Visit to PP for Tahitians

[katbran]

Ricezo - there are several very good pearl stores in Australia that sell high end SS Tahitian and Freshwater. I'm sure each major city has someone that sells high end pearls .

That single Peacock pearl is just beautiful ! Love the setting you are going to use as well !!

 

[pregcurious]

Thanks, Katbran. That setting has been sitting empty for a while, and I have been trying to find a CS for it for several years. I even bought a gemstone last year just to go in this, but I never set it. I still have the gemstone loose, but am planning to keep it that way because it is a good specimen.

Do pearl people keep a box of loose pearls for collecting the way that CS people keep boxes of loose colored stones?

 

[Siameseroo]

Ricezo - there are several very good pearl stores in Australia that sell high end SS Tahitian and Freshwater. I'm sure each major city has someone that sells high end pearls .

That single Peacock pearl is just beautiful ! Love the setting you are going to use as well !!

Thanks Kathbran! Any suggestions for Melbourne? There are a number of high end jewellery stores that sell Kalais and Paspaley pearls - they are 'high end' but does that necessarily equate to quality? There is also Rutherford Pearls but again I can't comment on the quality. Please let me know if you have any suggestions!

Preg - apologies for the thread jack!

 

[ennui]

Do pearl people keep a box of loose pearls for collecting the way that CS people keep boxes of loose colored stones?

I imagine some do. But, I think it's more that pearl people will find a special pearl, and then hang onto it for a while until they think of the perfect setting.

The trick with pearls is the drilling. If you buy a loose pearl and then have it drilled, it can crack. My collection of loose pearls are all drilled and came from items that broke or that I took apart. Now, they await a new purpose.

 

[Fly Girl]

Thanks, Katbran. That setting has been sitting empty for a while, and I have been trying to find a CS for it for several years. I even bought a gemstone last year just to go in this, but I never set it. I still have the gemstone loose, but am planning to keep it that way because it is a good specimen.

Do pearl people keep a box of loose pearls for collecting the way that CS people keep boxes of loose colored stones?

I do. Right now I have a couple of Sea of Cortez rounds and several loose drilled Japanese Kasumi pearls that are looking for homes. Not to mention all the pearl strands I purchased back when I was going to tie my own necklaces.

The nice thing about pearls, as opposed to CS, is that mounting them into wearable jewelry can be a lot less expensive. And, you get a lot of look for the $ with pearls. But, combining them with pearls is the most fun for me.

 

[pregcurious]

+1. Plus I don't have to plan a yearly visit to AGL, and deal with 10 day return periods. Eh, one day I'll buy another CS.

 

[NacreLover]

Thanks for posting this. I was happy to hear you were heading to "The Vault" for a in person lookie lou. It's just overwhelming isn't it?
I am glad you took the time from your trip and you will be itching to go back, I know I say that every time I go. I hope we meet you at the ruckus soon....

 

[pregcurious]

Thanks, Nacrelover. Alas, it is hard to justify another visit to PP this year, partly because I have two young kids and it is hard on my husband. I am open to going next year, if I am invited. Maybe I'll save my Tahitian round purchase for next year then but life is short, and I am bad at waiting.

In the meantime, I'll try to learn as much as I can by shopping local and reading online.

 

[pregcurious]

I received my ovals today! Thanks for everyone who helped to find this strand, a special shout out to Hisano for her patience and guidance. I'm really glad she suggested a multicolor strand as a my first Tahitian purchase because this will allow me to assess color on my skin tone.

It's getting later here, but I wanted to post a quick pic. This was taken in the fluorescent light of my home office, and a little blurry. I'll take additional pictures soon. It was really hard to focus on them. The luster is beautiful. Two of the silver pearls were taken out as earrings.

 

[pregcurious]

Here's another shot on white fabric. I'll take more during the day, without the horrible fluorescent lighting.

 

[pregcurious]

Neck shot.

 

[4Ranch Girl]

That is one wonderful strand of Tahitian pearls. Enjoy your new beauty.

 

[ennui]

Those are some gorgeous pearls, pregcurious! Holy cow. You may not need rounds, those are so pretty.

 

[pregcurious]

Thanks, 4RanchGirl.

Ennui, I was actually thinking the same thing. I think I can take my time on another Tahitian strand, and buy other pearls for the time being.

 

[Pirard]

I am really unable to tell they are not round! You did very well and I love the earrings to go with! Can't wait for your additional photos.

 

[BWise]

Those are some gorgeous pearls, pregcurious! Holy cow. You may not need rounds, those are so pretty.

Second that! With those I don't think you need rounds.

They are so beautiful - does it make you happier if I tell you that PP no longer have anything even close when I was there last week? Congrats!

 

[pregcurious]

Thanks, Pirard and Yingh.

The center pearl (which is light green) appears round, and the grey pearls around the strand also look round (to me). I think the mixture of these with some of the less round makes the necklace overall look more round than it is. Some of the more unique pearls (for example the half rose/green and purple pearls) are definitely not round, but the lack of roundness gives them this amazing multicolor effect in one pearl. I'll try to take some pictures to better illustrate this.

The golden pistachio pearls have a color that I wish South Sea pearls had.

My husband even made an unsolicited positive comment. He has always been accepting of my "collecting", but he rarely comments.

 

[dk168]

Excellent pics and choice!

DK

 

[katbran]

Well that strands looks lovely ! And it does look round. People will see it as round because their brain will tell them it's round. (and they are already pretty round looking) I'd not bother with a round strand...maybe some nice baroques so that they are very different to the current shape.

As for the box with CS ... I talked to the people at Atlas which is a big SS pearl company here in Australia and a woman at the counter was making a joke about pearls..she said every time she came across a weird but fabulous pearl that didn't work in any of the strands..it went into "the bowl" on her desk. We spent half an hour sorting through pearls to find something "bowl worthy" . lol I think she was planning to turn the bowl pearls into a necklace at some point. Nice work if you can get it

As to Melbourne ... do you have a Raw Pearls there? We have one here in Adelaide but I wasn't sure if they were in the other cities as well. As for Paspaley ...well they are about the best you are going to find... and Kailis is excellent as well. So you won't go wrong looking at them ! I often stand at the local jewellery store just down the road and stare at the Kailis pearls...nice designs as well.

If I think of someone in Melbourne I'll let you know .. I keep thinking there was a jeweller in town that specialised in pearls...

 

[caro40]

I work in Collins St, which at my end of the street is awash with pearl sellers. But my favourite (great quality and much cheaper) is Imogene at Clifton Hill, which is a short distance from the Melbourne CBD. Kathryn Wyatt is lovely. I bought my two most fabulous ropes from Kathryn - a huge tahitian rope and a SS/Tahitian mix. I bought them as some of my first pearl necklaces and wondered at the time if I could have done better (I had no idea and hadn't even heard of a Tahitian pearl before I walked in to her store) but in the two years since haven't seen anything like them on line and have certainly not seen anything like them for the price in person. And I have been a proper pearl obsessive and checked everything out.....

 

[pregcurious]

As for the box with CS ... I talked to the people at Atlas which is a big SS pearl company here in Australia and a woman at the counter was making a joke about pearls..she said every time she came across a weird but fabulous pearl that didn't work in any of the strands..it went into "the bowl" on her desk. We spent half an hour sorting through pearls to find something "bowl worthy" . lol I think she was planning to turn the bowl pearls into a necklace at some point. Nice work if you can get it

That sounds really great. In NL and 4RG's thread, there is a picture of a bowl containing melo and conch pearls. Yum!
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/lucy-and-ethel-hit-the-road.211744/page-3']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/lucy-and-ethel-hit-the-road.211744/page-3[/URL]

And thank you for the complement on the roundness of the pearls. I have to say that large truly round pearls look very different to me, so I will probably still buy a round set one day. When I see large rounds, I always think, WOW, that is really round. I know that sounds strange but large round pearls are very striking to me.

 

[pregcurious]

Thanks, DK. After all this pearl fuss, I went and bought a CS last night. When I arrives, I will post about it on the CS forum.

 

[katbran]

Ah Caro...thank you ... those are the two names I was trying to think of... never been to the shops but I've seen some photos. Very nice !

 

[NacreLover]

Neck shot.

Beautiful strand pregcurious!

 

[pregcurious]

Thanks, Katbran and NL.

Here are indoor daylight pics using my iPhone. The first is in a white paper box. The second is next to a window. They still look great. As expected, in direct light it is hard to see the overtones, but the contrast in body color tone helps who the multicolor effect. I love this and can't wait to wear it this weekend.

 

[NacreLover]

Your girlfriends will have a fit. The colors are beautiful.

 

[BWise]

Thanks, Katbran and NL.

Here are indoor daylight pics using my iPhone. The first is in a white paper box. The second is next to a window. They still look great. As expected, in direct light it is hard to see the overtones, but the contrast in body color tone helps who the multicolor effect. I love this and can't wait to wear it this weekend.

Now I'm going to have drooling symptoms. More pictures please!

 

[Pirard]

Your girlfriends will have a fit. The colors are beautiful.

So true! I'm having a fit of jealousy myself!!

 

[cmd2014]

Your girlfriends will have a fit. The colors are beautiful.

So true! I'm having a fit of jealousy myself!!

Me too!!!