PP October Sale

[cmd2014]

Just noticed yesterday that PP has their October sale up. It looks like they are only offering a special price on white ripple strands this month that you can get in 16, 18, or 35 inch lengths with a silver hook clasp. I haven't been around enough to know whether a single offering is typical of a monthly sale, or whether one should expect a different offer each week?

Has anyone been tempted so far?

 

[ckrickett]

I've been wanting a ripple strand for awhile. I snagged the 35 inch one and might see what pp finds in the way of purple or peach metallic ripples next time they are in Hong Kong

 

[SMC]

Just noticed yesterday that PP has their October sale up. It looks like they are only offering a special price on white ripple strands this month that you can get in 16, 18, or 35 inch lengths with a silver hook clasp. I haven't been around enough to know whether a single offering is typical of a monthly sale, or whether one should expect a different offer each week?

Has anyone been tempted so far?

They only offer one monthly sale per month so white ripples are it for the month of October. They also offer a weekly sale on a new item every Friday via their Facebook site.

 

[Tucs]

I ordered a strand this morning, 18 inches long. Very excited; this will be my second pearl necklace.

 

[Dulcinea]

I'm interested but haven't learned enough yet about ripple pearls. Do they have overtones in the same range as other white pearls-- i.e., silver or rose? Or do they have more of an iridescent effect?

Very tempted by these as I'm finding my style moving more towards edgy interpretations of classics, which means my traditional 16" round white strand isn't seeing much use.

 

[cmd2014]

I have to admit that I don't understand the farming process that results in the ripples. They say that they are freshwater pearls farmed like salt water ones...but I don't actually know what that means, or why the pearls would end up textured the way that they do.

Are white ripples special in some way in person? I know the other colours can have fantastic ranges of body colour and overtone, but is that true of the white ones too?

 

[Fly Girl]

Kevin Canning posted quite of few pictures of the white baby ripples that he found at the HK show. Go to pearlsofjoy.com and follow the 'our blog' tab in the upper right of their home page. Go down to Day 1 of the Hong Kong show. Scroll down past the Holy Grails and Edisons (tough to do, I know ) to the Baby Ripples section. I'm thinking that these may look similar to the PP ones, although Kevin's baby ripples look to be quite uniformly small. And adorable, I might add.

 

[pearlsngems]

They are bead-nucleated, as saltwater pearls are.

The best ones have smooth surfaces-- specifically, Edison pearls.

 

[Pirard]

I ordered two strands...a 16" and an 18" so that I could wear them doubled, as a long rope, or separately. The price on these seemed to be very fair (actually quite inexpensive) for what they are. The strands coming to me are really pretty, and very textured, which for me is a much more casual look. I will post pictures when I receive them in about a week or so.

 

[Pearlescence]

Saltwater pearls (AKoya, South Sea, Tahitian) are grown on a bead, with a tiny sliver of mantle tissue to start the host mollusc growing a pearl sac. That is why sea pearls are usually round to roundish - they have a round bead inside them.
Freshwater pearls used always to be started with the sliver of mantle tissue (which is the tissue which secretes nacre) but recently (last four or five years) bead nucleated pearls have appeared on the market. That means that they have a bead inside them too.
You can get bigger pearls and they will tend to be rounder.
Surfaces can be smooth and with incredibly shiny metallic lustre or they can be convoluted and folded - rippled and have lustre which will vary between metallic and the sort of satin look more usually characteristic of south sea pearls. Most of these bead nucleated pearls come in natural (undyed) colours.
White ones are white with usually a real rainbow play of colours in the best. They can also have a gold overtone since a lot of ripples also have patches of what looks like gold leaf on them.

 

[Tucs]

Thank you for the thorough explanation, Pearlescence!
I have heard that, in general, freshwater pearls are very durable because they are all nacre. Is this still the case if they are bead nucleated?

 

[cmd2014]

Thanks from me too. That makes sense now.

 

[4Ranch Girl]

It is not just that ripple pearls are bead-nucleated. They are also grown inside an organ (the gonad) the same way all saltwater pearls are grown. Just being a beaded pearl is not what makes them like saltwater pearls. Fireballs are beaded, coin pearls are beaded, but these are grown in the mantle, not in the gonad.

 

[Pearlescence]

All-nacre pearls are just that, all nacre. So if they wear it will be like peeling an onion. you'll usually still have a good pearl as long as the underneath layers are as good as the top one, which usually they are since they are made by the same nacre making cells.
With bead nucleated pearls in general there is much more chance of cracking. It's pretty unpredictable but usually happens when drilling - some beaded pearls simply don't have enough nacre. And they are more likely to crack and wear out so that the bead shows - cheap Akoya are notorious for this when not left to develop for long enough (in and out and sell for turnover).
As always with pearls, you will get pretty much what you pay for. Nacre takes time.

 

[pearlsngems]

Sorry about typos, I'm trying again.

My understanding from what I've read is that the ripples and Edisons are nucleated in-body, among the organs of the mussel (as opposed to in-mantle for the all-nacre pearls) but not in the gonad of the mussel. I've read that the gonad of the freshwater mussel can't accomodate beads due to its size/shape. (I'm looking for a reference for this and will post it when I find it.)

A few articles I've come across about in-body nucleation and freshwater pearls:

http://www.ebay.com/gds/In-body-bead-nucleated-Freshwater-Pearls-/10000000016443014/g.html

http://pacificpearls.us/in-body-bead-nucleated-pearls/

http://modernjeweler.com/publication/article.jsp?pubId=1&id=675&pageNum=2

 

[Pirard]

All very interesting information...but not being a pearl expert, just a consumer...I really like the look of the ripple pearls. I do agree that you get what you pay for, but that said, I also do think that, comparatively speaking, the PP sale this month is a good buy. I have other ripple strands from other vendors, including Honora which markets them as "Mings". We aren't talking about pearls worth $10s of thousands, rather pearls that are worth a few hundred dollars...the difference between inexpensive and poor quality vs reasonable price and good quality is evident. I am sure that there are qualities that make superior ripples (like those POJ Holy Grail strands) which I think has more to do with the luster, color array, and size.

 

[4Ranch Girl]

Sorry about typos, I'm trying again.

My understanding from what I've read is that the ripples and Edisons are nucleated in-body, among the organs of the mussel (as opposed to in-mantle for the all-nacre pearls) but not in the gonad of the mussel. I've read that the gonad of the freshwater mussel can't accomodate beads due to its size/shape. (I'm looking for a reference for this and will post it when I find it.)

A few articles I've come across about in-body nucleation and freshwater pearls:

http://www.ebay.com/gds/In-body-bead-nucleated-Freshwater-Pearls-/10000000016443014/g.html

http://pacificpearls.us/in-body-bead-nucleated-pearls/

http://modernjeweler.com/publication/article.jsp?pubId=1&id=675&pageNum=2

Pearlsngems read this:

http://www.ssef.ch/uploads/media/2011_Haenni_Ming_pearls_-_A_new_type_of_cultured_pearl_from_China.pdf

 

[pearlsngems]

Interesting read, thank you 4Ranch Girl!

So to summarize, the way they dealt with the difficulty in accessing the freshwater mussel's gonad is to pre-drill the bead, partially plug the drill hole with the mantle tissue, and introduce both together in one step.

Of course since this limits the nucleation to one bead per mussel, hence the prices for the top quality in-body pearls like the Edison ones. I imagine the ripples will become a thing of the past, with time, as techniques for producing the higher quality pearls become more common knowledge. Like the "rice krispie" pearls of a few decades ago.

I have to admit the surface appearance of the ripples doesn''t appeal to me, although I do like other baroques.

 

[Frost Me]

I really love the look and size of Mapo's strand she posted on "What are you wearing today" Page 85

 

[Frost Me]

BabyMonster's photo page 86 "What are you wearing today"

 

[Pirard]

This photo is exactly why I ordered two strands...I just love the look of ripples doubled up! To me the ripples are the sassy sister of the pearl world...they may have wrinkles but they know how to work them!

 

[Frost Me]

This photo is exactly why I ordered two strands...I just love the look of ripples doubled up! To me the ripples are the sassy sister of the pearl world...they may have wrinkles but they know how to work them!

I will look forward to seeing Pirard, they don't look like my mothers pearls, more modern. I am not sure they are for me… but I keep thinking about a strand….

 

[ckrickett]

Mine should arrive today!

 

[cmd2014]

Mine should arrive today!

Post lots of pictures please!!!!

 

[bsomlo]

Well? Well?!

 

[ckrickett]

They arrived later last night. I was so busy painting I was worried I'd ruin them so they sat in the package until this morning!
They are just gorgeous! I love them, the length, MM, weight, and clasp are all just perfect! The price was pretty dandy too, so I am super pleased.

Good LORD have I fallen in love with that clasp! So easy!

OK Pics




In box


Now I want a ripple bracelet


pretty horrendous pic, I like it long, but not with this top


what I am wearing today, I was worried they would be to heavy but they are just fine. I'm glad the pearls aren;t much bigger, for a 35" rope I probably couldn't handle them any bigger, but if/when I get a shorter strand I will probably go to 13-16MM rather then the 9-12MM

 

[icy_jade]

Ckrickett: Nice! What overtones are yours?

I bought two strands, to be strung so that they can nest snugly together. Wanted to have the option to wear just one strand at a time.

 

[Pirard]

Ckrickett, I love the pearls...your strand is gorgeous. I hope mine are as nice!
Icy, I ordered two that can be nested, worn separately, or can be linked together...I can't wait to get them, but they haven't shipped yet. I'm on the east coast, so I probably won't be getting them until late next week or early the following.

 

[Tucs]

Lovely! I can't wait to receive mine.

 

[Tucs]

BabyMonster's photo page 86 "What are you wearing today"

Wow! Looks amazing, anyone knows the size? Looks bigger than 12mm, perhaps 14-15mm?