Jewelry help!

[ladyciel]

I''m having a tough time finding the right jewelry to go with my dress, and I''m hoping you lovely ladies might be able to give me some ideas. My mother''s rule is nothing "fake" - no rhinestones, CZs, etc, which I''m completely fine with....as long as I can still find something I can afford. I don''t think I want crystals, either - at least not in earrings or necklace. I''m planning on making my own hair pins with some pearl beads and maybe a few crystals - they won''t be terribly large and will be towards the back of my head (probably in a french twist). The only other jewelry I know for sure I''m wearing are rings - ering, wedding band, and my grandma''s pearl and white gold ring that I''m borrowing from my mom.

I''ve tried several pearl strand necklaces of different sizes, but almost all of them have looked too heavy for my dress. I did find one with small enough pearls that the weight looked right, but my mom and I both agreed it didn''t really do anything for me or the dress - it was just "eh".

I wish I had some nice diamond studs, because if I did I would totally copy luckyhonu''s idea and get pearl drop jackets made: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/diamond-and-pearl-drops.37949/. Sadly, I don''t have any nice studs.

So, given that classic pearl strands just do not look right, can you guys suggest any alternatives? Should I skip a necklace altogether? What do you think is the best jewelry combination? I think the color of creamy white pearls goes nicely with my dress, which has pearl seed beads, crystals and a few sequins on the bodice. I want whatever jewelry I wear to be substantial enough that it shows up in photos, so I''ve kind of ruled out pendants on a standard chain.

Sorry about the funny cropping on the pic - I took it at a weird angle and rotated/cropped it to make it easier to view. This is the small pearl strand that seemed (to me, my MOH, and mom) to be a good weight. It''s actually part of a 3-strand necklace, which looked too heavy all together.

Thanks for your help!

 

[bee*]

I think that it depends how you''re wearing your hair. If your hair is up, I would probably skip the necklace and wear a substantial pair of pearl drop earrings or something like that. I would wear a necklace if your hair is down, as you wouldn''t be able to see the earrings that much, but I''m not sure what type of necklace. I see what you mean about that necklace being nice, but not great.

 

[ladyciel]

Date: 3/3/2008 4:17:16 PM
Author: bee*
I think that it depends how you're wearing your hair. If your hair is up, I would probably skip the necklace and wear a substantial pair of pearl drop earrings or something like that. I would wear a necklace if your hair is down, as you wouldn't be able to see the earrings that much, but I'm not sure what type of necklace. I see what you mean about that necklace being nice, but not great.

I'm definitely wearing my hair up, because we're having an outdoor wedding in September - a) I always get hot with my hair down if it's sunny, b) I HATE the feeling of hair sticking to my sweaty back/neck, especially hair that's full of hairspray, and c) my hair refuses to hold curl or stay "nice" for long periods of time when it's down. It just separates and gets icky looking.

 

[Pandora II]

Could I make a suggestion that you try a pearl necklace that has graduated pearls - they tend to hang better and are more flattering. I have mine Japanese strung - where only the centre 7 pearls are knotted in between, rather than the western stringing with a knot between every pearl.

I wouldn''t go for anything with a centre pearl of a greater diameter than the ones you are wearing in the picture.

 

[ladyciel]

Date: 3/3/2008 4:26:51 PM
Author: Pandora II
Could I make a suggestion that you try a pearl necklace that has graduated pearls - they tend to hang better and are more flattering. I have mine Japanese strung - where only the centre 7 pearls are knotted in between, rather than the western stringing with a knot between every pearl.


I wouldn''t go for anything with a centre pearl of a greater diameter than the ones you are wearing in the picture.

I''ve been wondering if graduated pearls might look better, but I haven''t been able to find any where the largest pearls are smaller than 6 or 7mm (bigger than what I''m wearing). I''m thinking I might have to get the loose pearls and string one myself (or have a jeweler do it) if that''s what I want to go with...

 

[ladyciel]

Thanks to all of you for your ideas/opinions/help. In case it helps, here's me without any jewelry (or makeup...) and my hair pulled up. I'm unsure about going with just earrings. I've seen it done lots of times before and loved it, but that's always been on other people. Not sure if I see it working on myself, if that makes sense. I don't have much earlobe to work with, either, so I find I can't wear anything too heavy (not a prob if I stick to gold and pearls, hopefully).

 

[ladyciel]

Gypsy, here's my wedding color collage from V!V!'s color thread a few days back:

ETA: I agree that my dress is slightly more contemporary, but I think my tastes generally fall to the simple/classic side, especially with jewelry (i.e., my e-ring is a MWM sunburst). On one hand I don't like anything fussy, on the other I like things to be a touch more interesting that the most simple they could be.

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 3/3/2008 7:56:56 PM
Author: ladyciel
Gypsy, here's my wedding color collage from V!V!'s color thread a few days back:

Oh that's right. I LURVE your wedding colors. LURVE them. How do you feel about garnets?

 

[ladyciel]

Hmmmmmmmmm. You know, I can't say I ever really considered them. Excuse me for a minute while I hunt!

ETA: Ok, so looking around for garnet, my worry is this: is there a good chance the garnet might look too dark, if not black, in photos?

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 3/3/2008 8:02:56 PM
Author: ladyciel
Hmmmmmmmmm. You know, I can''t say I ever really considered them. Excuse me for a minute while I hunt!

ETA: Ok, so looking around for garnet, my worry is this: is there a good chance the garnet might look too dark, if not black, in photos?

Yeah. This is valid, I have a ''medium plum'' colored garnet on my finger right now, and in the wrong light it looks totally dark. If you got Garnet colored crystals. Like Dabby Ried''s line of crystal jewelry from Nordstroms, this wouldn''t be as big a concern.

Didn''t like the costco earrings huh? I''ll keep your jewelry on my mind if something turns up. On the other hand... the garnets could look almost NAVY (which is one of your colors) in the pics too.

Will ponder some. Stumpted right now though.

 

[ladyciel]

Gypsy, I just saw that you edited one of your earlier posts with the line about the Nadri jewelry. What''d you have in mind?

 

[OUpearlgirl]

One of my friends got married in your dress and here is the best picture of her jewelry.. I liked it a lot.

 

[ladyciel]

Ooooooh, thanks OU! Do you know if her necklace was on metal or one of those plastic illusion wires? Scattered pearls may be just the thing I''m looking for.

 

[OUpearlgirl]

Ladyciel, I honestly don''t know whether it was metal or plastic. I will ask her and get back to you!

 

[enbcfsobe]

I''m a big fan of the station pearl necklace. I personally like the metal better -- if it is thin wg it won''t show much in pictures -- but I just think it lays a lot more naturally over the collarbone than the plastic. They are very delicate looking.

 

[ladyciel]

enbcfsobe, I agree with you about the metal vs plastic. I just got back from trying jewelry on with my dress at a bridal shop and got to try on some station necklaces. The thing was, none of them really grabbed me. I mean, I liked the necklaces, and they matched the dress ok, but it was almost like too much of a good thing. The necklace ended up being an odd extension of the dress instead of a compliment to it. Does that make sense? Even the sales girl who is apparently known for putting pearls on every bride she possibly can, thought the pearls just didn''t work.

I DID, however, find a necklace that looked very nice and is oh so barely within my budget. I didn''t buy it yet - I want to look some more - but even my mom thinks it looks really nice. It''s swarovski crystal, but diamond cut rather than beads.

 

[ladyciel]

I would order it in the rhodium plated version (so silver colored, not yellow gold).

 

[ladyciel]

*

 

[ladyciel]

If I got this necklace, what do you ladies think of the matching earrings? If not those, what would you suggest?

 

[Fancy605]

hmmm...the necklace you just posted is nice--but I somehow feel it distracts from the dress and isn''t really cohesive with the look of it. I actually like it better with no necklace at all than with any of the ones posted so far. Of course that could just be me. I am just very into no necklace and fab earrings lately. I think if you continue shopping around, you''ll find something better that works.

 

[OUpearlgirl]

I agree with Fancy. Although that necklace is lovely, it doesn''t really pull the look together. If you can''t find a necklace that really GOES.. maybe it''s because there isn''t a necklace that goes.

Fabulous earrings would be a great compliment to your lovely dress!

 

[ladyciel]

Hmmmm, I wish I had a shot of that necklace with ALL of the dress. I liked it much better in the shop than I do in these pictures, and I think part of it is how the necklace balanced the dress out. The detail on the bodice is very different from what''s below it, and what I think is happening is when the dress matches the neckline, it doesn''t work with the dress overall. When it works with the dress in whole, the effect is lost when you only see from the bust up. Perhaps I can try some photoshopping to piece two photos together. Back in a bit....

 

[ladyciel]

My attempt at merging them...

 

[Fancy605]

I like the just earrings idea. I think your dress has enough going on up top to where a necklace somehow distracts from it (so far anyway). Be sure to show us photos of the dress/earrings. I bet it will be pretty!

ETA: ACK! As always, I have replied to the WRONG thread. Somehow I have a horrid habit of going to look at the thread the poster has referenced and then responding to the old thread instead of the new one. This was a response to your new earrings thread (The crystal drop ones)

 

[Pandora II]

Hmmm, honestly I see the necklace as more of an evening dress type than a wedding dress type.

 

[ladyciel]

Pandora, if I had to name my reservations about the necklace, I think you have the best description for it. It''s pretty, and it "works", but it''s just not quite bridal (though I did find it in a bridal shop). There''s a really pretty Givenchy necklace at Macy''s that I''ve been eyeing that''s not quite has heavy, doesn''t have a drop in the center, and is a flower/vine type of pattern. Depending on how the earrings I just ordered work out, I might give it a try.

 

[Dreamgirl]

ladyciel- IMO, I think the second necklace you posted is too overwhelming. It really takes away from the gown. I myself don''t care too much for over-dramatic jewels for weddings. But I have to say, since you were thinking about pearls.........My boyfriend gave me the Elsa Peretti Pearls by the Yard Necklace from Tiffany & Co. for my birthday this past summer. It is simply stunning. I have even told him so and he thinks its a great idea! It is very dainty, quite delicate and not distracting at all but rather complimenting. I think it would go well with your gown. There is also a matching bracelet & earings. I think when I get married, I was going to use my necklace as my something old, and purchase the earings to go with it and have that be my something new. I''ve told my boyfriend that and he thinks its a great idea!

There are 3 different sizes:
Scattered along a delicate chain, pearls are sleek treasures harboring luminescence in their round profiles. Necklace of cultured freshwater pearls in sterling silver. 16" long. Original designs copyrighted by Elsa Peretti. Pearl diameter 5-5.5mm $295

Scattered along a delicate chain, pearls are sleek treasures harboring luminescence in their round profiles. Necklace of cultured freshwater pearls in sterling silver. 18" long. Original designs copyrighted by Elsa Peretti. Pearl diameter 5.5-6mm $350

Scattered along a delicate chain, pearls are sleek treasures harboring luminescence in their round profiles. Necklace of cultured freshwater pearls in sterling silver. 30" long. Original designs copyrighted by Elsa Peretti. Pearl diameter 5.5-6mm $395


Here is a photo of the 16" chain that I have..........

 

[Dreamgirl]

And here is my Pearls by the Yard for some perspective (not the best picture, but it's all I have at the moment)....