Rikitea Strand:

[CRDKeshi]

Kay, so very sorry to hear what you're going through; especially sad for your girls. We've been through the same thing, and dementia is just ... PM me anytime 24/7 you need a hug or a sympathetic ear. Meanwhile, I prescribe warm blankets and cuddling, and dispense HUGS.

 

[bsomlo]

The necklace arrived early! Here are a lot of pictures. Overall, it's darker and greener than I thought it would be -- and I actually like the 18" length on me. These pictures were taken with natural Northern light on a super overcast day:

Reminder of glamour shots:





Came with a maroon velvet pouch -- first time I've seen this presentation:



On black velvet:

 

[bsomlo]

To try to give a sense of color, shots with other pearls:

With Madama:



With baroque blue akoya and Madama:



With lavender, WSS, baroque blue akoya, Madama



With pinked Hanadama, baroque blue akoya, Madama

 

[bsomlo]

On me:

 

[4Ranch Girl]

BS

 

[Tucs]

Stunning! They are really beautiful, and they look absolutely gorgeous on you -- don't shorten this beauty! I love the photo of them on your wrist. In my computer, they look quite blue in the photo before the last one.

So what do you think -- matching earrings? Roundelles?

 

[pencilcase]

bsomlo,

That is a gorgeous strand!! I've fallen in love with Tahitian's since getting my mom the pendant. You said it's darker than expected, are you satisfied with it? I can see strong greens, all in all a really fabulous look on you!
-oh, and I never properly thanked you for your kind comments on my metallic earrings and piercing that I posted weeks ago in the Halloween sale. Thank you!!

 

[Fly Girl]

Thank you for the photos, bsomlo. I've been thinking about blue Rikitea Tahitian pearls all week, and it is nice to see your photos. In fact, today I am wearing my Rikitea pearl ring and pendant.

The color is about what I was expecting. When I first saw 4Ranch Girl's blue body pearls, it was indoors at the ruckus, and I absolutely could not tell the difference between them and the dark green body strand she was wearing with them. Only after we went out into brighter light outdoors could I see the difference. So, I know it will be subtle. It would be interesting to see your blue body strand next to your other Tahitian strand.

I like the size of the pearls. I have been worrying all week that they would be really small, but they look to be a nice size, especially next to your akoyas.

I think to get a really bright blue color, you would need to go for intense blue overtones on a light to medium grey body. Of course, such a strand would probably go grey in certain lighting.

I like them on you. Truly a very, very fine strand of Tahitian pearls.

 

[bsomlo]

Fly Girl -- thanks for your comments. Very helpful.

The Hanadama, by the way, are 9 to 9.5mm. I believe my Rikitea strand is the smallest of all the strands (topping off at 10.2mm) so you should be fine with your size.

I'll photograph them tomorrow with lighting from earlier in the day, and next to my green/red Tahitians.

pencilcase -- I am in that mental space where I am trying to adjust the color I was expecting in my mind's eye (medium-dark blue like in the glamour shots) to what I see before me, which I would describe, in today's fading light, as dark charcoal/teal. The jury is out.

4 Ranch -- thanks!

tucs -- I don't think I'd get matching earrings. This dark color would get lost in my hair. For now, I'm wearing diamond studs.

 

[Kay]

Thanks to everyone for your support. FIL has made small improvements over the last 2 days, so we are feeling more hopeful.

Bsomlo, that strand is lovely on you! The length looks very elegant, and the pearl size looks substantial (I was worried I would find 10.9 mm too small, given the sizes of my baroque strands). I understand what you mean about adjusting your expectations regarding the color. I am curious to see how it looks in sunlight.

 

[bsomlo]

Fly Girl -- couldn't wait. Here are comparison photos with overhead lighting. I really see the "exotic" reds in my baroque green strand now! And the Rikitea looks more teal, less charcoal:







Kay -- I agree that it's an elegant piece. I am also excited to see it in tomorrow's light!

 

[Fly Girl]

Nice comparison photos, bsomlo. Next to the baroques you can see that the blue bodies definitely do not have the blacker body of the baroques. And, next to your green pearl you can see the blue body is distinctly bluer.

Thanks for these, and I look forward to seeing them in the morning.

 

[Kay]

B, your baroque strand with the red overtones is amazing!

 

[cmd2014]

Bsomio,

In my new multi strand I have two or three truly blue pearls, likely very similar to what are in your strand. In the black box they look grey. In my hand they look greenish grey. In fact, every pearl looks about the same in the box and in my hand (despite the fact that they have intense cherry, blue, and silver overtones), and you'd swear it was a solid colour strand. To the point where my first thought was that I got the wrong strand delivered. But on my skin....they suddenly they pop blue. Really, really blue. And the cherry pops red, and the silvers are suddenly white and bright and obvious. Especially in the right light. I hope that the same thing happens with yours too, once you get them in good light.

They look lovely and round and lustrous.

 

[Kay]

I have been contemplating what type of clasp to use with my blue strand. I have been considering the orbit clasp to add a little length, possibly one with embedded diamonds. Yesterday, I wore my freeform baroque WSS strand with the special diamond cirque clasp (from the Connoisseur sale), and I was thinking how pretty that clasp would look with the blues. I don’t want to take it off from the white strand, and I don’t know what it would cost to special order a second one. This morning, I had an epiphany. The diamond circle is completely removable from the 2 small locking pieces of the clasp that attach to the strand ends, so the circle can be worn with multiple strands, I just need a set of the locking end caps for each necklace. Based on pictures, I think the locking pieces from my clasp are the same ones that are on the equestrian clasp, so it should not be difficult to order 2 of them.

 

[Pirard]

The pearls are so beautiful. Enjoy them and wear them in the best of health!

 

[Fly Girl]

Kay - What a brilliant idea. I hope you can purchase just the folding caps with no problem. That clasp will be gorgeous.

Cmd2014 - Agree that all we are seeing so far are the body color of these pearls. And they are definitely not grey, so that is good. I, too, have my fingers crossed that there are some lovely overtones that will appear under better lighting.

 

[seaurchin]

@Bsomlo- Those are just wonderful.




















@Bso

 

[katkashmir]

Bsomlo - your Rikitea strand looks beautiful on you. Looking forward to more photos.

 

[Tucs]

Bsomlo, that's a good point re matching earrings. Your two Tahitian strands are lovely. The baroque are beautiful (thosee reddish overtones!) and the rounds, exquisite. Please post lots of photos tomorrow.

 

[bsomlo]

More natural light neck shots tomorrow, but I am finding it fascinating to see the two Tahitian strands next to each other (artificial light). Thanks so much for the idea, Fly Girl!

 

[Bailey1856]

Bsomlo, your Rikitea blues and the other red strand are both beautiful individually and together.

 

[ckrickett]

I have been waiting to see pics!!!! It has such character!! I love it!

 

[katbran]

Kay that is an inspired idea ! Just have them measure the interior diameter of the claspy things to make sure the circle will fit. I'm sure it will as it looks exactly the same ..but the equestrian is cut in a bit when the clasp closes. But it certainly looks like the same findings. Brilliant thinking! (and a nice little $$$ savings !)

The reds in your baroques look fabulous Bsomlo ! The blues are a surprise as they certainly look green to me and not at all what I thought they would be...very pretty though. All comes down to what you want. Lets hope the blue surfaces in different light ... what about at night??

 

[YC]

Bsomio, I was excited for you when you first posted about that blue strand cos blue is one of my favorite colours. It looks great against your skin. Congrats!

 

[LitGeek]

Beautiful beautiful beautiful T strand bsomlo!!!

Kay love your white ripple strand with the diamond clasp!

 

[cmd2014]

Any thoughts this morning?

I have to admit that I hate the whole light box shot/reality contrast effect. It sets you up to feel disappointed IMO, and I have such a hard time letting go of what I thought things should look like (an effect which gets stronger in proportion to how much I've spent). It makes it hard for me to appreciate something for what it is, until I forget what it was supposed to be.

 

[bsomlo]

cmd -- I am struggling with the color. I would call this color teal and it is not what I was expecting. Here are some morning shots with very overcast skies again, neck shots later:

 

[Tucs]

Yes in those photos it looks teal. Maybe it would look bluer in sunlight? Maybe it needs to be worn for a while? Of course, whether blue or teal, it is stunning.

 

[cmd2014]

They do look very similar to my blue-green body colour baroques from the Tahitian sale, only without the peacock overtones that some of the pearls on my strand have. Kind of charcoal grey with a teal tinge, more visible around the edges than dead on. In some of your shots they look almost silvery. They aren't really what I was expecting based on the online picture either. I imagined them lighter and more true blue. I think that without the expectation set up by the light box photo, I'd say "oh what beautiful silvery/green pearls!!!"...but with the expectation set up by the picture, my reaction is "hmmmmm......not so sure about what I think of them".

It's the hardest part about buying online.