Golden South Sea pearls with diamonds drop earrings

[Phoenix]

Thanks, Phoenix!

These are a truly GOLD color - which I love - and they have a glow which makes them delicious! They're very easy to wear and go with most things. But I know you love your pearls huge (and I mean that as a very GOOD thing!) - what size are you thinking about? These are roughly 11mm and work for me.

I paid more for these than I would have at somewhere like Pearl Paradise, as a lot of golden SS pearls have a lot of brown in them, or can look quite dull. But these are predominantly yellow, which is very unusual, and I love them.

I LOVE rich yellow glowy pearls. You're right, I don't prefer larger pearls. I don't remember what size my old ones were and am too lazy to look them up. But I think anywhere around 12-14mm for earrings are perfect.

 

[Phoenix]

I LOVE rich yellow glowy pearls. You're right, I don't prefer larger pearls. I don't remember what size my old ones were and am too lazy to look them up. But I think anywhere around 12-14mm for earrings are perfect.

Typo! I meant I DO prefer larger pearls...

 

[AV_]

@mrs-b , @Phoenix ,

I know what you are talking about re quality of golden nacre - seeing is believing! It might be dangerous to see what is possible, but nice, nonetheless. I've got my lesson from Mattar (small, pinctada radiata pearls - stand out against coin gold, nevermind prices) I do not know a better source than J Shephard & he would know what little p. radiata I am talking about.

 

[tfc_diamondlvr]

Some time back - a year? maybe more? - I bought these gorgeous 11mm golden South Sea pearls from David Klass. I wore them a few times, but I have a larger pair of 12mm AAA natural white South Sea pearls and I always reached for those ahead of the golden ones. I was aware that - in a direct competition - the more perfect, larger whites would always win.

But I also had 2 unused diamonds - one a pear ( G, SI1) and one a heart ( H VS1 ) - both with similar dimensions, TCW roughly 1ct. I took the pearls and the diamonds to DKJ and asked for them to be turned into drop earrings - a style largely unrepresented in my jewelry box.

So here they are! They're about 1" long, set in 18kt yellow, and completely unlike anything else I own. I'm sure these will now go into regular rotation and will look great dressed up or dressed down. VERY happy with how these turned out!

And just to add - today is my birthday, so the timing is excellent! Happy birthday to me!

Love this pair! Like, I'm just gushing over how cute and perfect they are! Is it wrong that I want to see modeling shots?!? Congrats on your bday and a fantastic bday gift to yourself!

 

[mrs-b]

hi @tfc_diamondlvr

There are some modeling shots on the second page - such as they are and my photo skills being what *they* are. I did my best, tho, and you can get a general idea of proportion etc.

And thank you for your kind wishes!

 

[yssie]

@yssie - I'm laughing.....

You are SO kind about my timid little attempts for artistic asymmetry! I was actually looking at these earrings last night and thinking about *your* earrings, and thinking "I *must* show Yssie MY asymmetry artistic-ness!" Mine amounts to one little divot in a diamond - the difference between a heart and a pear!

However, I do love them. They're happy little earrings and I wear them...not 'a lot' but 'regularly'. The only jewelry I wear a lot is my hoops, my large natural white SS pearls, my bangles and my wedding ring. Everything else is in the 'going out' rotation.

I'm working on a few very pedestrian things at the moment - mostly 6 charms for my charm bracelet. They're all things I've designed myself, so are being custom made and, altho they won't have much meaning to anyone other than me, I think they're very pretty. And I'm finally setting a very casual collection of gems (one oval rubellite, 2 pear shaped opals) into a three stone ring. I've always been entranced by enamel, tho - ever since my late teens - and it will figure largely in my new charms. I'm also thinking of doing a pair of enamel earrings, so we'll see how that goes, tho it won't be for a while.

I hope your summer is going well! And don't forget to let me know if you're ever in the Boston area!

So... There’s a (wonderful, delightful) TV series called Leverage that for whatever reason absolutely noone has heard of - which is really a travesty it’s thoroughly irreverent, yet manages to mock every crime, romance, and drama trope without ever losing its eloquence... one of the characters has an ability to identify the strangest things by the strangest features. A gun by the gunshot sound, a man from his knife fighting style - his catchphrase is that "it's a very distinctive style". @mrs-b, that particular divot in that particular location makes all the difference - it’s a very distinctive divot And I must say, none of your works in progress sound like they’d meet my definition of “pedestrian”! But I know you and I wouldn’t have expected them to I hope you'll share your charms, I'd love to see them!

I went to the JAR exhibit at the MET several years ago and I'll never forget the experience. His ability to capture photorealism and motion with gemtones and metal and enamel... I remember that several of his masterpieces featured enamel...

I understand "not a lot, but regularly". That's the summary for most of my pieces too - scope time down to the day-to-day and I turn out to have rather boring style, in both jewellery and attire! But I do love having options for those few times I care to vary said style. I think GSSs are one of the few pearl types that shine in sunlight - "happy" is a perfect description! I haven't any GSSs of my own, and of course now I need some ...You know, maybe it's best if you don't post your enamel after all - it'd certainly be better for my purse

 

[meely]

Hi Meely

The first piece of jewelry I ever wanted was my aunt's iridescent heart shaped glass pendant. But after that, I think the next piece I was fascinated by was charm bracelets. I love miniatures - always have. Charm bracelets, to me, are like a collection of miniatures - all that interest and beauty and quirkiness compressed into half an inch! Fascinating!

I had a lovely charm bracelet years ago - lovely - but not unique. A lot of the charms had been bought on various travels, or gifted for various events, but there were a whole heap just bought in shops or online to fill up gaps. They were neither unique not especially interesting, and they had no sentimental value. So over recent years, I've been slowly replacing those charms with self-designed charms, each with interesting features, and often made from gold melted down from pieces I no longer wear, but which still had sentimental value. I have 7 new charms coming - 4 probably next week, and 3 more in a few weeks. I've already had a couple made and - combined with the ones I already had and chose to keep - it will be a bracelet filled with memories and precious things. I'll post the whole piece in its own thread when it's finished and if you're interested I'm happy to put the charms here beforehand, as they arrive. I'm also having a simple ring made, and will put that up when it's done as well. So - some nice things coming!

Thanks for asking, Meely!

Sorry Mrs-b I totally missed your reply . I would love to see your charms and also your existing bracelet! I’ve collected vintage ones for years and coincidentally I also love miniatures. I have a rather large and beautiful dollahouse but sadly no contents, my husband bought it thinking I would like to collect it myself without realising how expensive proper miniature furniture is!

 

[mrs-b]

So... There’s a (wonderful, delightful) TV series called Leverage that for whatever reason absolutely noone has heard of - which is really a travesty it’s thoroughly irreverent, yet manages to mock every crime, romance, and drama trope without ever losing its eloquence... one of the characters has an ability to identify the strangest things by the strangest features. A gun by the gunshot sound, a man from his knife fighting style - his catchphrase is that "it's a very distinctive style". @mrs-b, that particular divot in that particular location makes all the difference - it’s a very distinctive divot And I must say, none of your works in progress sound like they’d meet my definition of “pedestrian”! But I know you and I wouldn’t have expected them to I hope you'll share your charms, I'd love to see them!

I went to the JAR exhibit at the MET several years ago and I'll never forget the experience. His ability to capture photorealism and motion with gemtones and metal and enamel... I remember that several of his masterpieces featured enamel...

I understand "not a lot, but regularly". That's the summary for most of my pieces too - scope time down to the day-to-day and I turn out to have rather boring style, in both jewellery and attire! But I do love having options for those few times I care to vary said style. I think GSSs are one of the few pearl types that shine in sunlight - "happy" is a perfect description! I haven't any GSSs of my own, and of course now I need some ...You know, maybe it's best if you don't post your enamel after all - it'd certainly be better for my purse

@yssie -

Oh, this is just NUTTY! Guess what my plan for my enamel earrings is....

Pansies!!

I want to do mine in purple, green and yellow, with diamond centers, on plain gold shepherd hook drops. As I'm sure you know, enamel pansies from the nouveau period are not uncommon. But they're not something you see made these days, and I thought I'd see if this could be achieved nowadays. DKJ works with a very good enamel artist, and I have a lovely pair of 1ctw studs to use as centers. I thought I'd go for something larger than you normally see - something in the 1" diameter region.

I've also ben collecting small oval opals (7.5mm x 5.5mm) and old cut diamonds. I want to do a rose gold bracelet in alternating bezeled opals and diamonds. I need about 10 of each and it will be a very slow process; I currently have 5 opals and only one diamond! So check back with me in a few years! I'd like the diamonds to be in mismatched shapes; I'm trying for something organic looking and very textural, but again, we'll see how I go.

We really need to get together and and go out for dinner somewhere lush so we can throw on the big jewels. I swear, if you are ever in town, we'll be hitting a Barbara Lynch restaurant and going glam!

ETA DH and I used to watch Leverge, being a Timothy Hutton fan ever since he first arrived on the scene in TAPS with Sean Penn and Tom Cruise. Loved that show!

 

[mrs-b]

Sorry Mrs-b I totally missed your reply . I would love to see your charms and also your existing bracelet! I’ve collected vintage ones for years and coincidentally I also love miniatures. I have a rather large and beautiful dollahouse but sadly no contents, my husband bought it thinking I would like to collect it myself without realising how expensive proper miniature furniture is!

@meely -

I always wanted a doll's house! My parents made me a thrown together one using 4 shoe boxes and hand made furnishings - not uncommon back in the day. But I always lusted after the real deal. My mother in law has one and for years tony little pieces of furniture was all the whole family gave her for birthdays and Christmases! Hers was completely to scale, and she collected a specific German line of furnishings; it was amazing!

Here's a photo I took today of my bracelet. It currently had 10 charms on it and used to have 35. I do love the ones I have, tho. In order, the charms are:

An Australian pearl (my birth stone, and I'm Australain by birth, tho living in the US) set amongst 'waves' - a memorial of my trip through cancer this year. Pearls mean tears and long life, and there was plenty of one and great hope for the other in this household while it was all going on!

A solid gold apple, as I used to live in NY. On the front of the leaves is green enamel. I couldn't get it to stay in place for the photo, tho.

A pansy. Because I love them. Again - a small pearl center.

A cupcake. Because I LOVE cake. (@soxfan - see?? I meant it! - see my latest comment on your cake thread.)

A gumnut and gumleaf - commemorating Australia

A daffodil - made from Welsh gold from the Clogau mine - same gold as is used in the royal wedding rings in Britain. My family is related to the royal family, so this was just a bit of a hoot and a nod to my distant ancestry.

A gold box with 5 OECs in it. Because...well, why wouldn't you??

A passport, bought for my by a group of PS friends, in fact, when I became a US citizen. The back is engraved with the date of my naturalization.

An acorn - given to me by my best friend to commemorate my new life in the US.

A starfish, set with tiny EC diamonds and bought by my husband while in Australia.

I have a bunch more coming in the months ahead and will post them as they show up.

 

[Weeivy73]

@meely -

I always wanted a doll's house! My parents made me a thrown together one using 4 shoe boxes and hand made furnishings - not uncommon back in the day. But I always lusted after the real deal. My mother in law has one and for years tony little pieces of furniture was all the whole family gave her for birthdays and Christmases! Hers was completely to scale, and she collected a specific German line of furnishings; it was amazing!

Here's a photo I took today of my bracelet. It currently had 10 charms on it and used to have 35. I do love the ones I have, tho. In order, the charms are:

An Australian pearl (my birth stone, and I'm Australain by birth, tho living in the US) set amongst 'waves' - a memorial of my trip through cancer this year. Pearls mean tears and long life, and there was plenty of one and great hope for the other in this household while it was all going on!

A solid gold apple, as I used to live in NY. On the front of the leaves is green enamel. I couldn't get it to stay in place for the photo, tho.

A pansy. Because I love them. Again - a small pearl center.

A cupcake. Because I LOVE cake. (@soxfan - see?? I meant it! - see my latest comment on your cake thread.)

A gumnut and gumleaf - commemorating Australia

A daffodil - made from Welsh gold from the Clogau mine - same gold as is used in the royal wedding rings in Britain. My family is related to the royal family, so this was just a bit of a hoot and a nod to my distant ancestry.

A gold box with 5 OECs in it. Because...well, why wouldn't you??

A passport, bought for my by a group of PS friends, in fact, when I became a US citizen. The back is engraved with the date of my naturalization.

An acorn - given to me by my best friend to commemorate my new life in the US.

A starfish, set with tiny EC diamonds and bought by my husband while in Australia.

I have a bunch more coming in the months ahead and will post them as they show up.

mrs-b your charm bracelet is gorgeous! I have an almost full sterling silver one with charms on it from my Nana given to me when I was a pre-schooler. I've just kept transferring them all as I've grown out of room onto a new bracelet. I had been thinking of starting a gold one, but keep adding earrings to my wish-list!
I pray that you're still feeling better and better xx

 

[ZestfullyBling]

Well, ok, so here are some photos. BE NICE! Remember - I turned 59 yesterday and I have cancer! (...good lord - why do I find that bizarrely and perversely funny??)

ETA You really do need to click on the photo to get a decent look at the earrings - but them you get an enormous photo of my big ol' head! Sorry bout that!

These look LOVELY ON YOU!!! The RICH yellow pearls compliments you well!! Yummy!!! The design idea with the heart and pear...brilliant!

Man @mrs-b, you have a Delicious jewelery collection!!

 

[mrs-b]

Thank you so much, @ZestfullyBling! And lady - your collection is nothing to sneeze at either! I cover a number of your pieces!

 

[mrs-b]

mrs-b your charm bracelet is gorgeous! I have an almost full sterling silver one with charms on it from my Nana given to me when I was a pre-schooler. I've just kept transferring them all as I've grown out of room onto a new bracelet. I had been thinking of starting a gold one, but keep adding earrings to my wish-list!
I pray that you're still feeling better and better xx

@Weeivy73 -

From your nana? Well, it doesn't get much more precious than that!!

It's not hard to do a charm bracelet - it just takes a lifetime, y'know? The good thing about charm bracelets, tho, is that they look fabulous with just one charm on them. Or 3. or 8. Or... So you can add them whenever you like, knowing it's always going to look wonderful!

My old gold one had charms on every link, but I don't think this one will be like that. I'm aiming for every second link; I found the last one too crowded and couldn't see the charms clearly. I think this one - which will have 17 charms - will have enough.

 

[meely]

@meely -

I always wanted a doll's house! My parents made me a thrown together one using 4 shoe boxes and hand made furnishings - not uncommon back in the day. But I always lusted after the real deal. My mother in law has one and for years tony little pieces of furniture was all the whole family gave her for birthdays and Christmases! Hers was completely to scale, and she collected a specific German line of furnishings; it was amazing!

Here's a photo I took today of my bracelet. It currently had 10 charms on it and used to have 35. I do love the ones I have, tho. In order, the charms are:

An Australian pearl (my birth stone, and I'm Australain by birth, tho living in the US) set amongst 'waves' - a memorial of my trip through cancer this year. Pearls mean tears and long life, and there was plenty of one and great hope for the other in this household while it was all going on!

A solid gold apple, as I used to live in NY. On the front of the leaves is green enamel. I couldn't get it to stay in place for the photo, tho.

A pansy. Because I love them. Again - a small pearl center.

A cupcake. Because I LOVE cake. (@soxfan - see?? I meant it! - see my latest comment on your cake thread.)

A gumnut and gumleaf - commemorating Australia

A daffodil - made from Welsh gold from the Clogau mine - same gold as is used in the royal wedding rings in Britain. My family is related to the royal family, so this was just a bit of a hoot and a nod to my distant ancestry.

A gold box with 5 OECs in it. Because...well, why wouldn't you??

A passport, bought for my by a group of PS friends, in fact, when I became a US citizen. The back is engraved with the date of my naturalization.

An acorn - given to me by my best friend to commemorate my new life in the US.

A starfish, set with tiny EC diamonds and bought by my husband while in Australia.

I have a bunch more coming in the months ahead and will post them as they show up.

Mrs B I love your charm bracelet - it’s gorgeous now and it will look fabulous with even more charms on it! I particularly love the enamel pansy but your explanation behind each charm was lovely to read! Coincidentally one of the charms I have, is a dolls house!

 

[mrs-b]

Mrs B I love your charm bracelet - it’s gorgeous now and it will look fabulous with even more charms on it! I particularly love the enamel pansy but your explanation behind each charm was lovely to read! Coincidentally one of the charms I have, is a dolls house!

Oh, that's wonderful!