Metallic baroque FW oil slicks from Pearlzaustralia

[yssie]

I'm so far behind on so many PS threads that I can't wait to catch up on!!

Just taking a quick breather from #OtherStuff to share my newest - some fun little loves from @katbran

Started with a 4th of July IG post I'd just been chatting with a friend about how much she loves fall in Maryland, and I'd been thinking that of all the gemstones in the world none capture autumn's bright peaches and rich greens and warm coppers as earnestly as freshwater metallics, and...



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Just a couple of the photos she sent me. There were, as usual, many (many many) more! I chose the left/outer strand; to be honest it basically came down to whether I wanted that one petrol-puddle pearl in my strand or that deep orangey bronze in the other



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Anyone looking for singletons for earrings or pendants?

 

[yssie]

These pearls are sizable! 10-13mm wide, 13-18mm long. Too big to double wrap around the wrist. The strand I left behind - those pearls are a little smaller and more drop-shaped, probably easier to style as a non-necklace. I just took the easy way out and picked my favourites and bracelet-ized them. I mean, it's me, what the heck else was I gonna do





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Got luster?



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I kept the autumn theme for threads. Gold and green. Helps reign any cool pink in and highlights the warmth

 

[yssie]

In the shade beside a window:







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Direct sunlight:



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So these are actually my first "really nice" multicoloured freshwaters. And I'm really enjoying having so many flavours of multicolour to play with - FW, akoya, Tahitians, Cortez, they're all so different!! Different personalities and temperaments. I don't know if these specific pearls represent how FW generally behave, but one of the first things I noticed is how unexpectedly fickle their colours are

In exactly the right lighting, at exactly the right moment, they're the most vividly-coloured pearls I've got. But in anything other than exactly the right lighting at exactly the right moment - they immediately fade to peach. Nothing in between. All my other multicoloured pearls are more forgiving, the shift from bright overtone to no overtone is more gradual - these pairs of photos were taken in what I would have guessed was #TheSameLightingEnvironment but, um, apparently not!









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Last one, in the lightbox

 

[katbran]

Bracelet looks wonderful ! That one pearl is definitely insane lol

 

[Starstruck8]

Amazingly strong iridescence! It's magic. Especially in the lightbox.

 

[NY_Resonant]

Bracelet looks wonderful ! That one pearl is definitely insane lol

Gorgeous colors! That crazy colored Pearl is so pretty.

I don’t know much about fresh waters and honestly haven’t been that interested in them but that one Pearl is making me reconsider!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I'm so far behind on so many PS threads that I can't wait to catch up on!!

Just taking a quick breather from #OtherStuff to share my newest - some fun little loves from @katbran

Started with a 4th of July IG post I'd just been chatting with a friend about how much she loves fall in Maryland, and I'd been thinking that of all the gemstones in the world none capture autumn's bright peaches and rich greens and warm coppers as earnestly as freshwater metallics, and...



- - - - -

Just a couple of the photos she sent me. There were, as usual, many (many many) more! I chose the left/outer strand; to be honest it basically came down to whether I wanted that one petrol-puddle pearl in my strand or that deep orangey bronze in the other



- - - - -

Anyone looking for singletons for earrings or pendants?

oh wow
you never buy duds Yssie

when @Autumn in New England pops back in to say hello (she said in the fall) she needs to see these

 

[yssie]

Gorgeous colors! That crazy colored Pearl is so pretty.

I don’t know much about fresh waters and honestly haven’t been that interested in them but that one Pearl is making me reconsider!

I’m with you. It still wouldn’t be mind-clean to spend more than say a few hundred on FW - mentally I’m just not in that place and I don’t know that I’ll ever get to that place. Not knowing exactly what treatments a pearl has been subjected to contributes hugely to my personal lack of confidence - and that’s not any retailer’s fault, my understanding is that it’s alternative facts and hyperbole all the way down the FW supply chain…

But all that said - the petrol puddle pearl is INSANE in-person. I’m gonna just start calling it my #PPP. This thing clings to its colours even in direct sunlight. How!!??

 

[dk168]

I saw them on her IG and am glad they went to a PSer's home.

DK

 

[NY_Resonant]

I’m with you. It still wouldn’t be mind-clean to spend more than say a few hundred on FW - mentally I’m just not in that place and I don’t know that I’ll ever get to that place. Not knowing exactly what treatments a pearl has been subjected to contributes hugely to my personal lack of confidence - and that’s not any retailer’s fault, my understanding is that it’s alternative facts and hyperbole all the way down the FW supply chain…

But all that said - the petrol puddle pearl is INSANE in-person. I’m gonna just start calling it my #PPP. This thing clings to its colours even in direct sunlight. How!!??

My first thought when I saw the #PPP was “How long till @yssie‘s perfection bug forces her to get an entire bracelet of #PPP type FWP?” Like your Cortez bracelet project for FWP?

 

[Catmom]

And that is a perfect example of why I love pearls. Just like opals they are all so different and interesting. That one pearl is a showstopper. I've been exploring the world of FWs while I learn to string. Some of them can be pretty amazing like your bracelet.

 

[lovedogs]

Well crap. Now I need a #PPP immediately.

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

This is my absolute favorite type of pearl. I don't trust myself to be able to pick a strand of quality, though. When the time comes- I hope you will help me pick the best for my micro budget!

 

[DAF]

Amazing pearls.

 

[yssie]

So… I’m stupid… Just realized how confusing my original post was. I didn’t buy any of the singletons!! Just thought they were pretty and wanted to share in case anyone wanted some. But I totally see how it reads like I have some that I want to rehome, apologies all!!

But Katbran’s pricing is super super reasonable and the pearls are always even nicer in-person - highly recommend anyone who’s interested reach out to her

 

[SparklieBug]

In exactly the right lighting, at exactly the right moment, they're the most vividly-coloured pearls I've got. But in anything other than exactly the right lighting at exactly the right moment - they immediately fade to peach. Nothing in between.

Mm-hmm! ^^^ This is precisely why I gave up on this type of FW pearl. Online they looked amazing in the ideal light...I tried different strands (Yup, slower learner in my pearl-addiction stage, LOL!), and while they were in their nesting place, they looked fabulous. However, when I brought them out into the greater world's light? Very "meh". And that meh peachy color on my skin looks horrid. So off they went as gifts.

 

[yssie]

This is my absolute favorite type of pearl. I don't trust myself to be able to pick a strand of quality, though. When the time comes- I hope you will help me pick the best for my micro budget!

Just say the words

Or just think the words and say the budget - I am always more than happy to help friends spend their money

 

[lovedogs]

Sadly Kat doesn't have any more of the oil slicks

 

[Austina]

Wowsers @yssie they are drop dead gorgeous

 

[yssie]

Sadly Kat doesn't have any more of the oil slicks

Can she keep an eye out for you? There's got to be more out there right? Especially with the Chinese FW improving SO much!?

 

[yssie]

So… This was one of the extras. One end was super lustrous and the other was super dull and I wondered what was causing the difference -






So turns out - in this sacrificial offering at least - the dullness was caused by some sort of white top layer. Calcification? Scraping that white layer off revealed beautiful, metallic, lustrous nacre underneath. I’m tempted to take some polishing compound to some of the other pearls








It’s kinda hard to see in this pic but the are closest to the drill hole looks a bit more shiny, that’s where I scraped that white coating off -

 

[Starstruck8]

So… This was one of the extras. One end was super lustrous and the other was super dull and I wondered what was causing the difference -






So turns out - in this sacrificial offering at least - the dullness was caused by some sort of white top layer. Calcification? Scraping that white layer off revealed beautiful, metallic, lustrous nacre underneath. I’m tempted to take some polishing compound to some of the other pearls








It’s kinda hard to see in this pic but the are closest to the drill hole looks a bit more shiny, that’s where I scraped that white coating off -

I love your experiments. This is up there with DIY pearl dyeing. Yes, do some destructive polishing, if you can remove material but still leave a smooth finish.

But what I'd really like to know a bit more about is this:

I don't know if these specific pearls represent how FW generally behave, but one of the first things I noticed is how unexpectedly fickle their colours are

In exactly the right lighting, at exactly the right moment, they're the most vividly-coloured pearls I've got. But in anything other than exactly the right lighting at exactly the right moment - they immediately fade to peach. Nothing in between. All my other multicoloured pearls are more forgiving, the shift from bright overtone to no overtone is more gradual

What is going on here? What makes the 'right' lighting right? And what makes these pearls different from others?

It seems that softer lighting is always better at bringing out interference colours, with a light box as the extreme case. No surprise there. Two obvious stories: (a) It's in the mind (psychophysical) - variations in reflected brightness over the surface of the pearls 'wash out' perceived variations in colour. (b) It's in the pearls - random scattering may be washing out the colours. It's easy to imagine that both effects could differ between pearls. But it would be nice to know more specifically.

 

[yssie]

Mm-hmm! ^^^ This is precisely why I gave up on this type of FW pearl. Online they looked amazing in the ideal light...I tried different strands (Yup, slower learner in my pearl-addiction stage, LOL!), and while they were in their nesting place, they looked fabulous. However, when I brought them out into the greater world's light? Very "meh". And that meh peachy color on my skin looks horrid. So off they went as gifts.

I totally understand this. That’s me with deep golds - deep gold is just not flattering on me! But I’m too much of a nacre-hoarder to give anything away, so I keep them and admire them on the bedspread every so often

I’m fortunate in that I can wear pretty much any peaches/pinks/browns so the “base” FW colours work fine for me. Of course the iridescence is my favourite part too though

 

[yssie]

I love your experiments. This is up there with DIY pearl dyeing. Yes, do some destructive polishing, if you can remove material but still leave a smooth finish.

But what I'd really like to know a bit more about is this:

What is going on here? What makes the 'right' lighting right? And what makes these pearls different from others?

It seems that softer lighting is always better at bringing out interference colours, with a light box as the extreme case. No surprise there. Two obvious stories: (a) It's in the mind (psychophysical) - variations in reflected brightness over the surface of the pearls 'wash out' perceived variations in colour. (b) It's in the pearls - random scattering may be washing out the colours. It's easy to imagine that both effects could differ between pearls. But it would be nice to know more specifically.

And here’s a weird thing: The PPP is the only one that doesn’t lose its iridescence colours as lighting changes. I haven’t any clue why! What makes that one pearl different?

I took this pic a while ago. Different types of “multicolour” - Cortez at the top, Tahitians, FW, then baby akoya. This was beside a window in the shade, not an actual lightbox but probably about as close as you can get in the Real World. (I redid the FW lineup so it’s different from earlier photos).

 

[NY_Resonant]

And here’s a weird thing: The PPP is the only one that doesn’t lose its iridescence colours as lighting changes. I haven’t any clue why! What makes that one pearl different?

I took this pic a while ago. Different types of “multicolour” - Cortez at the top, Tahitians, FW, then baby akoya. This was beside a window in the shade, not an actual lightbox but probably about as close as you can get in the Real World. (I redid the FW lineup so it’s different from earlier photos).

For all that is holy, make it a mission to take that tahitian bracelet out of the bank vault at least once a month and show it off! Even if you need to hire a bodyguard every time

 

[SparklieBug]

I totally understand this. That’s me with deep golds - deep gold is just not flattering on me! But I’m too much of a nacre-hoarder to give anything away, so I keep them and admire them on the bedspread every so often

LOL! "My preciousssss...pearls..." Totally get that!

I kept the FWs for ages because I loved the look of them in their happy lighting, and eventually was compelled to give them away because it irked me that they looked so dreadful on me.

I am so delighted that the deep gold GSS color looks great on my skin—which, to be honest, really surprised me. WSS is also great, and blue akoya also really suits my skin which I'm also super-grateful for because I particularly adore the blues.

 

[Catmom]

And here’s a weird thing: The PPP is the only one that doesn’t lose its iridescence colours as lighting changes. I haven’t any clue why! What makes that one pearl different?

I took this pic a while ago. Different types of “multicolour” - Cortez at the top, Tahitians, FW, then baby akoya. This was beside a window in the shade, not an actual lightbox but probably about as close as you can get in the Real World. (I redid the FW lineup so it’s different from earlier photos).

You are killing me with these bracelets!!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

And here’s a weird thing: The PPP is the only one that doesn’t lose its iridescence colours as lighting changes. I haven’t any clue why! What makes that one pearl different?

I took this pic a while ago. Different types of “multicolour” - Cortez at the top, Tahitians, FW, then baby akoya. This was beside a window in the shade, not an actual lightbox but probably about as close as you can get in the Real World. (I redid the FW lineup so it’s different from earlier photos).

i honestly do not have a favourite
i love them all but i love those baby colours on the little ones

 

[yssie]

My first thought when I saw the #PPP was “How long till @yssie‘s perfection bug forces her to get an entire bracelet of #PPP type FWP?” Like your Cortez bracelet project for FWP?

So... Remember how I said "yeah nope that ain't happening"...



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I've got enough for two bracelet strands now... The lighter strand is more pink and less oil-slick-ey. The original PPP from Katbran is fourth from the ball clasp end (white arrow) - it's still the queen of the crew. Most strongly coloured, holds its colour best through all lighting environments. But the others are close enough that I'm (genuinely!!) done now

 

[lovedogs]

So... Remember how I said "yeah nope that ain't happening"...

Yessssss! Are the others from the etsy sellers you mentioned on another thread?