My Chunyun Jewelers mini-splurge

[cellentani]

Date: 10/9/2009 12:26:52 AM
Author: glitterata
Oh, that''s disappointing. I ordered the $33 8.5mm necklace and I wondered what was going to turn out to be wrong with it to make it so cheap. I bet mine aren''t knotted either. The pearls don''t look all that round in the photo, but it never crossed my mind that the stringing would turn out to be fake.

Oh well, live and learn.

glitterata, I checked out the pics of your 8.5mm necklace, and it looks like it will be strung the same way, at least from what I can tell. I sent a message to the seller about it, and here''s what they said:

"Thank you for writing to us. We are sorry to hear that you don''t like the pearls strung on the calble. Acutally, we can string pearl on the silk or cable. We used to srtring all pearls on the silk, but recently some customer preffer the cable as some valuable South Sea pearls to be strung in this way. But Thank you for you advice, we should state this in the description.
thank you for your understanding."

 

[D&T]

oh no Cellentani....sorry about your necklace and the disc problem - weird.

but I love the pendant and the earrings. and the necklace I usually like necklaces shorter since I feel as though I have such a short neck, but the length looks great on you

 

[glitterata]

Thanks, Cellentani.

Well, I got a message this morning saying my pearls had been shipped, so it's too late to ask them to string them on silk instead of wire.

I hate the idea of little plastic disks, ugh! Who would want a necklace with little plastic disks in it?

I guess I'll probably just send it back when it gets here, since I don't think it will be worthwhile to have it restrung. It irritates me that they will make me pay for the shipping, though!

 

[cellentani]

Date: 10/9/2009 2:52:32 PM
Author: glitterata
Thanks, Cellentani.

Well, I got a message this morning saying my pearls had been shipped, so it''s too late to ask them to string them on silk instead of wire.

I hate the idea of little plastic disks, ugh! Who would want a necklace with little plastic disks in it?

I guess I''ll probably just send it back when it gets here, since I don''t think it will be worthwhile to have it restrung. It irritates me that they will make me pay for the shipping, though!

It might be worth asking them if you could exchange for a silk-strung necklace, and let them know you don''t want one strung on cable. Maybe they''d be willing to pay return postage since they didn''t make that clear in their auction. I''ve found them to be very prompt in answering eBay messages.

 

[cellentani]

A few more pics. Even though I''m not thrilled with the cable on the necklace, the pearls are graduated perfectly, as you can see in the pic. The smallest are about 8.5mm and they increase to about 9.45mm. Shown here with my pearllunar strand (which has nice luster, but wonky shapes).

 

[cellentani]

On the bottom are my half-strand of pearls from an Intergem vendor. Also shown are my 2 spools of Gudebrod silk, my favorite for stringing so far.

 

[cellentani]

I snipped off the silver ball that the dangles were attached to, and here they are with my martini studs.

 

[cellentani]

Dangles with 8mm pearl studs. The studs are button-shaped and a slightly different color, but you get the idea.

 

[cellentani]

Same pearl charm and stud with jacket - my favorite!

 

[glitterata]

Well, at least yours are nice and round. And your ear charms look great on your pretty ear.

I wish I could do knotting. Is it hard to learn to do it well? I''m not very crafty.

 

[D&T]

Great earring charms!!!! they really look great with all three earrings! what a great way to dress it up

soooo clever Cel

 

[cellentani]

Date: 10/9/2009 6:43:34 PM
Author: glitterata
Well, at least yours are nice and round. And your ear charms look great on your pretty ear.

I wish I could do knotting. Is it hard to learn to do it well? I''m not very crafty.

I just finished restringing my necklace. I realized that knotting between each pearl was going to make the necklace longer (and I wanted to shorten it just slightly anyway), so I took out 6 pearls.

And glitterata, this is my first real knotting project. I''d practiced on a half-strand a couple times before, but that''s really it. I used french wire to connect the clasp, and I didn''t like the rose clasp that the necklace came with, so I changed it.

 

[cellentani]

Closeup of the knots (and my skin

)

 

[that_someone_special]

Wow it looks great!!!!!!!

 

[cellentani]

And a neckshot. The pearls have a nice heft to them, so it''s a surprisingly substantial piece.

 

[that_someone_special]

Great job! Perhaps I should send you some of my strands so you can practice more?

 

[Indylady]

Wow Cellentani, those look amazing! They have a really strong presence on you. Your knotting looks impeccable from the pictures.

I''ve never seen those little disc things used before...? Maybe it really is something that is requested (where I''m from, people find it preferable to string pearls on stretchy clear rubber rather than thread), or maybe its done to keep costs down? If their 8.5mm necklaces are only $33 with a sterling silver clasp with free shipping from China, then they''re probably not making much a profit at all. I wouldn''t hassle them to pay for return shipping, but that''s just me. I do think that its something that should have been clarified in the ad.

 

[D&T]

Date: 10/10/2009 1:03:24 AM
Author: cellentani
And a neckshot. The pearls have a nice heft to them, so it''s a surprisingly substantial piece.

YOU ARE AMAZING!!!! those look incredible!! great Job Cellentani!!!! and those pearls look great on you in the new length

 

[vc10um]

Cellantani, those pearls are LOVELY! Congrats on a great restringing--you would never know that was done by anyone other than a professional!!! And the neckshot is G

RG!!!

 

[glitterata]

Wow, those look great on you!

 

[cellentani]

Date: 10/10/2009 1:53:23 AM
Author: swedish bean
Great job! Perhaps I should send you some of my strands so you can practice more?

I do need the practice! Aren''t you waiting on a bunch of pearls yourself? You should try it!

 

[cellentani]

Date: 10/10/2009 11:21:43 AM
Author: D&T
YOU ARE AMAZING!!!! those look incredible!! great Job Cellentani!!!! and those pearls look great on you in the new length

Aww, thanks D&T, and I'm glad you mentioned the shorter length - I'm really liking it. And, I now have a few pearls left over to make a dangly pendant with! And hey, what's going on with your e-ring? Another reset?

 

[cellentani]

Date: 10/10/2009 12:03:43 PM
Author: vc10um
Cellantani, those pearls are LOVELY! Congrats on a great restringing--you would never know that was done by anyone other than a professional!!! And the neckshot is G

RG!!!

Thanks vc! Hey, are you going to the Germantown Ingergem show? I think it starts Nov. 1st.

 

[that_someone_special]

Date: 10/11/2009 11:33:54 PM
Author: cellentani

Date: 10/10/2009 1:53:23 AM

Author: swedish bean

Great job! Perhaps I should send you some of my strands so you can practice more?

I do need the practice! Aren't you waiting on a bunch of pearls yourself? You should try it!

I am. I have A TON of strands coming, I got a package saturday but I was feeling SO SICK and didn't get a chance for pics. I am feeling much better today, so I am going to try some pictures. I only got in 5 or 6 pieces in this group including 2 strands.

The problem with stringing (and I DO want to learn), I have nooooo idea where to start!!!?? Do they have books for this?? lol

And what/ where is an ingergem show? I think I've read several things on it, but that's about it!

 

[cellentani]

Date: 10/12/2009 7:25:41 AM
Author: swedish bean

Date: 10/11/2009 11:33:54 PM
Author: cellentani
I do need the practice! Aren''t you waiting on a bunch of pearls yourself? You should try it!

I am. I have A TON of strands coming, I got a package saturday but I was feeling SO SICK and didn''t get a chance for pics. I am feeling much better today, so I am going to try some pictures. I only got in 5 or 6 pieces in this group including 2 strands.

The problem with stringing (and I DO want to learn), I have nooooo idea where to start!!!?? Do they have books for this?? lol

And what/ where is an ingergem show? I think I''ve read several things on it, but that''s about it!

Sorry about my typo - it''s Intergem, International Gem and Jewelry show. It''s a huge traveling gem show with various vendors selling beads, pearls, diamonds, and all types of jewelry. Go to intergem.com and click on the "find a show near you" to see if it comes to your area. I''ve gotten several things at those shows, but last time I went, I got my 3-strand pearl bracelet.

I never went to any classes, but that would be a good way to start. I looked at a few videos on youtube and found a few tutorials online (pearlparadise has a youtube video of a woman stringing a huge southsea necklace - not really a tutorial, but it''s amazing to watch). I practiced on a leftover half-strand before starting a real project. The knots aren''t anything special - just overhand knots that you try to get as close as possible to the pearl.

 

[that_someone_special]

There is one in my area! But not until June... but still! I''m going!

 

[Bliss]

WOW!!!! I love all your pieces!

*scurries off to get some of my own*

You have great taste! I love the earring dangles!

I love your whole collection. Lucky lady!

 

[D&T]

Date: 10/11/2009 11:36:26 PM
Author: cellentani

Date: 10/10/2009 11:21:43 AM
Author: D&T
YOU ARE AMAZING!!!! those look incredible!! great Job Cellentani!!!! and those pearls look great on you in the new length

Aww, thanks D&T, and I''m glad you mentioned the shorter length - I''m really liking it. And, I now have a few pearls left over to make a dangly pendant with! And hey, what''s going on with your e-ring? Another reset?

yes!!!! I''m soooo looking forward to it, but it won''t happen until Jan

I have two in mind but its the same ring just a slight variations of either sidestones or no sidestones.... I"ll have to post on SMTR for your opinions- {end thread jack}

BTW I love shorter pearl necklace... just something with the almost choker length is just stunning.

 

[glitterata]

Well, my $33, 8.5mm Chuyun pearls arrived. I think they're great--for the price. They're definitely not round. They're not all that well matched for color or size, but they're graduated so the size discrepancies don't look so bad. They have some surface marks (they're pretty clean, though), and the luster could be better, but hey--for that price?

I'm going to keep them. Thanks to Cellentani's inspiration, I'm now in a position to restring them, which I probably will do. I'll probably replace the clasp, too--it's a silver flower that doesn't appeal to me.

 

[glitterata]

Close up. Quite off round, sizes don''t match, but still pretty nice.