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Sea of Cortez Pearls - some eye candy

movie zombie

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 20, 2005
Messages
11,879
oh, yeah, Flygirl, that is a LOT OF FUN! love how the rings stand out colorwise.

MoZo
 

whitehotblank

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 24, 2010
Messages
122
Ha, Flygirl, I was thinking of buying that pearl, too! Love the colours/rings. Please post some more pics when you receive it!
 

HHPmom

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 22, 2010
Messages
814
Hi FlyGirl,
That's cool! Please post pix as soon as you get it.

Jeremy went to Cortez pearl farm earlier this year and bought a few pearls. He posted a picture in the other place, but I also saved the picture. Call him to see if he still has them. The left one is bluish, like an abalone pearl. The third has a nice ring, similar to FlyGirl's pearl; and the fourth looks like rainbow. I think they are for sale.

pearls2.jpg
 

LGK

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 27, 2007
Messages
2,975
I got it I got it!

It's incredibly lovely. I'm thinking of returning it.

No, I'm not smoking crack, I swear!

I came to work this AM and found a package waiting for me. I opened it and found the most incredibly gorgeous pearl... a deep smoky cold purple, with teal and aubergine and peacock at the point. The most lovely lustre ever- absolutely mirrorlike and limpid. Not a single blemish and the most perfect fat teardrop shape. I was totally impressed with my new Sea of Cortez pearl! Er. Except it wasn't. It was the Tahitian pearl I'd ordered, thinking I'd put it on my chunky baroque Tahitian necklace to balance out the center better. Lol, I totally thought it was the Sea of Cortez pearl for about five minutes until I realized it was wayyyyy too big.

The Sea of Cortez pearl came later in the afternoon and it is also a knockout. It's mid-tone, much lighter than the Tahitian one I'd opened earlier in the day. A perfect lighter soft lilac tone, and a hint of pink overtones on the point. It's totally yummy too. The lustre is also just perfect, deep and glossy.

The Tahitian pearl is way too perfect to put on the strand I'd intended- it's got to be a pendant too. And it's about three times bigger than the Sea of Cortez one and I like it just as much. And it was half the price. See the "problem" :tongue: ?

The Tahitian pearl is 16.2x14.1mm IIRC. The lustre is wayyyyyyyyy better than I expected, the pics really did not remotely do it justice. At all. It's also absolutely blemishless. I'd say it matches my AAA Tahitians in lustre, color/overtones, and blemish-freeness. It's a fat teardrop shape.

The Sea of Cortez pearl is also incredibly lovely, but was so much more expensive and I like it just as much as the Tahitian one. Maybe I'll keep it just because I really do want a Sea of Cortez pearl, even if I don't immediately set it. I mean, it's gorgeous. And perfect. But if I'm gonna make a pendant/enhancer, it will be with the Tahitian one first, since it's just amazing and HUGE.

The Tahitian pearl came from pearl_society on ebay, whom I'd never used. They're based out of HK. And the pearl got to me in two days with their expedited shipping. I'd use them again in a heartbeat especially for single loose pearls, the pics were good but not even close to doing the lustre justice. And the color was described as grey/blue, not the absolutely amazing deep cold purple/teal it actually is, which is without a doubt my favorite combination of color and overtone. To be honest, I think it was a steal at $220; when I bought it I wasn't thinking it was a great deal, just acceptable, but after seeing it, holy crap, yes.

I took some pictures but the computer is being an utter beast and refusing to acknowledge the picture card reader. Arg. I'll try the work computer tomorrow.
 

HHPmom

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 22, 2010
Messages
814
LGK,
I look forward to seeing your pictures. Make sure to take them side by side too.

I bought twice from pearl_society and am extremely happy. One of my tahitian drop (loose pearl) was very lustrous and was reasonable, $68 plus shipping. I guess no one was bidding on it. I glued it to a bale that acts as an enhancer. I will look for its picture and post here.
 

movie zombie

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 20, 2005
Messages
11,879
another voice to add to recommend Pearl Society on eBay. i've purchased from them as a "learning" experience and have now found niche [my own personal criteria] for what i'm looking for before bidding. i rec'd a lovely lusterous golden pearl that will be a solitare one day.

re your rec'd shipments: i personally can't get past the price for sea of cortez pearls....but then i'm just starting out. i had looked at their website before i developed a real interest in pearls and was drop jawed at the prices. however, the fine ones are extremly fine.

i hate to see you send the tahitian back because its too perfect for a current project! one day you're going to wish you had that either for another project or as a solitiare.

do you have a picture of the tahitian?

MoZo
 

LGK

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 27, 2007
Messages
2,975
Whilst I dig up the pearl pics, how about some gratuitious nekkid Rat pictures. (Rat, the master of knitting his hair up into mats overnight, got himself a spiffy lion cut a couple days ago, and is strutting around like he owns the world.) He was a huuuuuge help while I was trying to take pics last night. Help, of course, coming in the form of a ginormous tufty paw to smack the pearls with if I didn't watch him super close.

rat1.jpg

rat2.jpg

rat3.jpg

rat4.jpg
 

LGK

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 27, 2007
Messages
2,975
OK here's a few. I'll take some others outside today, since you really can't see the colors well in these- my house is pretty dim, so the no-flash ones were pretty much useless, and flash washes them out quite well.

ETA: Wow. Look how crusty my ring is. :errrr: And I'd cleaned it earlier that day too!

twopearls1.jpg

twopearls2.jpg

twopearls4.jpg

twopearls5.jpg
 

LGK

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 27, 2007
Messages
2,975
Here's the seller's pics of the Tahitian.

singletahitian1.jpg

singletahitian2.jpg

singletahitian3.jpg
 

cushioncutnut

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Feb 22, 2008
Messages
5,541
Wait... did I read you were returning one and then may have decided against them?? The cortez is lovely, but NO WAY would I return that Yummy tahitian!!!! Gorgeous!
:love: :love: :love:
I had often considered Pearl Society but was not sure since I don't like to buy from Overseas sellers. Now I have another vendor to ponder. :wacko: :wacko:

And ooh poor kitty. I hope he/she stops doing that to herself........ :errrr:
 

movie zombie

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 20, 2005
Messages
11,879
keep them both! eat nothing but beans if you must in order to afford both!

MoZo

ps my lahonda kitty girl cat has super fine hair.....and she mats up just by virtue of breathing. i need to have her "lionized".....
 

whitehotblank

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 24, 2010
Messages
122
Ooooh, lovely, LittleGreyKitten. I love them both but am enraptured with the Tahitian. Will you be keeping both? What will you be doing with them? My sister has a dog (large dog - it's a long story) called Rat - I'll have to tell her I now know of a Rat the Cat.

HHPMom - I just finished some business with PP but will contact Chenai again to ask about those Sea of Cortez pearls you posted a photo of. That green ring on the third one is STUNNING.

Btw, I have had only good experiences with Pearl_Society too - I think I've made 2 or 3 purchases.
 

HHPmom

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 22, 2010
Messages
814
LGK,
They are so gorgeous! I love the Tahitian pearl though. I guess Tahitian pearls are my first love and always will be. That blue green is amazing.

Sea of Cortez pearl production is so small and that means prices are higher. Overall, I think the rainbow pearls are really neat and distinguish themselves from others, but their luster is not as sharp as Tahitian pearls, IMO, or I have not seen the extremely fine ones IRL yet. Well, one exception is the cute purple one that Jeremy bought this year.

I have kept my overseas eBay bidding to under $100 and have held back urges lately. The cost of return shipping kept me from bidding. I haven't bid for quite a while. One purchase with augustus_collection didn't turn out to be as nice quality as expected and I received refund. He also covered shipping. One purchase from Druzy did not meet my expectation so I returned that pearl too.

I do not mean to threadjack but here are some group shots of the pearls, including the $68 pearl_society Tahitian. This pendant is one of my favorites. Colors are not as saturated IRL.

I think you should keep both.

IMG_4859-1.jpg

IMG_4860-1.jpg
 

HHPmom

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 22, 2010
Messages
814
Pearl_society's pictures, very small when I saved them, but pretty accurate, I think.

sm_044_063.jpg

sm_044_071.jpg
 

LGK

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 27, 2007
Messages
2,975
HHPmom, please, post all the pics you want! Eyecandy is always appreciated. Your collection is *amazing*.

If I were to return one, it'd be the Sea of Cortez pearl, just because it was so much pricier than the Tahitian. The Tahitian will only be pried from my cold, dead fingers, lol. I'm leaning towards keeping both, just because I really do want at least one example of a Sea of Cortez pearl, and it's pretty much perfect.

I was planning to make some sort of pendant/pearl enhancer with it. But, that's also what I'd do with the Tahitian. I think I'll set the Tahitian first, and then later the Sea of Cortez. I've been poking around ebay to see if there's any sort of antique pendant or small brooch that looks like it would work for dangling one of these guys from, but yet wouldn't overwhelm the pearl. There's a couple of candidates but nothing I'm totally sure of yet. The one I like is a Victorian sterling-over-gold piece with some Art Nouveau flavor to it, and some rose cut diamonds. Very small though. It may be too much/ornate, however, so I'm still pondering.

So there's a doggy out there with the same name as Rat, huh? I'll have to tell him. Technically he's named Rascal, but we call him Rat about 99.9% of the time. Plus he says "Rat" right back to you, if you call his name. (When we first got him, as a pretty little wee ball-o-fluff, our wretched roommate insisted on calling him Rat Skull. Of course it stuck :roll: and he really is a little rat most of the time.)

Mozo, yep, Rat's hair is evil that way too. Plus he thinks that a brush or scissors is a request from me to be mangled. He recognizes scissors a mile away and is like, "Ah. Stupid human girl. You wish to bleed today. I can arrange something, just tryyyyy it." A brush is more acceptable, but I can't brush his kitty pits or his tummy, and that's where he starts matting first. Since (bizarrely) he's OK with being groomed and loves lion cuts, we compromise and just shave him once or twice a year if he mats enough that I can't get them off him.
 

cushioncutnut

Ideal_Rock
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Feb 22, 2008
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5,541
HHPmom|1288914512| said:
Pearl_society's pictures, very small when I saved them, but pretty accurate, I think.


:love: :love: :love: OH MY!$68!!!!?
 

LGK

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 27, 2007
Messages
2,975
cushioncutnut|1288918902| said:
HHPmom|1288914512| said:
Pearl_society's pictures, very small when I saved them, but pretty accurate, I think.


:love: :love: :love: OH MY!$68!!!!?
Seriously! You stole that thing, wow! I've gotta say it again: your SoC pearl collection is just... yummy. I always want to lick them when I see pictures of them, I swear.

More pictures. These are the best representations of the actual color I've gotten IMO. Plus you can see how sharp the lustre is particularly on the Tahitian.

pairopearls1.jpg

pairopearls2.jpg

pairopearls3.jpg

pairopearls4.jpg
 

whitehotblank

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 24, 2010
Messages
122
You know what? Now I love the SoC pearl more. Still love the Tahitian but the colours evident on the SoC in these photos...it's subtle but I love it.
 

movie zombie

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 20, 2005
Messages
11,879
whitehotblank|1288934927|2755601 said:
You know what? Now I love the SoC pearl more. Still love the Tahitian but the colours evident on the SoC in these photos...it's subtle but I love it.

i agree. i now understand the desire for a Sea of Cortez.

MoZo
 

Fly Girl

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 9, 2007
Messages
7,312
I received my ringed Sea of Cortez pearl from druzy designs on eBay today. I've never had really nice pearls, and I don't know much about them, but I have to say that this little guy is absolutely fascinating. It basically looks grey, but then you begin to look closer and the color changes are absolutely fascinating. I can't decide if the rings are blue, or red, or a bit purple. It all depends on the angle of the light that strikes them. The pink blush on the top end of the pearl is enchanting. I'll have to be sure not to cover that up when the pearl is set. The pearl easily reflects the colors from the room. I changed into a grey shirt before the photo session, because the bright green shirt I had been wearing would be rather misleading to you. All pictures were taken in morning sunlight coming though my window.

Sea of Cortez0876.jpg
 

Fly Girl

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 9, 2007
Messages
7,312
A few more photos of my new Sea of Cortez pearl. See how red the rings are in direct light, and then you turn the pearl a bit and they become blue.

RingedSeaofCortez0875.jpg

Sea of Cortez 0864.jpg
 

Fly Girl

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 9, 2007
Messages
7,312
Two more shots of my Sea of Cortez pearl. Really, really pretty and fascinating. I'm a fan.

Sea of Cortez 0859.jpg

Sea of Cortez_0887.jpg
 

cushioncutnut

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Feb 22, 2008
Messages
5,541
Oh Garsh! there is so much to comment on! First off, LGK.......I am so glad you are keeping them both! I think you would kick yourself if you sent one of them back! They are both heavenly and unique in their own way!! That Tahitian pearl is going to be such a large, "in your face" statement piece if you do a lovely pendant with it. I vote for some diamonds on the bail!! LOL! The sea or cortez is such a gorgeous piece to add to your collection. I wonder if you could do both the pearls together in a pendant?? Boy, wouldn't that be an out of this world piece to have!!! :love: :love: :love:

HHP... what can I say. You are a true pearl connesiur! I just love all your pieces! Your collection always leaves me breathless!

Flygirl! That is just heavenly in all of it's rainbow colors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GAH! YOu gals have all got me hankering for a Sea of Cortez pearl!!! 8)
 

LGK

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 27, 2007
Messages
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CCN :Up_to_something: We are alllll evil that way. And you are making me want a lighter lavender freshwater strand! :cheeky:

Flygirl- whoa! That is a truly gorgeous pearl. I'm so glad you picked it up, of the single unset SoC's druzy had, I thought that was the most interesting for the best price. It looks like it's probably just fascinating in person.
 

cushioncutnut

Ideal_Rock
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Feb 22, 2008
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LittleGreyKitten|1288978606|2755981 said:
CCN :Up_to_something: We are alllll evil that way. And you are making me want a lighter lavender freshwater strand! :cheeky:

Flygirl- whoa! That is a truly gorgeous pearl. I'm so glad you picked it up, of the single unset SoC's druzy had, I thought that was the most interesting for the best price. It looks like it's probably just fascinating in person.
 

HHPmom

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 22, 2010
Messages
814
LGK,
Today's pictures do the pearls more justice. The colors are mesmerizing. I am glad to hear you are keeping both.

Flygirl,
Your SoC is beautiful. The colored rings give it lots of character. Your picture looks better than Druzy's. It's good to know the pearl is better looking than seller's pictures.
 

cushioncutnut

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Feb 22, 2008
Messages
5,541
cushioncutnut|1288982174|2756032 said:
LittleGreyKitten|1288978606|2755981 said:
CCN :Up_to_something: We are alllll evil that way. And you are making me want a lighter lavender freshwater strand! :cheeky:

Flygirl- whoa! That is a truly gorgeous pearl. I'm so glad you picked it up, of the single unset SoC's druzy had, I thought that was the most interesting for the best price. It looks like it's probably just fascinating in person.


Weird.... i thought for sure I posted something after the post and these quotes! Go for it LGK! ...and hopefully I will have a gorgeous SofC pearl to add to my collection someday! This is the good kinda evil!! :bigsmile:
 

whitehotblank

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 24, 2010
Messages
122
Oh my GOD, Flygirl, that is droolworthy. I have literally only come to know about and covet SoC pearls in the last few days (when I saw it on Druzy's eBay listings I registered that I liked it but not that it was a specific kind of pearl) and I'm really really loving those subtle, changeable colours. I have to admit I am slightly choked that I didn't get this before you did. :D

Duel? Winner takes pearl?
 

Fly Girl

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 9, 2007
Messages
7,312
Thank you, all. (Ha, ha, WHB, you silly! :twirl: ) I'm liking this pearl a lot and am thinking that maybe it should be dressed up a bit. While the close up photos look really colorful, from a distance it looks rather grey. I pulled out this green, slightly blue-grey demantoid that I purchased a while back to see how they look together. A possibility, do you think? Or, am I completely off base about selecting a colored stone to accent a pearl?

Sea of Cortez with Green Stone.jpg
 

LGK

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 27, 2007
Messages
2,975
Flygirl, I have admit I like the combo, it looks like it brings out some of the overtones in the SoC. I know what you mean about some lighting/distance killing the color of the SoC pearls- they're very delicate colored and seem easy to wash out.
 
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