. Elegant. Classy.
They look absolutely beautiful on you & your skin tone!
I found those hoops on etsy & am thinking about the 18k rose gold
ones or the unplated white gold!

Thank you, thank you! I am sooooo pleased with the results and the craftsmanship is stellar. They are also extremely comfy. Highly recommend, also travis & elizabeth were very very nice! Maybe they will send some side by side pics of the colors to help you decide.