Cultured pearl drops?

[BWeaves]

Why don't any of the pearl farms create cultured pearl drops? I'm talking about the kind of pearl drops Queen Mary had in her tiaras, and used to hang off her pearl necklaces. I think they would be great for earrings, in a slightly smaller size than Queen Mary had.

 

[dk168]

They can be found, if one knows where to look:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/OUTSTANDING...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item99b3c0068e

DK

 

[Pearlescence]

Not sure what your problem is, there are plenty of drop shaped half drilled pearls or undrilled pearls out there for earrings. There was a bit of a shortage of natural colours ones in Hong Kong last year and I'm hoping to find a good stash when I next go, but there were acres of top quality whites in all sizes.

 

[ennui]

I have lots of drop-shape pearls, and if *I* have them, they can't be too difficult to find!

 

[4Ranch Girl]

Not sure where you are looking but most of my pearls are drop shape. I have Golden ss, white ss, freshwater and Tahitian in smooth drop shape. They range in size up to over 20 mm.

Remember pearls are created by an animal so sometimes you just get what you get. Gemstone cutters are not involved like with colored gem stones or diamonds.

 

[BWeaves]

Oh, I've seen plenty of off round drops, egg shaped drops and fireballs.

I'm talking about big, elongated drops.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-OcWFSOOFoCY/TWrpbjzRICI/AAAAAAAABmM/SxrXATDfuCg/s1600/CambridgeLoversKnotDetails.jpg

 

[4Ranch Girl]

You might need to work with someone (company) to source what you are looking for and it might take a few years to find what you are looking for.

 

[Pirard]

http://www.glamour.com/weddings/blogs/save-the-date/0225-cambridge-lovers-knot-tiara-kate-middleton-wedding-tiara-royal-wedding-princess-diana_we.jpg

She wore this piece so well...

 

[Pearlescence]

Long drop shapes not so plentiful but still are enough around to make pairs

 

[ennui]

Oh, I've seen plenty of off round drops, egg shaped drops and fireballs.

I'm talking about big, elongated drops.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-OcWFSOOFoCY/TWrpbjzRICI/AAAAAAAABmM/SxrXATDfuCg/s1600/CambridgeLoversKnotDetails.jpg

These shapes are plentiful in faux pearls. For example, there are many copies of Liz Taylor's Peregrina.

 

[seaurchin]

@BWeaves, you might try asking one of the larger, well known pearl companies and showing them a photo of what you're looking for. They usually have much more in stock than what's shown online.

 

[BWeaves]

Oh, I'm not looking for them enough have them specially made, although I'd certainly buy some if they were readily available.

I was just wondering why nobody makes that shape anymore. That shape seemed to be all over the place 100 years ago or more.

 

[pearlsngems]

One hundred years ago, those shapes were naturals!

Even now that SSP are being cultured, the drop shapes aren't planned-- the nucleus is round just as it is for other SSP, and the pearls just happen to grow in the drop shape.

 

[ennui]

Oh, I'm not looking for them enough have them specially made, although I'd certainly buy some if they were readily available.

I was just wondering why nobody makes that shape anymore. That shape seemed to be all over the place 100 years ago or more.

I doubt they were "all over the place," which is why the royals had them. Even 100 years ago, not that many people had real pearls. When the freshwater pearl industry figured out how to make round pearls (not rice), it made it easier for everyone to have real pearls.

 

[katbran]

Also remember that most of the pearls that sell on line are not that large .. they are mostly between 7 and 12mm . Commerically I suppose that's what most people want as they are generally a more wearable and affordable size ( I'm just guessing here .. I don't online sell in bulk) . The sort of thing you are looking for would be around but seems more likely they would be picked up as a one off interesting pair to be sold to jewellers. If you wanted this you would need to ask someone to keep an eye out for them in HK , imo.

As for antique crowns etc... could have taken years to come up with a set of matching long drop pearls as they were ( as was previously pointed out ) natural.

 

[ennui]

There's a little article in the March issue of Town & Country about natural pearls. It discusses exactly what's been said here; that 100 years ago, those pearls were natural (no human intervention), rare, and only owned by royalty. There's a new demand for vintage natural pearls, and they sell for millions. One natural drop pearl sold for $3,041,000. The article also specifically mentions Queen Mary, that one of her vintage natural drops was reset by Cartier into a diamond necklace.

I didn't find the article online, but it's on page 114, and it's very short, if anyone wants to nip into Barnes & Noble.