A new pair of GSSs from pearlzaustralia ❤️

Cerulean · Aug 4, 2023

yssie said:
CADs are in

From working with Sako before - always seems his CADs are more for visualization than for finally-final structure. He casts in multiple parts and assembles by hand, and the holes on the undersides of the collets will be enlarged by hand, and the clip mechanism will be made by hand.

Earring jackets with a french clip!! Like, okay, that's a real #thing now!! Custom design is seriously the best thing since sliced gemstones

Omg these are going to be absolutely incredible….

yssie · Aug 26, 2023

WIP pics from Sako last week

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Catmom · Aug 27, 2023

yssie said:
WIP pics from Sako last week

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Waiting not so patiently with you!

katbran · Aug 28, 2023

Oh this is exciting !!

yssie · Sep 1, 2023

Pre-antiquing! With a different dummy pearl.

ItsMainelyYou · Sep 1, 2023

How is it I am always late to the threads like this?!

I love them, smacked me in the face, love them. I can't wait to see them with your pearls. Even the internal monologue voice-thought was smug.

Collets for days.

Catmom · Sep 1, 2023

They are going to be so fabulous with your pearls!

yssie · Sep 1, 2023

ItsMainelyYou said:
How is it I am always late to the threads like this?!
I love them, smacked me in the face, love them. I can't wait to see them with your pearls. Even the internal monologue voice-thought was smug. Collets for days.

I think the key to the #smug is just embracing it? Like, unapologetically and most-assumingly

So I think I’m going to find out what this little shindig will actually run me today or tomorrow, wish my wallet luck

The downside of working with Sako, no quotes up front! He’s always been reasonable so far though.

He’s going to add a matte finish under the patina - apparently that’ll hold the finish better. Then high polish on the rest. This is one of those projects that… Okay, I know ROI will be low, whatever I’m about to owe, but I also know that I’m going to enjoy looking at them so dang much

I think this goes into the #HeartWantsWhatItWants bucket lol.

ItsMainelyYou · Sep 2, 2023

No quotes up front?!

You braver than me, boo

I can't wait to see them.

katbran · Sep 2, 2023

No quote ..... dear lord !! You are so brave ... but they look absolutely amazing !!
#gofundyessiesearrings

MakingTheGrade · Sep 2, 2023

Not even a quote range?! I’m used to a range and then sometimes it’s a bit over the top number but never egregiously. No numbers at all would unsettle me. Guess if I ever own anything by sako it’ll
Have to be secondhand hha

Asscherhalo_lover · Sep 3, 2023

yssie said:
I think the key to the #smug is just embracing it? Like, unapologetically and most-assumingly

So I think I’m going to find out what this little shindig will actually run me today or tomorrow, wish my wallet luck The downside of working with Sako, no quotes up front! He’s always been reasonable so far though.

He’s going to add a matte finish under the patina - apparently that’ll hold the finish better. Then high polish on the rest. This is one of those projects that… Okay, I know ROI will be low, whatever I’m about to owe, but I also know that I’m going to enjoy looking at them so dang much I think this goes into the #HeartWantsWhatItWants bucket lol.

GIRL IKWYM. But IMO if you want high finish top detail work, he's worth it.

yssie · Oct 22, 2023

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ItsMainelyYou · Oct 22, 2023

yssie said:
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Absolute perfection. Timeless.
Regal, even.

Read deal Bougie B*tch in the best way.
Favorite ear jackets, ever.

Catmom · Oct 22, 2023

Absolutely stunning. I love them so much!!

Ann · Oct 22, 2023

yssie said:
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Wow - those are stunning! You have the best taste ... gorgeous vibe.

yssie · Oct 22, 2023

So I haven’t been on PS much lately - the non-bling half of life has been unnecessarily nutty. But sharing a long-overdue update here!

Sako turned these around pretty quickly - I first talked to him about the idea beginning of June, he had CADs ready beginning of July, I got the progress pics early August, and they were shipped out middle of September. (Yeah, I’ve been sitting on sharing for over a month

)

I’d wanted them made for a 10.0mm pair of GSS. But they’re much too big for anything in the 10-11mm range - the golds in the pics below are 10.6mm. Actually works out for me because they fit my 11.9mm WSS perfectly and I love how they look together, very "vintage". But if I didn’t have the WSS I wouldn’t be happy. The size overage (I'd expressed that a little extra space would be fine) is clearly visible in the CAD, but I didn’t realize its significance; anyone working with him on a pearls project - you’ll want to review size and fit carefully.

The one other thing I'd do differently next time - and recommend to anyone else who might be considering pearl jackets for bigger pearls - is to make the back of the jacket totally flat! They're just so large, some droop is inevitable, even with this very very slight curvature - a flat back, or maybe a stabilizing bar at the bottom of the dotted line, every little bit helps! Wouldn't make any difference with jackets made for smaller pearls, I think. Like 9mm or smaller.

The metal work is absolutely pristine. Completely loupe-clean. Classic Sako workmanship. He recommended polishing the backs of the collets and keeping the fronts matte to hold the antiquing better - I do love a nice brush finish, it looks like woven gold

And the clips - adding the clips was genius. Sako’s idea. The jackets are 19mm wide and weigh 4.5g each, and the WSS pearls are another 3g each. Not a lightweight setup by any means! But the clips avoid any front-heavy fiascos. The clip clearance is exactly what I'd requested, and the hinges are tight and smooth, and I think the best backs are those super cheap silicone stoppers that come in 50-packs, like in the pic above - they even have a little nub that the clip back can rest on

So... Let me talk about pricing. Not something we normally talk about much on here, but in the interests of transparency. I mentioned earlier in this thread that Sako doesn't give exact quotes like most vendors... I've had success giving him a min and max: He'll tailor design to budget and he doesn't play games like coming in a dollar under your max. For this project - the loose stones were 3k and I actually didn't give him any guidelines for the jacket mounts, and they ended up a little over 4.5k. Pricey, yes, but fair for the workmanship IMO.