Which Tahitians?(Or suggest a different one altogether!)

blingbunny10 · Apr 18, 2015

Which Tahitian strand would you choose, and why?
I'm leaning toward the green color and lustre of Strand 1, but maybe the pearls would appear too dark in real life? Strand 2 has more pleasing shapes, but the lustre and overtones don't look as good to my beginner's eye. This would be my first full strand of Tahitians, so I am pretty clueless. What do you think? (And please feel free to direct me to other options altogether! )

Strand 1:

Strand 2:

blingbunny10 · Apr 18, 2015

Strand 1 closeups:

Strand 2 closeups:

ennui · Apr 18, 2015

To my untrained eye ... those don't look real.

I would not expect that rainbow metallic iridescence in person ... dare I ask the vendor?

blingbunny10 · Apr 18, 2015

Hi ennui,
I guess that means they look pretty good to you?

I admit I've purposely been a bit mysterious/generic in my posts above because I'm weary of lurkers swooping in on these.
I will say they are a vendor with good reviews here.... Though I have no idea how their photos of Tahitians typically line up with "real life" photos, so you may very well be right about that.

ennui · Apr 18, 2015

Well, it's a tough call. I think the shapes are better on the second strand, more smooth drop and less ringed baroque.

Just a thought, but there have been posts that some don't care for the way drop shapes are "parted" in the middle. If you look, the drops are strung one direction, and then another direction, parted in the middle. Does that bother you?

blingbunny10 · Apr 18, 2015

I do like the shapes on the second, but wonder if the rings of the first will make the colors look more intense, if that makes sense?

These would have to be restrung anyway, so I could request that the pearls all be pointed in the same direction. Yeah, the "parting" would definitely get my OCD tendencies flaring up!

Tucs · Apr 18, 2015

The colour variation does seem more intense in the first one, do you mind the shapes? If you like the shapes the first one looks better to me (I am a pearl novice myself so better listen to the experts, though).

That said, do you have photos in other light conditions? Stylized lighting helps to see the overtones, but if you want to know how they will look like in real life, it is better to have photos in other light conditions. They should be able to give you additional photos for both strands.

Lovinggems · Apr 18, 2015

I love both but like the top strand a bit more because I love green, and it's cheaper too, I'd expect both strands to look like the photos only in optimal lighting conditions. The vendor has lots of gorgeous pearls!

cmd2014 · Apr 18, 2015

I would prefer the drop shapes, but to be honest, those photos look like light box pictures that have been colour enhanced/photoshopped.

I'd ask for natural light pictures. I suspect that both will be dark grey/green body colours with peacock overtones and will look grey/green when not photographed this way. If you don't see them under more naturalistic conditions, you might be disappointed.

As an example:

Light box

Real life

blingbunny10 · Apr 18, 2015

Hi Tucs
Good advice. I've already reached out to the vendor, so hopefully they will be able to give me more info. I thought I would post in the meantime and get some advice from PSers, who have collectively seen and shared so many Tahitian strands!

By the way, I adore the green Tahitian strand you shared recently! I love that green body color, so I take it as a pretty good sign that you also like the first strand I posted.

cmd2014 · Apr 18, 2015

Same strand, other light conditions:

cmd2014 · Apr 18, 2015

I don't mean to say negative things about any vendor, but I'd be very leery of buying something from someone who sends such obviously colour altered pictures (again, to me they look like over exposed light box photos that have been altered with photo software to pump up the contrast...to the point of no longer being colours found in nature...they are kind radioactive). It could be PS, but usually uploading pictures here dulls colours rather than enhances them.

Other than that the luster and surface clarity look nice. I just don't think they'll look anything like what you've shown us in real life. But if you're ok with that, the drop strand looks like a nice strand and would be my choice. I'm betting its a nice dark peacock strand IRL.

Lovinggems · Apr 18, 2015

Same pearls straight from the vendor's website.

blingbunny10 · Apr 18, 2015

I wonder if my screenshots are somehow pumping up the color a bit?? Looking at Lovinggems' photos, those look a bit more natural than the ones I posted.

Lovinggems · Apr 18, 2015

Theses are my screenshots, where I cropped the top bit off.
Can't save a straight image of these as that function seems to be disabled

Lovinggems · Apr 18, 2015

I agree though bling bunny do ask for natural light photos if you want a fair idea of what they will look like in real life.

Tucs · Apr 18, 2015

blingbunny10|1429407888|3864288 said:
Hi Tucs
Good advice. I've already reached out to the vendor, so hopefully they will be able to give me more info. I thought I would post in the meantime and get some advice from PSers, who have collectively seen and shared so many Tahitian strands!

By the way, I adore the green Tahitian strand you shared recently! I love that green body color, so I take it as a pretty good sign that you also like the first strand I posted.

Awww thanks blingbunny! I do think both of them look similar to mine in colours (based on the stylized photos I received of the strands I considered), but the second one has very nice colours at the front but perhaps not so much on the sides -- the first strand seems very colourful throughout.

I loooove the colours in my strand. The colours really stand out in any setting -- not like in the stylized lighting photos, but there's intense green and overtones.

PP sent me the stylized lighting photos (white box, like yours), but also inside natural light and outside natural light. If I were you I would ask these photos too, because it's important to have a good idea of what the strands will look like when you have them.

cmd2014 · Apr 18, 2015

Those are better. Must have been a weird computer glitch. They are both nice. Circles tend to be more colourful, but are a more casual look than smooth drops (which typically command higher prices). The smooth drops have a really nice symmetrical look to them. I'd ask for natural light pictures and go with whichever one you like best. But there will also be sales coming up, so it might be worth your while to hold off buying until then.

ennui · Apr 19, 2015

I like the new photos; I prefer the second peacock strand.

Before you have them restrung all headed in the same direction, it is normal for drops to be parted in the middle. Just fyi. You might run across someone who tells you that all the same direction is wrong.

katbran · Apr 19, 2015

I think they are both really pretty. That said I think that you should request natural light photos. Maybe laying across someones wrist. As others have said, the glamour shots can create an unreal expectation of what you will see when you open the box. They will be gorgeous pearls..and in some lights they might look like the photo..but they are unlikely to look like that all the time. Pearls are in their best in a certain light but without that they are often shiny green or grey. Which is fine, it's just you have to know what to expect.

dk168 · Apr 19, 2015

Much as I loved both strands for their colours, I would probably pass on both, as I prefer rounder shaped pearls to drop shapes in a necklace.

However, if I must choose one, then probably the second strand as it has less rings on the surfaces.

DK

katkashmir · Apr 22, 2015

These look like pearls from a well known vendor who happens to be quite a great person to work with. If you have questions, I'd try to make a phone call and discuss in person. I believe the return policy is good, so you could order and see which one works for you.

blingbunny10 · May 2, 2015

I decided to wait on the Tahitians and hold out for a different strand, but I just noticed that someone bought the "Green Goddess" Tahitian strand I was asking about. Please share a few pics, if you happen to be a poster/lurker!

ckrickett · May 2, 2015

Definitely ask for natural light pictures. Tahitians are little chameleons and can look so vastly different. I wouldn't buy any from these photos. Not because they don't look pretty (they do look pretty) but you will be very disappointed because they will most likely look NOTHING like this.