Multicolour Tahitian Bracelet from Hisano

[mrs-b]

Thank you so much, @Weeivy73

I've been working on upgrading my collection for a couple of years now, but it was about 3 months ago that I decided to ask the really tough questions: what do I REALLY want MOST OF ALL? What is the BEST this piece can be? Can this be BETTER?

For me, that doesn't necessarily mean bigger (tho it sometimes does). Mostly, it means best quality gems, better settings, more substantial. It's waaaaay more expensive and time consuming than just acquiring pieces, but it satisfies something in my soul, and I feel a sense of "Aaaahhhhh!" when I look at each completed piece. No regrets and no sense of wanting to continually upgrade.

My collection is based around some well made but not tizzy staples. My 3 plain bangles plus diamond bangle/s - all made to go together as a mix-and match set, my 3 sets of custom made identical hoops, my large pearl SS studs, my platinum 7 stone tapered band and my 3 stone and wedding band. If that was ALL the jewelry I owned, I'd be completely happy. I've added dressy earrings and necklaces to my collection and a couple of nice bracelets so I can go more formal if I want, and a small selection of colored gem rings (ruby, yellow sapphire, blue sapphire, spinel, opal). But I've thrown out a lot more than I've kept, and I get pleasure from the idea of wearing every piece I own, regularly.

And I fully support the idea of taking your time with your opal earrings. They could be stunning, and I think you should ask yourself what you'd like to do with your opal if money wasn't a barrier, while still staying within the realms of what you'll actually wear; as I've often said to my best friend while talking about jewelry and explaining why I *wasn't* getting certain pieces: "I'm not getting that. I mean - seirously! - what am I - the QUEEN??" Helps to keep one grounded to remember that I live 98% of my life very casually indeed. And I like it like that.

ETA @yssie - please forgive this thread-jack. <3

 

[yssie]

@Weeivy73 I just received word the studs have been completed and will be shipping soon

I rather think they’ll be perfect for the right occasion rather than everyday earrings - the “everyday” spots are occupied by diamond and white akoya studs. They were just so lustrous and beautifully coloured and perfectly matched - I couldn’t give them back! And it’s lovely to have the “right” pieces in waiting for those not-everyday occasions

I too wholeheartedly support your decision to wait on your opals project until you have both vision and comfort to create whatever you want most I know that I personally just don’t appreciate pieces that are less than my idea of “best” of whatever they represent! To quote @mrs-b - “What is the BEST this piece can be?” I know that I just won’t be satisfied with less-than-perfect. The result is that I have far fewer pieces than I want, but I love what I’ve got I can’t wait to see what you do!!

 

[Weeivy73]

Yssie and mrs-b you both are an absolute pleasure to follow with your thoughtful purchasing and beautiful taste in jewellery.
I've gone back to the idea of putting a fine old cut diamond halo around the opals and make them for special occassions, rather than having them as a casual pair, so I'm happy to bide my time on them.
My job is changing and I won't be in a shop environment anymore, I have the opportunity to work for my boss part-time and start a little something for myself, which is exciting but very nerve-wracking at the same time! So I'll be out doing my own thing wearing jeans and T-shirts and choosing fantastic, gorgeous jewellery to dress myself in.

 

[yssie]

@mrs-b I dozed off whilst tapping you a reply on my phone. I’m glad I didn’t get around to hitting send - it began coherently enough but devolved quickly

I always love hearing about your works in progress. You‘re a wonderful narrator Paring down - amen! I started my own curating project year before last, and at this point have rehomed virtually all of my “not long terms”. My collection was - is - much smaller than yours, though

You’re absolutely right - best of breed doesn’t mean bigger. I think there’s a size minimum that’s required to fully appreciate a specimen of a given material and shape, but beyond that... For everything other than my “primary diamonds” size tends to be one of the first things that I’ll compromise on. The G pears - yes, they’re beautifully matched, but yes, I do see the difference between them and round melee in your photo, and I completely understand wanting to replace them with mind-clean versions! And of course as most of us wear jewellery for ourselves first and foremost, the fact that others may never be aware the details that we meticulously evaluate doesn’t lessen their importance to us at all

Re. Platinum hoops - are your ears okay with the weight of platinum? I ask because mine are very sensitive to weight. The design of those hoops is very clean - if you share the weight issue perhaps palladium is a viable alternative?

Oh, we’re such “sets” people, you and I! So of course your center and sides should match!! I think one of the benefits of choosing colourless stones is that apparent difference between RBs of different size is minimized, so mind-clean and eye-clean aren’t in conflict. When I had a seven-stone E-ring I wanted all stones to be Js, but a 3ct J and a 0.15ct J face-up very differently - a graduation from J center to L end-stones would have been more visually uniform. I wound up sending four GIA 0.15ct Ks to AGS and chose the two that came back J. Everyone’s got a whinge or two, right? The ACA you’ve got your perfectionist [and I would argue quite large] heart on is magnificent. May I ask why you’re waiting on it?

GSSs. They’re very large pearls!! Wanting something larger on top sounds very reasonable to me - how convenient to already have appropriately-sized, appropriately-tinted studs that also happen to be in need of reassignment They will be fabulous @mrs-b! I do hope you’re planning to keep everything in yellow gold.

My own projects are... Rather embarrassingly numerous right now. Project sprawl is a dysfunction to which I am most definitely predisposed, I’m afraid. I must say, though, I have had excellent experiences outsourcing creativity this year Leon Mege is making me a bracelet. I’d say it’s the bracelet of my dreams, but really it’s the sort of bracelet I don’t dare dream of - and I’m months into the project! I expected it’ll become much more real once I’ve parted with the final deposit

It’s mostly bracelets this year for me. An opal bracelet project with Caysie, and then I’m done with opals. I wondered why I’ve felt no compulsion to collect a set of VCA Alhambra bracelets... I think pearls have superseded VCA for me. Hanadama, Madama, Tahitian, GSS, Sea of Cortez - my inbuilt persnicket demanded a set of pearl bracelets and I submitted without quite realizing it!

What else? A rose cut earrings project with Caysie - another longterm-er: I’ve got one stone and we’re waiting on a cutter to find rough for a mate. A couple more stacking bands. All things I’d rather wait than compromise on, like you and @Weeivy73, and all things I hope to enjoy for many years

 

[kikoko]

WOW!!!!! REALLY gorgeous Tahitian bracelet!!!!!!!!

 

[yssie]

Thank you @kikoko

The studs came in today. Pearl Paradise drilled them perfectly - they look unblemished face-up, just like in the loose duo pic on Pg1

Loving all my new tahitians!!

 

[mrs-b]

@mrs-b I dozed off whilst tapping you a reply on my phone. I’m glad I didn’t get around to hitting send - it began coherently enough but devolved quickly

I always love hearing about your works in progress. You‘re a wonderful narrator Paring down - amen! I started my own curating project year before last, and at this point have rehomed virtually all of my “not long terms”. My collection was - is - much smaller than yours, though

You’re absolutely right - best of breed doesn’t mean bigger. I think there’s a size minimum that’s required to fully appreciate a specimen of a given material and shape, but beyond that... For everything other than my “primary diamonds” size tends to be one of the first things that I’ll compromise on. The G pears - yes, they’re beautifully matched, but yes, I do see the difference between them and round melee in your photo, and I completely understand wanting to replace them with mind-clean versions! And of course as most of us wear jewellery for ourselves first and foremost, the fact that others may never be aware the details that we meticulously evaluate doesn’t lessen their importance to us at all

Re. Platinum hoops - are your ears okay with the weight of platinum? I ask because mine are very sensitive to weight. The design of those hoops is very clean - if you share the weight issue perhaps palladium is a viable alternative?

Oh, we’re such “sets” people, you and I! So of course your center and sides should match!! I think one of the benefits of choosing colourless stones is that apparent difference between RBs of different size is minimized, so mind-clean and eye-clean aren’t in conflict. When I had a seven-stone E-ring I wanted all stones to be Js, but a 3ct J and a 0.15ct J face-up very differently - a graduation from J center to L end-stones would have been more visually uniform. I wound up sending four GIA 0.15ct Ks to AGS and chose the two that came back J. Everyone’s got a whinge or two, right? The ACA you’ve got your perfectionist [and I would argue quite large] heart on is magnificent. May I ask why you’re waiting on it?

GSSs. They’re very large pearls!! Wanting something larger on top sounds very reasonable to me - how convenient to already have appropriately-sized, appropriately-tinted studs that also happen to be in need of reassignment They will be fabulous @mrs-b! I do hope you’re planning to keep everything in yellow gold.

My own projects are... Rather embarrassingly numerous right now. Project sprawl is a dysfunction to which I am most definitely predisposed, I’m afraid. I must say, though, I have had excellent experiences outsourcing creativity this year Leon Mege is making me a bracelet. I’d say it’s the bracelet of my dreams, but really it’s the sort of bracelet I don’t dare dream of - and I’m months into the project! I expected it’ll become much more real once I’ve parted with the final deposit

It’s mostly bracelets this year for me. An opal bracelet project with Caysie, and then I’m done with opals. I wondered why I’ve felt no compulsion to collect a set of VCA Alhambra bracelets... I think pearls have superseded VCA for me. Hanadama, Madama, Tahitian, GSS, Sea of Cortez - my inbuilt persnicket demanded a set of pearl bracelets and I submitted without quite realizing it!

What else? A rose cut earrings project with Caysie - another longterm-er: I’ve got one stone and we’re waiting on a cutter to find rough for a mate. A couple more stacking bands. All things I’d rather wait than compromise on, like you and @Weeivy73, and all things I hope to enjoy for many years

@yssie

Girl, seriously, can we please get together?! I need to see your perfect collection!! Your EW pieces alone are worth the price of a ticket! Is this who you're considering for more stackers? Or are you doing some more with Caysie?

So let me say - I'm sure you'd rather keep your LM project close to your chest till it's done, so I'm not going to ask you about it.

BUT I WANT TO!!!

Seriously?? A bracelet by Leon?? Oh man....!

But when you said an opal bracelet by Caysie, my head fairly swiveled and my nose sniffed the wind!! I have the beginnings of an opal bracelet too - tho I'm a long way from it being finished - or even made. And mine are small opals - smaller than yours, I'm sure - and it's being made to go with my opal and diamond ring. I just love the colors, don't you? I wish I could do something more grand - but I need it small enough to be every-day-wearable and I also want them small enough that I can use at least 7 or 8 of them, and I think it will turn out pretty enough for what I'm looking for. And I also have feelers out to various people about a blue Vietnamese baroque akoya for a pendant - but we'll see how *that* goes.

Are you considering a Sea of Cortez bracelet? I love those pearls - they're positively lush! And, were it me, I would WAY prefer them to more VCA pieces, tho I've gone back and forth on a vintage yellow gold Alhambra bracelet like @diamondseeker2006's for a long time now. I just know, tho, if I start down *that* particular rabbit hole....

I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for your projects as they eventuate; they're my absolute favorite!