What type of pearl for newbie ?

[dhimer]

The pearls will add some weight too. If you'd like a uniform look then maybe choose your pearls first? And then you can pick your bead size according to whatever pearl diameter you settle on? Sounds like it's the pearls that are the blockers here.

Chowing the pearls first makes so much more sense. I have been doing this backwards. That’s why I need you and all the other wise PSers to guide me

@yssie I have been drooling over your jewelry collection. And noticed you have multiple beautiful pearl pieces, composed of different types of pearls. If you were to chose your most favorite pearl piece which one would it be ? Also, if you could only have one type of pearl, what would it be ?

 

[Pearlescence]

I think you may be over-thinking this. Get what you will love, not what I love or anyone else loves. Part of the fun is finding the pieces which make YOU feel fabulous. For ene that can be a strand of potato freshwaters costing $30 while someone else finds their pearls are $30,000 gold south seas.
Think about the jewellery you have now. What piece or pieces do you wear more than any other. What clues can that give you?

 

[dhimer]

I think you may be over-thinking this. Get what you will love, not what I love or anyone else loves. Part of the fun is finding the pieces which make YOU feel fabulous. For ene that can be a strand of potato freshwaters costing $30 while someone else finds their pearls are $30,000 gold south seas.
Think about the jewellery you have now. What piece or pieces do you wear more than any other. What clues can that give you?

I’m a self proclaimed overthinker (one of my many faults ).
My question at @yssie was because to my knowledge she is a pearl lover. But yet, I read one of her posts about her favorite 5 pieces of jewelry. And to my surprise the list did not include any pearls.

 

[Pearlescence]

Ha!

 

[yssie]

@yssie I have been drooling over your jewelry collection. And noticed you have multiple beautiful pearl pieces, composed of different types of pearls. If you were to chose your most favorite pearl piece which one would it be ? Also, if you could only have one type of pearl, what would it be ?

My Sea of Cortez bracelet - easy choice They’re neither the priciest nor the rarest pearls, and if I’m honest they aren’t the most flattering on me, but they’re magical

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

pearls are like the Bruce Springsteen catalogue
there is a pearl/ song for every occasion


a very importsnt pearl is the hook pearl
its not necessarily the best or most exspensive but its what you first loved
(if you are my age) the born in the USA/ dancing in the dark/ glory days pearl that hooked you in
perhaps a strand on someone else that inspired you to look more deeply into the subject

but then you discover all these other types of pearls
pearls you never would have known about if it wasn't for the hook pearl

...hang on just having earthquake ...
its ok only a 3.5 (we are on pumus so we feel them all here)

the hook pearl is differnt to the starter pearl (perhaps one's mother's pearls)
see i heard hungry heart on the radio, but if only i had looked closer i would have seen grandma's pearls.


so you start to discover all these other types of pearls much different to the first or the hook
some are almost throw away fun, like my $30 dyed blue freshwaters, some are deep and deathly serouse, the kind you only find out about from peeps like our @yssie
the 78 intro of pearls (1978 a very important year in Bruce Springsteen fandom)
the peal that litterly stops your heart the first time you hear i mean see it
the pearl you hope to own one day (or hear in concert)

i should stop now because honestly im giving this way too much thought (some might say silly...) which is exactly the opposite of @Pearlescence 's excellent point regarding over thinking

but all these pearls have a time and place
they are all on our pearl journey together, they can all have a place in our wardrobes


sometimes over thinking is not our friend
just enjoy life in the moment
go buy some thing nice in a pearl paradise sale and enjoy wearing them

Only by actually wearing them you will start to work out what you want and what works for you

there is no rule that says you are only allowed one pearl necklace
and pearls come in a price point for everyone

although there are ugly pearls
its not like buying a cr**py diamond in the $$$$ dept

i still love my $30 dyed freshies
they are still useful in my wardrobe
(althougj note i have never posted a picture of this stand)

anyway just have a bit of pearl fun first
that's what i reacon

 

[yssie]

pearls are like the Bruce Springsteen catalogue
there is a pearl/ song for every occasion

...hang on just having earthquake ...
its ok only a 3.5 (we are on pumus so we feel them all here)

i still love my $30 dyed freshies
they are still useful in my wardrobe
(althougj note i have never posted a picture of this stand)

The gamut of topics traversed in this one post… Daisy you’re one of a kind. I say that with so much fondness.

 

[katbran]

Definitely decide on the pearl size first. That may determine the type of pearl you want.
As for the gold beads - it sounded like they were being hand made? This would be a very expensive way to buy something that is available in many finishes from manufacturers. From shiny to matt to hammered just about any texture is available in every size and karat. Certainly will save a substantial amount . Of course if I've misunderstood... just ignore all of this lol

 

[dhimer]

Definitely decide on the pearl size first. That may determine the type of pearl you want.
As for the gold beads - it sounded like they were being hand made? This would be a very expensive way to buy something that is available in many finishes from manufacturers. From shiny to matt to hammered just about any texture is available in every size and karat. Certainly will save a substantial amount . Of course if I've misunderstood... just ignore all of this lol

Yes pearls first seems to be the way to go. The gold beads are being hand made because I wanted them in either 24k gold or 22k gold. I couldn’t find those readily available. I know the gold bead design is very common in India but again, don’t know any reputable vendor that I would trust to purchase from and ship fe India. If any of you know a source , please let me know !

 

[katbran]

Ask Cees at Amsterdam Pearls - he's in Bangkok and might have access to such a thing.

There are a couple of ETSY sellers who do 24k beads up to 6mm ( Hong Finds)

 

[dhimer]

My Sea of Cortez bracelet - easy choice They’re neither the priciest nor the rarest pearls, and if I’m honest they aren’t the most flattering on me, but they’re magical

Oh wow! The colors on your SoC bracelet
Just looked them up on IG and saw they are undergoing their harvest. I’m guessing there will be some more SoC projects on PS soon. Excited to see them

 

[dhimer]

Ask Cees at Amsterdam Pearls - he's in Bangkok and might have access to such a thing.

There are a couple of ETSY sellers who do 24k beads up to 6mm ( Hong Finds)

Thank you for the feedback.I found some Etsy sellers with premade spacer beads (including Hong finds ). 6 + mm beads come with holes in diameter of 2-2.8mm. Isn’t this too big considering most pearls are drilled 0.6-1ish mm ? Guide me wise ones !
I reached out to Hong to see if they can be custom made to smaller diameter hole.

Cees is a good suggestion. Didn’t think of him before for non gold related items. I wonder if he can source them even without purchasing pearls from him !

 

[yssie]

You don’t want the beads to have holes smaller than the pearls, but you’re right - most pearls in the 10mm-ish size will be drilled with either 1mm or 0.8mm bits.

If you’re going to be wire wrapping each pearl and gold bead like in one of your inspiration pics exact hole size matters much less -





If you’re going to be stringing them on thread then you can just string like usual and let the large-hole gold beads pass over the knots - the beads will touch adjacent pearls, without visible knots between bead/pearl, but the golds will be such attention-grabbers that no one will ever notice there aren’t knots between bead/pearl the way there are between pearl/pearl.

If you go this route my one word of caution would be to double check the area around the hole on each bead. Just run your finger over and make sure there’s no sharp rim or jagged edges. Tahitians have much thicker nacre than akoya, I’m personally not too worried about damage letting bead and pearl touch, but best to verify the metal is smooth!

 

[dhimer]

You don’t want the beads to have holes smaller than the pearls, but you’re right - most pearls in the 10mm-ish size will be drilled with either 1mm or 0.8mm bits.

If you’re going to be wire wrapping each pearl and gold bead like in one of your inspiration pics exact hole size matters much less -





If you’re going to be stringing them on thread then you can just string like usual and let the large-hole gold beads pass over the knots - the beads will touch adjacent pearls, without visible knots between bead/pearl, but the golds will be such attention-grabbers that no one will ever notice there aren’t knots between bead/pearl the way there are between pearl/pearl.

If you go this route my one word of caution would be to double check the area around the hole on each bead. Just run your finger over and make sure there’s no sharp rim or jagged edges. Tahitians have much thicker nacre than akoya, I’m personally not too worried about damage letting bead and pearl touch, but best to verify the metal is smooth!

I did not want the beads to have holes larger than the pearls. Because, originally I was thinking of having them knotted and the gold beads going over the knots and subsequently damaging the pearls.
But, if this is not a major concern as you mentioned, it will be a significant cost saving to go with readymade beads. Right now I’m at around 7-9k for the cost of gold and labour alone !
I do like the look of the wire- but worried that they may add more weight to the already quite heavy necklace.

 

[yssie]

I did not want the beads to have holes larger than the pearls. Because, originally I was thinking of having them knotted and the gold beads going over the knots and subsequently damaging the pearls.
But, if this is not a major concern as you mentioned, it will be a significant cost saving to go with readymade beads. Right now I’m at around 7-9k for the cost of gold and labour alone !
I do like the look of the wire- but worried that they may add more weight to the already quite heavy necklace.

Yikes!! I definitely vote premade if that saves you some cash!! If there are sharp or jagged edges you can file them down yourself with a dremel (or an actual file and some elbow grease), or take them to a local jeweller for some TLC. I wouldn’t let gold beads directly touch akoya I care about but Tahitians are just *so* much hardier.

The wire will mean fewer pearls/beads for the same length (since each of those wrapped connections takes up a lot more space than a knot would), so I think it’d actually be quite a bit lighter! But the labour would cost significantly more than a simple stringing.

Here’s one of mine. My gold beads are much smaller than yours, 4mm and 5mm, but their openings are 2mm and they do slide over knots (and touch adjacent pearls). You can see how the absence of knot between pearl/gold doesn’t even show up, especially if you use a darker/neutral thread.

 

[dhimer]

Yikes!! I definitely vote premade if that saves you some cash!! If there are sharp or jagged edges you can file them down yourself with a dremel (or an actual file and some elbow grease), or take them to a local jeweller for some TLC. I wouldn’t let gold beads directly touch akoya I care about but Tahitians are just *so* much hardier.

The wire will mean fewer pearls/beads for the same length (since each of those wrapped connections takes up a lot more space than a knot would), so I think it’d actually be quite a bit lighter! But the labour would cost significantly more than a simple stringing.

Here’s one of mine. My gold beads are much smaller than yours, 4mm and 5mm, but their openings are 2mm and they do slide over knots (and touch adjacent pearls). You can see how the absence of knot between pearl/gold doesn’t even show up, especially if you use a darker/neutral thread.

This is really beautiful and such a great visual help.
Update: I contacted PP for Tahitians and waiting for them to get back to me. Also contacted takahashi via IG. Got no response from them the first few times but they messaged today saying they would get back to me shortly.

Also, trying to decide if I should also contact SoC because I see on IG their harvest season is almost done and they must have some good options for me.
To this end @yssie, since you said SoC pearls are your favorite, may I ask why you prefer them over Tahitians ? I have seen Tahitians in person but never SoC so I can not judge for myself.

 

[dhimer]

Oh and one more thing, after following up on the premade bead route, I realized that I will still go custom on them. This is a necklace I want to have for a lifetime and since it will end up being quite costly (for me ), I want it to be exactly how I want it. Here are some photos of the vendor beads (he is playing around with different sizes and textures while we wait for the pearls. He is just as exited as I am )

 

[yssie]

I will respond in just a bit!

 

[yssie]

This is really beautiful and such a great visual help.
Update: I contacted PP for Tahitians and waiting for them to get back to me. Also contacted takahashi via IG. Got no response from them the first few times but they messaged today saying they would get back to me shortly.

Also, trying to decide if I should also contact SoC because I see on IG their harvest season is almost done and they must have some good options for me.
To this end @yssie, since you said SoC pearls are your favorite, may I ask why you prefer them over Tahitians ? I have seen Tahitians in person but never SoC so I can not judge for myself.

Definitely contact Andrew Moline for top Tahitians as well. The best Tahitians I have are all from him! He mentioned a while ago that sourcing was a challenge, but that was several months ago - he may have some more possibilities now!

Cortez are pastel multicolour magic. A friend described them as “metallic grey nail polish with coloured iridescence” and that description is dead on. The colour in SoC kind of “sticks” to the body - where a Tahitian usually has soap-bubble-esque colours that shift as you twist and rock the pearl, SoC colours tend to “stay” where they are on the pearl. Maybe someone else with SoCs can comment as well? Tagging @737liz @MakingTheGrade @lovedogs

Three downsides of Cortez pearls.
1. The nicest ones will never have luster like the nicest Tahitians
2. The baroques are where the colour magic is - rounds are extremely few and far between and you just won’t find enough that have colour play as strong as baroques for your project. So you’d have to “settle” for less colourful rounds. And IMO Cortez pearls go from amazing to meh pretty quickly. Are you interested in baroque pearls at all?
3. They do get pricey. But to be fair so do Tahitians, so not sure that’s a fair downside!

If you’re interested in them and like the idea of baroques I would order one or two and see what you think in-person before mentally commuting, if that makes any sense? They’re weird little things. To me they’re just the most magical pearls, the colour play is so exotic, and I’m kind of a collector, the rarity appeals as well. But at the same time they definitely aren’t “classic” the way that whites, golds, or Tahitians are!

 

[katbran]

I seriously cannot bear the thought of you spending so much on beads.....depending on the number you need ..... please don't commit yet ! First check out this supplier. I've bought some stone strands from her and they were all beautiful..... even if they were retail lol I knew she had some Gold products but never really checked them out . But ... these have a 1mm hole - much easier to deal with !!

18k Gold Hammered Bead 8.50-9mm 1mm or 2.50mm Hole Solid 18 Carat Yellow Gold - Etsy Hong Kong

This Beads item by FindRare has 325 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from Lithuania. Listed on Jun 15, 2024

www.etsy.com

 

[dhimer]

I’m having no luck with this necklace so changing strategy ...will make something without pearls

But, pearls are still on my mind !
Takahashi showed me these beautiful options I’m considering. Would love your thoughts and opinions on these ladies and gents
1) gem quality white akoya- any of these worth the purchase ?

2) grey/lavender akoya- love the colors but not sure how they would look on my olive/golden skin

3) pastel bracelet in 7 or 8 mm. Love the way they look but can’t tell if luster is good enough
4) lastly some super cute 4mm parcels in deep gold and rose gold - what would I even make with them ?

 

[dhimer]

Definitely contact Andrew Moline for top Tahitians as well. The best Tahitians I have are all from him! He mentioned a while ago that sourcing was a challenge, but that was several months ago - he may have some more possibilities now!

Cortez are pastel multicolour magic. A friend described them as “metallic grey nail polish with coloured iridescence” and that description is dead on. The colour in SoC kind of “sticks” to the body - where a Tahitian usually has soap-bubble-esque colours that shift as you twist and rock the pearl, SoC colours tend to “stay” where they are on the pearl. Maybe someone else with SoCs can comment as well? Tagging @737liz @MakingTheGrade @lovedogs

Three downsides of Cortez pearls.
1. The nicest ones will never have luster like the nicest Tahitians
2. The baroques are where the colour magic is - rounds are extremely few and far between and you just won’t find enough that have colour play as strong as baroques for your project. So you’d have to “settle” for less colourful rounds. And IMO Cortez pearls go from amazing to meh pretty quickly. Are you interested in baroque pearls at all?
3. They do get pricey. But to be fair so do Tahitians, so not sure that’s a fair downside!

If you’re interested in them and like the idea of baroques I would order one or two and see what you think in-person before mentally commuting, if that makes any sense? They’re weird little things. To me they’re just the most magical pearls, the colour play is so exotic, and I’m kind of a collector, the rarity appeals as well. But at the same time they definitely aren’t “classic” the way that whites, golds, or Tahitians are!

After your description, I feel like I need to own one of these pearls ! Maybe start with earrings (some plain drop style so I can have the baroque pearls ). I will contact the farm, but since these are such different pearls and I want to have the best within my small budget - what should I ask for them to focus (color play, luster)? They have completed their harvest for the year.
@yssie Are you getting anything from them soon?

 

[yssie]

After your description, I feel like I need to own one of these pearls ! Maybe start with earrings (some plain drop style so I can have the baroque pearls ). I will contact the farm, but since these are such different pearls and I want to have the best within my small budget - what should I ask for them to focus (color play, luster)? They have completed their harvest for the year.
@yssie Are you getting anything from them soon?

Some of this discussion happening in the other thread But - "maybe" on the buying front. They have a new implanter, I would like to get one of her pearls, I've got specimens from all the other implanters. They also apparently have been very diligent about #data this cycle - effects of food, temperature, population, etc., so I'm very curious about the results. I'll share whatever they okay me saying publicly here of course!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I’m having no luck with this necklace so changing strategy ...will make something without pearls

But, pearls are still on my mind !
Takahashi showed me these beautiful options I’m considering. Would love your thoughts and opinions on these ladies and gents
1) gem quality white akoya- any of these worth the purchase ?

2) grey/lavender akoya- love the colors but not sure how they would look on my olive/golden skin

3) pastel bracelet in 7 or 8 mm. Love the way they look but can’t tell if luster is good enough
4) lastly some super cute 4mm parcels in deep gold and rose gold - what would I even make with them ?

the longest necklace possible
the colours are lovelly

not everything is about pearl size
i know we talk about Wilma Flintstones and pearl shrinkage syndrome but i love this art deco strand of long small pearls my grandma had and must have worn as a young lady in the 1930s

 

[dhimer]

Some of this discussion happening in the other thread But - "maybe" on the buying front. They have a new implanter, I would like to get one of her pearls, I've got specimens from all the other implanters. They also apparently have been very diligent about #data this cycle - effects of food, temperature, population, etc., so I'm very curious about the results. I'll share whatever they okay me saying publicly here of course!

I can’t wait to see what you end up with. You have exquisite taste

 

[dhimer]

Came to update.
I had asked my MIL to source the necklace from India when she went to visit. She has come back and picked one that was close to my inspiration pictures. However:
1)I don’t think what she picked has real pearls ( they feel fake/imitation )
2) the quality of the gold balls is lacking
But it was not all a waste because now I know I really like this style, I like the bead size (10 mm) and will make with higher quality material and workmanship

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Came to update.
I had asked my MIL to source the necklace from India when she went to visit. She has come back and picked one that was close to my inspiration pictures. However:
1)I don’t think what she picked has real pearls ( they feel fake/imitation )
2) the quality of the gold balls is lacking
But it was not all a waste because now I know I really like this style, I like the bead size (10 mm) and will make with higher quality material and workmanship

well all was not wasted
they are very pretty and demand to be worn
enjoy them in the meantime

 

[yssie]

Came to update.
I had asked my MIL to source the necklace from India when she went to visit. She has come back and picked one that was close to my inspiration pictures. However:
1)I don’t think what she picked has real pearls ( they feel fake/imitation )
2) the quality of the gold balls is lacking
But it was not all a waste because now I know I really like this style, I like the bead size (10 mm) and will make with higher quality material and workmanship

Yeah. Using imitation gemstones with high karat gold is really common in India!
Would you want engraved beads like the ones your MIL chose? Or more plain like the sample you had made prior?

 

[dhimer]

Yeah. Using imitation gemstones with high karat gold is really common in India!
Would you want engraved beads like the ones your MIL chose? Or more plain like the sample you had made prior?

I was hoping she would send me pictures of the main contenders or FaceTime me ...but she chose on her own. I think I prefer the plain balls ( or maybe a hammer finish at most ). Will wear this necklace until I can get the new one made (even though I keep focusing on all that is wrong with it ).
If you have any vendor suggestions for the high carat gold balls ( outside of North America), please do let me know.
Thank you