Natural White Akoya Studs - pic 1 Thoughts?

[yssie]

You can have them measure with calipers to verify size! I believe they use a 0.1mm cut off for “matched” which is tighter than most US vendors.

 

[Ann]

You can have them measure with calipers to verify size! I believe they use a 0.1mm cut off for “matched” which is tighter than most US vendors.

Thanks for all your input and expert advice. This is going to be a tough decision. If they were my earrings, I'd be fine with the pinkier version. But since DIL said no pink, then I'm left wanting to please her. But does she even know pink vs white in real pearls! I will ask for additional pictures and comparisons. Thanks!!

 

[yssie]

Thanks for all your input and expert advice. This is going to be a tough decision. If they were my earrings, I'd be fine with the pinkier version. But since DIL said no pink, then I'm left wanting to please her. But does she even know pink vs white in real pearls! I will ask for additional pictures and comparisons. Thanks!!

That’s the key question here for me. I think a lot of people hear “pink” and think FW pinks, or dyed pinks, where pink is the primary body colour.

 

[Ann]

That’s the key question here for me. I think a lot of people hear “pink” and think FW pinks, or dyed pinks, where pink is the primary body colour.

Ok, so I see pink, maybe even lilac on the far right pearl. So that would be too much pink. but the 2 color tones in the middle look less pink

 

[Ann]

I asked for pictures of pairs that were not quite as pink. This was her response. Not sure I really understand.
" Our interpretation is that it produces a high quality equal interference color. So I can't say it's not pink, but I think it's infinitely few. If even a little pink doesn't work, we recommend natural white."

 

[Ann]

Hmmm, is the bottom pair a lot whiter? Quality? Can ya'll tell I'm getting totally confused, haha!! Opinions?

 

[Ann]

one more ....

 

[Ann]

one more ....

From Takahashi - "
This natural white is also a very high quality and very good pearl. I personally choose 62284, but I think pink is not good, so natural white is fine."
Sooo, would I be making a mistake if I go with the whiter pair? Or just get the pinkier pair? Heck, if the pinks are "that" pink, I would keep them and buy the whiter pair for my DIL.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I think they will all look white on the ear. These are beautiful pearls! I’d go with the ones @yssie says are best. She’s got an eye for the best pearls for sure!

 

[yssie]

I asked for pictures of pairs that were not quite as pink. This was her response. Not sure I really understand.
" Our interpretation is that it produces a high quality equal interference color. So I can't say it's not pink, but I think it's infinitely few. If even a little pink doesn't work, we recommend natural white."

I think what they’re saying is that their primary market (Japan) prefers a more pinked pearl, generally. The whole natural white thing is a western want - in East Asia folks ubiquitously want them pinked! They call iridescence “interference”, which is really actually a more correct term when I think about it

Hmmm, is the bottom pair a lot whiter? Quality? Can ya'll tell I'm getting totally confused, haha!! Opinions?

The body colour on both of those is basically the same. The differences you’re seeing are due entirely to the iridescence - the top pair (more pink pair) is the more metallic, more iridescent, more lustrous pair. Objectively it’s of slightly higher quality. The tipoffs are (1) the contrastiness (black reflections are more black), and (2) the sharpness of shapes in reflections (fingers are more clearly outlines, light spots are more angularly and sharply delineated).

We definitely aren’t talking a blow-you-away difference here. Yes, top pair is higher quality, but this is certainly not a night and day sort of thing. They’re both very nice pairs!! But at the same time - if you saw them side by side I’m confident the more pink pair would wow you more IRL. More metallic, more lively.

For me personally - quality comes over basically everything else. I know not everyone is wired that way. The reality here is that your DIL will love whatever it is you buy because it came from you, and you’ve put so much thought into it, and it’ll be nicer than anything she’s got access to or likely knows about!! So I agree with Takahashi - I don’t think you can go wrong here. I personally would choose the higher quality pair because I’m 99% that when she says “no pink” she means “not pink pearls”, like the pink/peach/mauve FW and the dyed akoya all over Etsy. But I don’t actually know her so my 99% confidence is kind of meaningless. If she just hates pink - y’know, doesn’t like to have any pink in the house, refuses to wear any pink at all - then go with the NW.

I can’t share photos here but I gave my friend’s daughter a pair of gemmies from Andrew for her confirmation - they were strongly pinked. She has red hair and hazel eyes and very pale skin and the cutest freckles, and I think the pearls looked marvellous on her… I’m maybe a bit biased though - I think she’s beautiful caked in mud

The other thing you could do if you really want to hedge your bets is buy both, have DIL choose, and sell the other here on LT. Takahashi tends to do well preloved because initial outlay is so dang low! That’s a last resort though.

 

[Ann]

I think what they’re saying is that their primary market (Japan) prefers a more pinked pearl, generally. The whole natural white thing is a western want - in East Asia folks ubiquitously want them pinked! They call iridescence “interference”, which is really actually a more correct term when I think about it



The body colour on both of those is basically the same. The differences you’re seeing are due entirely to the iridescence - the top pair (more pink pair) is the more metallic, more iridescent, more lustrous pair. Objectively it’s of slightly higher quality. The tipoffs are (1) the contrastiness (black reflections are more black), and (2) the sharpness of shapes in reflections (fingers are more clearly outlines, light spots are more angularly and sharply delineated).

We definitely aren’t talking a blow-you-away difference here. Yes, top pair is higher quality, but this is certainly not a night and day sort of thing. They’re both very nice pairs!! But at the same time - if you saw them side by side I’m confident the more pink pair would wow you more IRL. More metallic, more lively.

For me personally - quality comes over basically everything else. I know not everyone is wired that way. The reality here is that your DIL will love whatever it is you buy because it came from you, and you’ve put so much thought into it, and it’ll be nicer than anything she’s got access to or likely knows about!! So I agree with Takahashi - I don’t think you can go wrong here. I personally would choose the higher quality pair because I’m 99% that when she says “no pink” she means “not pink pearls”, like the pink/peach/mauve FW and the dyed akoya all over Etsy. But I don’t actually know her so my 99% confidence is kind of meaningless. If she just hates pink - y’know, doesn’t like to have any pink in the house, refuses to wear any pink at all - then go with the NW.

I can’t share photos here but I gave my friend’s daughter a pair of gemmies from Andrew for her confirmation - they were strongly pinked. She has red hair and hazel eyes and very pale skin and the cutest freckles, and I think the pearls looked marvellous on her… I’m maybe a bit biased though - I think she’s beautiful caked in mud

The other thing you could do if you really want to hedge your bets is buy both, have DIL choose, and sell the other here on LT. Takahashi tends to do well preloved because initial outlay is so dang low! That’s a last resort though.

Thank you for sharing your wisdom . I so appreciate everything you are saying. My heart says the buy the pinkier pair but after DIL's comment of no pink, I'm just petrified she won't wear them. Your friend's daughter sounds exactly like my DIL, same everything! And I agree with you, DIL probably thinks pink meant pink. I may ask Takahashi the price for both pairs and go from there. My fear of buying the natural white is they have less luster and in my heart, I'll know they are not the best I could have bought. I need to make a decision and move on!

 

[yssie]

Can you show her some photos and see what she thinks? If that wouldn't ruin a surprise..

 

[Ann]

Can you show her some photos and see what she thinks? If that wouldn't ruin a surprise..

I actually thought about doing that. And I guess I should because after all, she will be the one wearing them. I just sent her the pics and info. So hopefully she will let me know.

 

[Crystal_Dreams]

I really enjoyed reading through this thread. As usual, Yssie has provided great help and information!

As someone who owns natural white hanadama from PP as well as takahashi’s top akoya and their ‘special pink’ akoya, I wanted to reassure you that the pinked akoya won’t read pink on the skin (at least on me!). Rather, the natural whites read as cream. I have some of their ‘most strongly pinked’ akoya with me. Although these LOOK very pink in the box, I was amazed that they look… incredibly lustrous and white on the ear. They just pop! The regular akoya are also lovely and lustrous.

Here are a few comparison photos. The hanadama I have are sadly not well matched as you can see in the photos. Super pink studs are next to them, and my bubble strand is an example of their regular akoya!

My phone is really playing up the pink overtones here. To my eyes when on, they just look white!

 

[yssie]

I really enjoyed reading through this thread. As usual, Yssie has provided great help and information!

As someone who owns natural white hanadama from PP as well as takahashi’s top akoya and their ‘special pink’ akoya, I wanted to reassure you that the pinked akoya won’t read pink on the skin (at least on me!). Rather, the natural whites read as cream. I have some of their ‘most strongly pinked’ akoya with me. Although these LOOK very pink in the box, I was amazed that they look… incredibly lustrous and white on the ear. They just pop! The regular akoya are also lovely and lustrous.

Here are a few comparison photos. The hanadama I have are sadly not well matched as you can see in the photos. Super pink studs are next to them, and my bubble strand is an example of their regular akoya!

My phone is really playing up the pink overtones here. To my eyes when on, they just look white!

The lineup of studs at the bottom looks like edible sweets

I’m so glad you saw this thread!! I knew you had some actual NWs and was wondering about your take on the colour!

 

[Ann]

She likes the pink!! I sent her pics and from just those she seems to like the pinks. But I asked her to really study the pics. So fingers crossed !

 

[Ann]

I really enjoyed reading through this thread. As usual, Yssie has provided great help and information!

As someone who owns natural white hanadama from PP as well as takahashi’s top akoya and their ‘special pink’ akoya, I wanted to reassure you that the pinked akoya won’t read pink on the skin (at least on me!). Rather, the natural whites read as cream. I have some of their ‘most strongly pinked’ akoya with me. Although these LOOK very pink in the box, I was amazed that they look… incredibly lustrous and white on the ear. They just pop! The regular akoya are also lovely and lustrous.

Here are a few comparison photos. The hanadama I have are sadly not well matched as you can see in the photos. Super pink studs are next to them, and my bubble strand is an example of their regular akoya!

My phone is really playing up the pink overtones here. To my eyes when on, they just look white!

Thank you for sharing this with us! I'm so grateful this forum has such awesome members. Beautiful pearls, just stunning pieces.

 

[Ann]

Thank you all - I've sent a message to Takahashi that I wanted the 62284 pair. (the pink pr) I hope the language barrier is not a problem and they understand me. So excited to get this going.

 

[Ann]

So these are my stud posts options. Lower pr is thicker. I'm guessing it's better than the short top one. Top one is $30.00, bottom one is $70.00. And shipping by FedEx? $100.00. Pricing is fine I just want to make sure I select the right posts. And I think I will locate some larger backs. I know how important those are.

 

[yssie]

So these are my stud posts options. Lower pr is thicker. I'm guessing it's better than the short top one. Top one is $30.00, bottom one is $70.00. And shipping by FedEx? $100.00. Pricing is fine I just want to make sure I select the right posts. And I think I will locate some larger backs. I know how important those are.

Bottom style $70 is fantastic. That’s what I chose for all of mine. Highly recommend.

 

[SparklieBug]

What a great thread! Thanks so much to all of you for contributing!

 

[Crystal_Dreams]

Also recommend the $70 pair. They’re super sturdy! The cheaper ones have far shorter posts which on me just don’t feel that secure. The posts are also thinner.

the $100 shipping fee gets me every time. This is when I start thinking oh I should order a few more things for that price!

 

[Ann]

Also recommend the $70 pair. They’re super sturdy! The cheaper ones have far shorter posts which on me just don’t feel that secure. The posts are also thinner.

the $100 shipping fee gets me every time. This is when I start thinking oh I should order a few more things for that price!

thank you for replying. I wanted some confirmation here before I ordered. The time difference between me (Central US) and Japan is really stretching this out, haha.

 

[Ann]

The finished pair picture from Takahashi. On their way to me.

 

[Ann]

The finished pair picture from Takahashi. On their way to me.

They look lilac or pink to my untrained eye. But I will wait til I receive them. If they are too pinkish, I'll buy another pair . I have to say, Takahashi was awesome to work with despite the time difference.

 

[Crystal_Dreams]

They look lovely!! I think they’ll be white against skin. That pink is all overtone! Takahashi are wonderful to work with and I cannot say enough good things about their customer service despite not being able to return (which I have never even had to contemplate doing given how competitive the prices are and the quality of their products). Every single time, I’m consistently amazed by how above and beyond they go to fulfil my expectations.
I will say not to expect fancy gift boxes and packaging. That you will most certainly NOT get! But the products speak for themselves.

 

[Ann]

They look lovely!! I think they’ll be white against skin. That pink is all overtone! Takahashi are wonderful to work with and I cannot say enough good things about their customer service despite not being able to return (which I have never even had to contemplate doing given how competitive the prices are and the quality of their products). Every single time, I’m consistently amazed by how above and beyond they go to fulfil my expectations.
I will say not to expect fancy gift boxes and packaging. That you will most certainly NOT get! But the products speak for themselves.

thank you - this is a learning journey for me. Hopefully, at some point I can evaluate a pearl with confidence.

 

[yssie]

Agree that they’ll look white against skin!! If your DIL chose the more pink pearls in your photos - I really can’t imagine that she won’t love these!!

But ditto @Crystal_Dreams re. Packaging - be prepared for ziplock baggies and bubble wrap They don’t spend anything they don’t need to. Which is nice when they’re also not charging you anything they don’t need to!

Please let us know what you think when they come in!!

For earring backs - there are a ton on Amazon and eBay and Etsy. If you have a local place who will order from Stuller for you these are my absolute favourite butterfly backs in the world:

14K Palladium White 8 mm pad Heavyweight Friction Earring Back

24203 / 14K Palladium White / 8 mm / Each / Semi-Polished / Heavyweight Friction Earring Back

www.stuller.com

They’re on the pricey side, so I just have a couple pairs in different metals and I use them with all my studs. I seriously can’t say enough about how wonderful they are!! They’re grippy vices on the posts, they never come loose, the large concave pad keeps everything perky without having to squish the stud on super tight… Whatever you wind up doing for DIL may I recommend treating yourself to a pair of these?

 

[Ann]

Agree that they’ll look white against skin!! If your DIL chose the more pink pearls in your photos - I really can’t imagine that she won’t love these!!

But ditto @Crystal_Dreams re. Packaging - be prepared for ziplock baggies and bubble wrap They don’t spend anything they don’t need to. Which is nice when they’re also not charging you anything they don’t need to!

Please let us know what you think when they come in!!

For earring backs - there are a ton on Amazon and eBay and Etsy. If you have a local place who will order from Stuller for you these are my absolute favourite butterfly backs in the world:

14K Palladium White 8 mm pad Heavyweight Friction Earring Back

24203 / 14K Palladium White / 8 mm / Each / Semi-Polished / Heavyweight Friction Earring Back

www.stuller.com

They’re on the pricey side, so I just have a couple pairs in different metals and I use them with all my studs. I seriously can’t say enough about how wonderful they are!! They’re grippy vices on the posts, they never come loose, the large concave pad keeps everything perky without having to squish the stud on super tight… Whatever you wind up doing for DIL may I recommend treating yourself to a pair of these?

Thank you for your wise words regarding the pearl color. I'm confident they will be great. This purchase will not be my last with Takahashi.
You mean they don't even include those little fabric snap bags, haha! I will never forget when I had Leon Mege make a ring for me. Very expensive ring and it was wrapped in bubble wrap. I even commented on the Bling forum here. It was an ongoing joke for some time.
I paid $90.00 for extra large stud backs, so I will check out the Stuller backs for the pearl studs. I always forget about Stuller. Just printed out the page from Stuller and will stop by my local jeweler this week. Thanks.

 

[Crystal_Dreams]

Can guarantee that they will come in a little zip lock bag and maybe a cardboard box lol! They do package SECURELY though. Lots of tape around the package, cardboard box will be taped to the inside of the shipping box