Show me your Pearls!

[yssie]

New pearl jewellery box and some updated collection pics

And I'm done buying pearls. Like, really. Really!!





No concrete plans for any of these yet. They're all round - it's the phone camera! Left greenie is a PSL graded Tahitian from Takahashi, middle is a PSL graded south sea from Takahashi, and right is a SOC - spare from my bracelet.






A closeup of the clasp on that top yellow - I harvested this from a vintage akoya strand I got on the cheap, the old wonky rose cuts are just the most charming little darlings in-person




Bunches o' coral and some sleeping beauty

 

[HollyC]

New pearl jewellery box and some updated collection pics

And I'm done buying pearls. Like, really. Really!!











A closeup of the clasp on that top yellow - I harvested this from a vintage akoya strand I got on the cheap, the old wonky rose cuts are just the most charming little darlings in-person




Bunches o' coral and some sleeping beauty

Wow! Truly magnificent and beautiful.

 

[newtojewels]

New pearl jewellery box and some updated collection pics

And I'm done buying pearls. Like, really. Really!!











A closeup of the clasp on that top yellow - I harvested this from a vintage akoya strand I got on the cheap, the old wonky rose cuts are just the most charming little darlings in-person




Bunches o' coral and some sleeping beauty

I love that rescued clasp! And of course the pearls are stunning too!

 

[clockworkreader]

New pearl jewellery box and some updated collection pics

And I'm done buying pearls. Like, really. Really!!





No concrete plans for any of these yet. They're all round - it's the phone camera! Left greenie is a PSL graded Tahitian from Takahashi, middle is a PSL graded south sea from Takahashi, and right is a SOC - spare from my bracelet.






A closeup of the clasp on that top yellow - I harvested this from a vintage akoya strand I got on the cheap, the old wonky rose cuts are just the most charming little darlings in-person




Bunches o' coral and some sleeping beauty

I blame you for giving me the pearl bug!

As an update to my thread on Mikimoto studs a few weeks ago: I went back a few days later and purchased a pair in the Q2 quality (roughly equivalent to AA in America). It turns out I had perfect timing because they just happened to restock the higher qualities (Q1 and Q2) a few days after my initial visit!

I couldn't be happier with my pair – I compared it to the Q1 pair (roughly AAA) and it was very similar in lustre, but had slightly less smooth skins and was a touch less well-matched in overtone strength. I'm happy that I got to save some $ while still getting a stunning and lustrous pair of studs! My crappy quality phone camera really doesn't do these beauties justice.

And as a bonus, here's a natural white strand from Takahashi that I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on. 6.5-7mm, gem luster with minor flaws. It's exactly what I want (high luster but with some flaws to keep the cost down haha), and the colours (orient?) are just stunning, but I don't know if I can justify spending this much on a piece of jewellery. I have a feeling I'll regret it if I don't get this, given how hard it's been to find akoya of this size and quality. Any thoughts?

 

[Pomelo]

New pearl jewellery box and some updated collection pics

And I'm done buying pearls. Like, really. Really!!





No concrete plans for any of these yet. They're all round - it's the phone camera! Left greenie is a PSL graded Tahitian from Takahashi, middle is a PSL graded south sea from Takahashi, and right is a SOC - spare from my bracelet.






A closeup of the clasp on that top yellow - I harvested this from a vintage akoya strand I got on the cheap, the old wonky rose cuts are just the most charming little darlings in-person




Bunches o' coral and some sleeping beauty

Ahh @yssie where to start?!?!

Your Moline and SOC bracelets! That beautiful bubbly GSS with the gorgeous clasp! And of course, all the VCA - esp your GMOP bracelet, I can never get tired of those colours… swoon

 

[clockworkreader]

I blame you for giving me the pearl bug!

As an update to my thread on Mikimoto studs a few weeks ago: I went back a few days later and purchased a pair in the Q2 quality (roughly equivalent to AA in America). It turns out I had perfect timing because they just happened to restock the higher qualities (Q1 and Q2) a few days after my initial visit!

I couldn't be happier with my pair – I compared it to the Q1 pair (roughly AAA) and it was very similar in lustre, but had slightly less smooth skins and was a touch less well-matched in overtone strength. I'm happy that I got to save some $ while still getting a stunning and lustrous pair of studs! My crappy quality phone camera really doesn't do these beauties justice.

And as a bonus, here's a natural white strand from Takahashi that I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on. 6.5-7mm, gem luster with minor flaws. It's exactly what I want (high luster but with some flaws to keep the cost down haha), and the colours (orient?) are just stunning, but I don't know if I can justify spending this much on a piece of jewellery. I have a feeling I'll regret it if I don't get this, given how hard it's been to find akoya of this size and quality. Any thoughts?

Another photo for the eye candy and also because I am seriously tempted...

For the pearl experts among us, are akoya prices continuing to rise? And is the akoya shortage ongoing? I know Mikimoto in Japan (unsure about the rest of the world) is set to have a price increase this month or next month, but I wonder if that's due to akoya prices or if it's a typical luxury brand price increase.

 

[cushioncutnut]

New pearl jewellery box and some updated collection pics

And I'm done buying pearls. Like, really. Really!!





No concrete plans for any of these yet. They're all round - it's the phone camera! Left greenie is a PSL graded Tahitian from Takahashi, middle is a PSL graded south sea from Takahashi, and right is a SOC - spare from my bracelet.






A closeup of the clasp on that top yellow - I harvested this from a vintage akoya strand I got on the cheap, the old wonky rose cuts are just the most charming little darlings in-person




Bunches o' coral and some sleeping beauty

Your collection is outstanding! Makes me want to up my game on pearls!!

 

[cushioncutnut]

I blame you for giving me the pearl bug!

As an update to my thread on Mikimoto studs a few weeks ago: I went back a few days later and purchased a pair in the Q2 quality (roughly equivalent to AA in America). It turns out I had perfect timing because they just happened to restock the higher qualities (Q1 and Q2) a few days after my initial visit!

I couldn't be happier with my pair – I compared it to the Q1 pair (roughly AAA) and it was very similar in lustre, but had slightly less smooth skins and was a touch less well-matched in overtone strength. I'm happy that I got to save some $ while still getting a stunning and lustrous pair of studs! My crappy quality phone camera really doesn't do these beauties justice.

And as a bonus, here's a natural white strand from Takahashi that I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on. 6.5-7mm, gem luster with minor flaws. It's exactly what I want (high luster but with some flaws to keep the cost down haha), and the colours (orient?) are just stunning, but I don't know if I can justify spending this much on a piece of jewellery. I have a feeling I'll regret it if I don't get this, given how hard it's been to find akoya of this size and quality. Any thoughts?

Just beautiful! No regrets! I say go for it! I really don't see that many blemishes but that is what would appeal to me personally!

 

[clockworkreader]

New pearl jewellery box and some updated collection pics

And I'm done buying pearls. Like, really. Really!!





No concrete plans for any of these yet. They're all round - it's the phone camera! Left greenie is a PSL graded Tahitian from Takahashi, middle is a PSL graded south sea from Takahashi, and right is a SOC - spare from my bracelet.






A closeup of the clasp on that top yellow - I harvested this from a vintage akoya strand I got on the cheap, the old wonky rose cuts are just the most charming little darlings in-person




Bunches o' coral and some sleeping beauty

Is that a new ring I see in the first pic?? Could it be from the Paspaley Wild collection, perchance?

 

[newtojewels]

Is that a new ring I see in the first pic?? Could it be from the Paspaley Wild collection, perchance?

Do you mean this glorious glorious ring? https://www.pricescope.com/communit...unk-show-nyc-october-2023.280584/post-5329241

 

[clockworkreader]

Do you mean this glorious glorious ring? https://www.pricescope.com/communit...unk-show-nyc-october-2023.280584/post-5329241

OMG! What a feast for the eyes! Thanks for linking it.

Just beautiful! No regrets! I say go for it! I really don't see that many blemishes but that is what would appeal to me personally!

Thank you so much for weighing in!

I see some small bumps and pinpricks, and the skins aren't super smooth or tight, but it doesn't detract from the beauty of the strands IMO. The price they quoted me is for the strand itself, I wonder how much extra they'd charge for stringing/knotting and adding a clasp?

 

[cushioncutnut]

OMG! What a feast for the eyes! Thanks for linking it.


Thank you so much for weighing in!

I see some small bumps and pinpricks, and the skins aren't super smooth or tight, but it doesn't detract from the beauty of the strands IMO. The price they quoted me is for the strand itself, I wonder how much extra they'd charge for stringing/knotting and adding a clasp?

Maybe they will include that in the price?

 

[clockworkreader]

Maybe they will include that in the price?

They have confirmed that the price (of the strand) includes knotting and a made in Japan silver clasp!

 

[cushioncutnut]

They have confirmed that the price (of the strand) includes knotting and a made in Japan silver clasp!

Yay!!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

@Calla-lilies has new pearls
we would love to see them if you want to share

 

[Calla-lilies]

@Calla-lilies has new pearls
we would love to see them if you want to share

You’re so sweet : ). Happy to oblige - I bought these preloved from a very nice PSer (not sure how to tag her). The bracelet is for my daughter; they will need to be shortened.

Here are some pictures.

 

[clockworkreader]

You’re so sweet : ). Happy to oblige - I bought these preloved from a very nice PSer (not sure how to tag her). The bracelet is for my daughter; they will need to be shortened.

Here are some pictures.

I love the blue thread detail

 

[clockworkreader]

So I already posted my new 6.5mm strand on my thread, but I love it so much that I just have to post it here again



Some pics of it on:


Next, my 6-7mm freshwater necklace from Wen (calipers measure the center pearls as roughly 7mm), alongside some grey-blue Akoya studs I was trying on. The necklace is great quality for the price and has fair luster (though they appear more lustrous in the photo than they do in real life — for some reason my camera tends to make meh pearls look good and great pearls look meh). The earrings were 8-8.5mm, had great lustre (almost on par with my Mikimoto studs) and a lovely pink overtone. I was tempted by them but I've spent far too much money on jewellery recently!




The same WenPearls necklace with my 7-7.5mm Mikimoto studs (though in different lighting):


Last, a pair of 8-8.5mm loose Akoyas I bought from a wholesaler in Hong Kong. I actually sorted through a bag of loose pearls to find this pair, and woah, it was a lot of work. I now fully appreciate how hard it is to find two pearls that are (close to) perfectly matched in overtone, body colour, luster, skin smoothness and size (there's a lot of variation even within a 0.5mm bracket)! The pair I ended up with are 8.0 and 8.1mm. They are pinker than my Miki studs and have slightly less sharp luster, but are still very glowy and lustrous in their own right. I'm delighted with them and I had a lot of fun picking them out! (The cloth I'm holding them on is actually freshly washed, it just accumulates dust so fast )

I'll be setting them in a detachable drop setting with small milgrain bezel studs. I went with moissanites for the stones to save money

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

I hope you don’t mind me sharing my imaginary pearls courtesy of Lil Sis. She painted this for my birthday as a joke and I absolutely adore it!!!

 

[canuk-gal]

I hope you don’t mind me sharing my imaginary pearls courtesy of Lil Sis. She painted this for my birthday as a joke and I absolutely adore it!!!

And I thought I was the girl with the pearl earring!!!!

 

[MMtwo]

So I already posted my new 6.5mm strand on my thread, but I love it so much that I just have to post it here again



Some pics of it on:


Next, my 6-7mm freshwater necklace from Wen (calipers measure the center pearls as roughly 7mm), alongside some grey-blue Akoya studs I was trying on. The necklace is great quality for the price and has fair luster (though they appear more lustrous in the photo than they do in real life — for some reason my camera tends to make meh pearls look good and great pearls look meh). The earrings were 8-8.5mm, had great lustre (almost on par with my Mikimoto studs) and a lovely pink overtone. I was tempted by them but I've spent far too much money on jewellery recently!




The same WenPearls necklace with my 7-7.5mm Mikimoto studs (though in different lighting):


Last, a pair of 8-8.5mm loose Akoyas I bought from a wholesaler in Hong Kong. I actually sorted through a bag of loose pearls to find this pair, and woah, it was a lot of work. I now fully appreciate how hard it is to find two pearls that are (close to) perfectly matched in overtone, body colour, luster, skin smoothness and size (there's a lot of variation even within a 0.5mm bracket)! The pair I ended up with are 8.0 and 8.1mm. They are pinker than my Miki studs and have slightly less sharp luster, but are still very glowy and lustrous in their own right. I'm delighted with them and I had a lot of fun picking them out! (The cloth I'm holding them on is actually freshly washed, it just accumulates dust so fast )

I'll be setting them in a detachable drop setting with small milgrain bezel studs. I went with moissanites for the stones to save money

The depth on these pearls is amazing!!!!!

 

[clockworkreader]

The depth on these pearls is amazing!!!!!

Thank you so much! I really love them.

 

[clockworkreader]

So, I may have done something…

When I purchased my akoya strand, the jewellery shop was running a promotion where all purchases got a 40% rebate in the form of a cash coupon (so if you bought something for $100, you’d get a $40 coupon to spend in their shop). I may or may not have used my coupon to buy even more pearls…

So, this is my new freshwater double strand featuring oval/rice pearls! I love it and I’ve already worn it twice. I justified this purchase by telling myself it was free (I mean, it kind of was because I didn’t pay a single cent extra for it) and that it’s totally different to my other pearl necklace because it’s a double strand



Some neck shots:


These babies are extremely lustrous and glowy — though they weren’t advertised as such, I’d definitely call them metallic. They have beautifully smooth skins and very few blemishes. They also have a gorgeous pink and silver overtone that we usually see in akoyas with no yellow or cream at all, which is exactly what I like. Here they are compared to my Mikimoto AAs because they’ve become my luster benchmark for all my pearls :lol-1:. To my eyes, they’re equally lustrous, though the shark skin of the earrings can make reflections seem a little blurry.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

So, I may have done something…

When I purchased my akoya strand, the jewellery shop was running a promotion where all purchases got a 40% rebate in the form of a cash coupon (so if you bought something for $100, you’d get a $40 coupon to spend in their shop). I may or may not have used my coupon to buy even more pearls…

So, this is my new freshwater double strand featuring oval/rice pearls! I love it and I’ve already worn it twice. I justified this purchase by telling myself it was free (I mean, it kind of was because I didn’t pay a single cent extra for it) and that it’s totally different to my other pearl necklace because it’s a double strand



Some neck shots:


These babies are extremely lustrous and glowy — though they weren’t advertised as such, I’d definitely call them metallic. They have beautifully smooth skins and very few blemishes. They also have a gorgeous pink and silver overtone that we usually see in akoyas with no yellow or cream at all, which is exactly what I like. Here they are compared to my Mikimoto AAs because they’ve become my luster benchmark for all my pearls :lol-1:. To my eyes, they’re equally lustrous, though the shark skin of the earrings can make reflections seem a little blurry.

oh those are lovely
what a bonus !
i love them over your white skivey, im a big fan of a necklace especially pearls worn that way

 

[concun]

@yssie love love your GSS bracelets. May you share how you got them made with different sizes? If you can share modeling pictures, that would be awesome!

 

[clockworkreader]

oh those are lovely
what a bonus !
i love them over your white skivey, im a big fan of a necklace especially pearls worn that way

It was a great bonus! I got a few hundred to play with in a jewellery store for “free”

I completely agree, I especially love pearls or gold necklaces worn over a black turtleneck or mock neck

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

@dk168
I was hoping when it was convineant if you could show your laurent pearl necklace as i want to see how it works please

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

It was a great bonus! I got a few hundred to play with in a jewellery store for “free”

I completely agree, I especially love pearls or gold necklaces worn over a black turtleneck or mock neck

i am sure you will get so much use from both strands of your new
pearls just brighten up winter !
and i totally love a gold necklace over a black turtleneck

 

[clockworkreader]

i am sure you will get so much use from both strands of your new
pearls just brighten up winter !
and i totally love a gold necklace over a black turtleneck

My two new strands are totally different (that's what I told myself anyway). The akoya strand, being a single strand and a choker length, is more suitable for day-to-day wear including wearing them to work. The double strand is more for formal occasions or in outfits where I want my necklace to stand out (eg over a black sweater!)

 

[dk168]

@dk168
I was hoping when it was convineant if you could show your laurent pearl necklace as i want to see how it works please

I don't wear it as a lariat-style necklace as I don't like it.

The basket clasp is only suitable for (I believe) 8mm pearls which are the ones in the last 2in of the necklace.

This allows me to wear it as an 18in necklace which is the norm for a collared shirt/blouse, or extended to 20in if I were to wear it with a top with a deeper neckline.

Larger basket clasps are available from the likes of Bella Findings I believe.

DK