Sea of cortez mabes, take 2

[lovedogs]

So my previous set of SoC mabes ended in disaster. But I still adore the pearls and wanted to try again by buying loose pearls and having them set locally.

Logic said I likely should wait until summer, 2022 for this year's harvest so I could pick from a large variety. However, I decided I really didnt want to go back and forth with the farm again. And although I reached out to many third party vendors to see if I could buy through them, most were either prohibitively expensive or only sold to trade.

So that left me with either going through the website, or forgoing the project entirely.

Without further ado, here is my new set for the station necklace. Plus extra in case I want to make a bangle or something (and to give myself options).

Taking pics of these is a nightmare. My camera made everything darker no matter what I saw IRL, which was frustrating.

I would love advice about the layout.

Here are the 2 options I like the most. The only difference is which pearl is in the middle. These pics show the 2 middle pearl options side by side. The middle left option is bluer, and middle right is more rainbow.

Note that all of them look lighter IRL, but no adjustments after the fact made it look more accurate. Outside in shade with sunlight to the north.


Same lighting




These pics (below) are more accurate. Somehow when I focused on 1-2 pearls at a time the colors were more accurate although still a touch dark.






I tried taking pics on my hand, since somehow my skin as a background helped with color accuracy. Here are 3 pics of "layout 1". The pearl in the middle here is the one on the left in pics above, the "bluer" one.



Just the "middle 3" here.


Same layout, under shade.




Below are pics of "layout 2" with the more rainbow pearl in the middle (the one on the right in the first pics of the thread.

Middle 3 only of this layout



Layout 2 in partial shade


Layout 2 in different light.


Layout 2 in full shade.



Below are pics of the Pearls I dont plan to use for the station necklace (not shown in any of the pics above). I'm open to alternatives about how I should design the necklace, so If anyone thinks I should use any/all of these instead of some shown above, let me know!!!

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

Omg love!!!! I sooo hope this project turns out better than the last
Can you post a link of where you got them?

 

[lovedogs]

Omg love!!!! I sooo hope this project turns out better than the last
Can you post a link of where you got them?

Bought directly from the farm's website. They often have lots of stuff not on the website (especially the higher quality loose options), but I just wasnt willing to go back and forth w them again.

Home Page EN - Perlas del Mar de Cortez - INGLES

Beauty, Rarity and Durability, a true Gem FEATURED ARTICLES Add to Wishlist Add to Wishlist MOP Cream, SunscreenContinue Reading "Home Page EN"

perlas.com.mx

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

Bought directly from the farm's website. They often have lots of stuff not on the website (especially the higher quality loose options), but I just wasnt willing to go back and forth w them again.

Home Page EN - Perlas del Mar de Cortez - INGLES

Beauty, Rarity and Durability, a true Gem FEATURED ARTICLES Add to Wishlist Add to Wishlist MOP Cream, SunscreenContinue Reading "Home Page EN"

perlas.com.mx

I just love them!!! Ugh so perfect! The colors are so lusterous

who are you gonna have set them?

 

[lovedogs]

Oh and I should add that 3 of these came from Ebay (the seller had 3 AAA quality from the farm so I purchased those as well). Pics above are 8 from the farm website and 3 from ebay

 

[lovedogs]

I just love them!!! Ugh so perfect! The colors are so lusterous

who are you gonna have set them?

Haha good question!! Was going to ask experts here for advice!

 

[yssie]

Okay so I was one of the people who advised waiting until next harvest but you clearly LOVE these pearls and if getting something now would make you more whole and more happy than waiting a year for potentially more options then I am 100% on board with this!! And honestly the mabes you chose look lovely - they don’t look like “compromise choices” at all

I like layout #2 better - the multicoloured center grabs my eyes.


I’m thinking it might be nice to be able to use two of the extra three as well - what does adding the middle and the right do to your lineup? I’m having trouble judging size and saturation, do they fit in well?


I do also remember that the necklace the farm put together flipped like mad! What are you thinking for preventing that? Do you think something interesting could be done to the undersides of the mabes/mounting to make them pretty on that side too, make the flipping less objectionable?

 

[lovedogs]

Okay so I was one of the people who advised waiting until next harvest but you clearly LOVE these pearls and if getting something now would make you more whole and more happy than waiting a year for potentially more options then I am 100% on board with this!! And honestly the mabes you chose look lovely - they don’t look like “compromise choices” at all

I like layout #2 better - the multicoloured center grabs my eyes.


I’m thinking it might be nice to be able to use two of the extra three as well - what does adding the middle and the right do to your lineup? I’m having trouble judging size and saturation, do they fit in well?


I do also remember that the necklace the farm put together flipped like mad! What are you thinking for preventing that? Do you think something interesting could be done to the undersides of the mabes/mounting to make them pretty on that side too, make the flipping less objectionable?

Thanks!!! I need to be really careful about choosing a bench, and make sure I figure out why the other one flipped so much. Any ideas about who to reach out to?

And basically I couldn't stop staring at the options on the website. I finally realised that it isnt worth it (to me) to wait until June-July next year to maybe have better options. Especially given how stressed I was at the idea of working with them again. It seemed like a better choice to just trust my eyes after all the time I've spent researching these silly buggers haha.

I'll try the additions to the layout you suggested tomorrow!

 

[yssie]

I’ve got an idea for the flipping actually.

So if the motifs are attached to the chain with regular jump rings, then as soon as the chain twists a bit the motif starts to flip. A chain with large motifs that have a front and a back relies on all the motifs staying right side up at all times - as soon as one of those motifs flips around it twists the chain next to it, which makes the next motif on each side of it want to flip, etc.

So what if you separated motif and chain so that each motif can flip independently without dragging neighbouring motifs along for the ride? So - yeah that one will flip, but it lets the others stay right side up. It also lets each motif kind of adjust to what "flat" means to it right where it is - up by your neck "flat against skin" might mean a different angle than one that's right on a collarbone... Kinda like these clasps that let the lobster bit rotate independently of the strand - but with one of the spinny hinge thingies on each side of each mabe motif, and of course way smaller than the mabe...

Thoughts?

 

[lovedogs]

I’ve got an idea for the flipping actually.

So if the motifs are attached to the chain with regular jump rings, then as soon as the chain twists a bit the motif starts to flip. A chain with large motifs that have a front and a back relies on all the motifs staying right side up at all times - as soon as one of those motifs flips around it twists the chain next to it, which makes the next motif on each side of it want to flip, etc.

So what if you separated motif and chain so that each motif can flip independently without dragging neighbouring motifs along for the ride? So - yeah that one will flip, but it lets the others stay right side up. Kinda like these clasps that let the lobster bit rotate independently of the strand - but with one of the spinny hinge thingies on each side of each mabe motif, and of course way smaller than the mabe...

Thoughts?

Omg that's such a smart idea!!! Totally brilliant.

 

[lovedogs]

Ok, I messed around this morning with changing the top right pearl.

Option 1




Option 2:


Option 3:


Option 4:



And @yssie here are some pics including 2 of the 3 extras

To be honest, I feel like having 9 pearls is a lot, and I prefer 7. But definitely open to opinions!!!

Ps. Whichever of the 2 original center pearl options isnt used in the necklace will become a bangle so neither of those (my 2 favorites) will be unused

 

[yssie]

Hah. I like 7 better too. 9 is a lot!

 

[whitewave]

7 has been catching my eye. 9 is too many I think also