Help with pearl dreams

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Oh man my mouth is watering looking at that pearl paradise sale
Their website is also very informative for the novice

im in love with those peach apricot colours

im assuming they do sales like this more than just once a year i hope because now's not a good time
but window shopping is good motivation for job hunting ... not that the hot water and property taxes arnt doing that already

Anyway i hope some of you pearl lovers see this so can help me out on knowing what i actually want

when my mum died my sister and i very harmoniously (im quite proud of that because we don't get along).divied up her jewlery helped in part by her naming a few pieces that specially went to which one of us
There were two strings of pearls, mum's and grandma's
My sister choose grandma's because it was her turn and i love mum's ones but ive never been able to get grandma's out of my mind. I'd never even seen them before - mum probably thought they were old fashoned
now i don't know when grandma was born but mum was born in 1943? Durring the war. Grandad didn't get called up till the Pacific war because he was older and had a family.
Mum is the last of 3. im thinking Grandma was in her early to mid 30s. Grandma and grandad started a family/ got married a bit latter because of the great depression

Anyway these were maybe seed pearls ...no a bit bigger ?
A double length maybe
but definatly a lot smaller in pearl than mum's 1980 Mikimoto

What am i surposed to be looking at ?
I like the smaller size on a longer strand but these were not rope or opera length, gramdma had a very strict religouse upbringing and would have been no flapper

I have this fashion necklase but im not sure if there are the right size pearl either ?
I wish i had talked to mum about jewlery. I did used to admire how Princess Diana wore her pearls
but even though i owned some pearl station necklases i never thought much about pearls till now
now they are all i can think about

Sorry for the long rambling post
examples would be much appreated and admired

 

[pearlsngems]

Were the pearls graduated in size? Graduated cultured akoya pearl necklaces were sold to soldiers and others working in the Far East during WWII/Korean War era. They were often referred to as "momme strands" (momme being a unit of weight).

They were affordable because, the pearls being graduated in size, the necklaces weighed less than a uniform size strand would weigh.

This vintage graduated strand is 5-8mm, slightly larger than the more common 3-7mm momme strand, but you get the idea.

There are lots of vintage graduated akoya strands on eBay. Sometimes they can be found in consignment shops, often in need of restringing. You can sometimes find a good deal.

 

[MollyMalone]

If you've not already seen it, I think you would enjoy spending time on Catherine Cardellini's website, Her jewelry is composed of a variety of non-Akoya pearls, so they are not classic pearl jewelry pieces, but the fact that they are different is a major reason why they appeal to me. Her prices are reasonable imo, and she is in Australia, which means she's a neighbor to you, in a manner of speaking

Catherine Cardellini Pearls - hand-strung freshwater pearl necklaces

www.catherinecardellinipearls.com

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Thank you @pearlsngems. And @MollyMalone.
I never thought grandad might have brought the pearls home to her after the war
And will definatly check out that website

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Daisy can you go through past threads and pick what strands appeal to you most? Or pour over pictures from Etsy sellers? Then compare those strands to find out what appeals to you most and find your "it" factor when it comes to a pearl necklace.

If you are interested in mid-century vintage Ebay pearls look for ones that have the little pearl glued onto the fishhook clasp. That was a very popular style clasp during that time for Akoya pearl necklaces.

I agree that Catherine has lovely pearls. Her pictures usually do not show what the pearls look like when worn around the neck- so take that into account.

 

[katbran]

Think about your lifestyle and how you dress. What type of necklace would you wear the most? It's all great to have a fabulous strand of big white pearls but it's a bit of a waste if you never wear them. The same with pearl 'fashion' strands. They can look very trendy and different but if they don't suit...

You can go with a classic round white pearl strand from 16-18" , this can be either Akoya or Freshwater. 9mm is a nice size that you won't really feel the need to upsize.

Same goes for a classic round Tahitian strand.

Both good for work or dinner but some might feel they don't work with jeans etc . ( Obviously they do... and can be mixed with all sorts of layers)

Very popular are Baroque shapes - they work for everything.

Drop shapes/ ovals etc are beautiful And Circles can give great colour due to all the folds in the nacre. A bit more casual.

Solid colour or mixed/multi colour ... so many possibilities. It's all in what you'd like to wear and feel comfortable wearing. Something that suits your personal style. Best of luck .....( look at lots of photos)

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Think about your lifestyle and how you dress. What type of necklace would you wear the most? It's all great to have a fabulous strand of big white pearls but it's a bit of a waste if you never wear them. The same with pearl 'fashion' strands. They can look very trendy and different but if they don't suit...

You can go with a classic round white pearl strand from 16-18" , this can be either Akoya or Freshwater. 9mm is a nice size that you won't really feel the need to upsize.

Same goes for a classic round Tahitian strand.

Both good for work or dinner but some might feel they don't work with jeans etc . ( Obviously they do... and can be mixed with all sorts of layers)

Very popular are Baroque shapes - they work for everything.

Drop shapes/ ovals etc are beautiful And Circles can give great colour due to all the folds in the nacre. A bit more casual.

Solid colour or mixed/multi colour ... so many possibilities. It's all in what you'd like to wear and feel comfortable wearing. Something that suits your personal style. Best of luck .....( look at lots of photos)

Thank you katbran
I must say i look on pearl paradise and i want them all !

I think i have to work my way up to bigger pearls by starting with something young (cough cough) and demure (cough cough) and slightly smaller
Ive never enjoyed the weight of 'beads' compared to necklases

As much as i love a chocker, saddly my neck isnt bird like, so i think I'd go longer which is why im planning on starting out lengthening what i already own

I must confess i do love the Queen Alexandra look

But saddly i could never pull off the Madona look back in the day
Maybe im best to take inspiration from Jackie
Or Princess Diana

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

i see she grew into larger pearls but what ever length size this is id feel strangled

 

[Snowdrop13]

There is another forum out there, entirely pearl related, I think you’d enjoy it at this stage of your research and planning! I don’t think I’m allowed to mention its name but a quick search should find it.

 

[Pearlescence]

i see she grew into larger pearls but what ever length size this is id feel strangled

short necklaces make your neck look short.
There is indeed a lot of information on the 'other forum' but it is not independent

 

[dk168]

Personally, I find long necklaces incompatible due to not being flat chested, and they do not sit right on me.

How about necklaces that can be varied in length by having a basket clasp?

My workhorse necklace is a 8-9mm gem quality cultured pearls with a basket clasp that I could extend the length from 18in to 20in.

Bigger clasp that can take a bigger pearls is also available.

Definitely worth investing in a wardrobe of different pearls in size and colour.

If I were to start from scratch now, I would get a strand each of white and dark pearls in 18-20in: white CFWP in 8-9mm and a baroque Tahitian in 9-11mm, and build on that.

Have fun choosing!

DK

 

[dk168]

short necklaces make your neck look short.
There is indeed a lot of information on the 'other forum' but it is not independent

I have always find that board very useful, impartial and independent to me personally. Perhaps not for trades.

DK

 

[Pearlescence]

Yes, a basket clasp is a useful way to vary the length of a necklace. Good suggestion

 

[pearlsngems]

I have come to enjoy wearing strands that are about 28" long. At that length I can slip them on over my head-- no fiddling with clasps. They are not so long as to swing around uncomfortably when I move, but long enough to allow me to see them when I look down.

By all means drop in on the other pearl discussion forum! (Just google "pearl discussion forum" and you'll soon find it.) Lots of eye candy to see-- many members post photos of what they bought (or made) and seeing them may help you decide what sort of look you like. No advertising is permitted, but members often mention where they bought their pearls. There are many great sources for pearls.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Thank you all
I found that other place ...although first i found a forum on drums ????
It is indeed very informative but is not nearly as nice to navigate or look at on my phone as PS

Is it unsafe to wear mum's strand when it is a bit stretched?
They havn't been worn for more than 8 years

I keep looking at them thinking they need a clean - we have some botteled water in the fridge (our tap water is very hard)
When i open the box i smell an almost comforting smell of stale Elizebth Taylor's white diamond's so mum obviously never got the 'last on, first off' memo !!

I hate the catch - i don't have the dexterity to manage a fish hook clasp but they seem to be the safest option
But a nice thing is her pearls seem to be 18 inches (although stretched out to about 20) the same size as a silver chain i always wear
Do i need to take off the silver chain to wear the pearls ?

 

[dk168]

It could be the string had been stretched through the years.

It may be wise to have the strand re-strung and cleaned at the same time to get rid of some of the odour.

Consider changing the clasp at the same time. If the strand is not too heavy, a magnetic clasp may be a good alternative.

I tend to do mine with fish hook type clasps up in front of a mirror as I find that easier.

DK

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

It could be the string had been stretched through the years.

It may be wise to have the strand re-strung and cleaned at the same time to get rid of some of the odour.

Consider changing the clasp at the same time. If the strand is not too heavy, a magnetic clasp may be a good alternative.

I tend to do mine with fish hook type clasps up in front of a mirror as I find that easier.

DK

I think your right DK
Mum always took her rings in on a regular basis for checking and cleaning but i don't think she ever got her pearls restrung

 

[amoline]

As always, remember that pearl grading is quite subjective, so there's really not a ton of stock to be put into something like "best," "gem grade," etc. - that's not to say that these grades are dishonest, not at all. But one vendors gem grade may be different to another persons idea of what top of the line grading ought to look like.

If you want true top of the line pearls they will not be cheap and they won't be found in standard stock at any normal y. But I think it would be valuable to decide for what purpose you're purchasing pearls -- dressy occasions? (Perhaps some beautiful lustrous Akoya). Every day, no worry wear? - freshwater may serve nicely. Something colorful and versatile? Perhaps Tahitians are your thing.

There are definitely pearls to suit you, but you need to determine what that means first.

You should definitely have your mothers necklace restrung before you wear it. When the thread starts to stretch it gets weaker.

Best of luck! Let us know how it all goes and how we can help. We pearl folks do love to spend others' money

 

[Pearlescence]

When the pearls can move back and forth between pearls it means that the silk or whatever thread is starting to fail and it is time to think about re-stringing (unless of course they were badly/loose strung in the first place)
It is perfectly possible to re-string them yourself, or most jewellers will have someone who does it for them. Be aware that if done properly the strand will return much shorter (which is when accusations of theft start flying around).
Amoline is quite right. Grading is totally subjective. (which means that it is in the eye and the criteria of the person doing it rather than to a set of clear external criteria).

 

[dk168]

Yup, pearl folks love to spend other people's money.

Mind you, this is probably true for PSers in general!

DK

 

[katbran]

I find that most people can wear either 18 or 20 very well. On a larger person the 20 will sit much like an 18 on a smaller person.

I would still suggest not buying too small ... 8 mm is an excellent size. Unless dainty pieces are your personal style, 8 mm won't necessarily have you wanting something different in a year.

 

[dk168]

PSS does exist!

DK

 

[pearlsngems]

If having someone else string them, the receipt (when dropping them off) should state how many pearls there are.

If you would like to restring them yourself (not hard) you'll find a tutorial and videos to help on the other forum.

And yes, they will likely end up shorter as a result, which means they won't be the same length as your silver chain and may only be in contact with the chain closer to the back of your neck. A little scratching could occur over time where they overlap.