Black Jade
Brilliant_Rock
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2008
- Messages
- 1,242
I thought I knew a lot about pearls. But things have changed a lot since I last bought or was gifted them. I am amazed at many of the beautiful freshwaters especially that I see on sites such as Pearl Paradise and by the photos of your pearls here and on 'that other forum'.
But one thing confusing me is the 'metallics' (which seem to be sold only on PP).
IN the photos on Pearl Paradise, they look rather awful, almsot like Mardi Gras beads.
But in photos taken by those who have them, they look great, especially in white (which I don't see for sale on PP).
They look as if the sheen in just lustre?
Whatare they exactly? I see them listed under Freshadamas. Are they a form of freshadama? And what is the difference?
Also, I notice that the freshwaters on PP and also ThePearlOutlet come in colors, besides white, natural colors.
But on my screen, lavendar is the only one that looks like a color. I am somewhat interested in peach/pink. I like peachy yellowy colors (one of my favorite pearl necklaces that I already own is golden Akoya and I love it). On my screen though the peach/pink looks like white. Is the peach/pink just an overtone? It looks very different from the baroque freshwaters described as 'peach; by say, CAtherine Cardellini.' and very, very pale. I want something with some color (though not dyed).
Last question, size. When I last bought pearls (the Akoyas in Japan in the 1980's) my 7.0-7.5 was considered to be a sizeable string, for cultured pearls. When people have 8 mm or much less above, they were either the Queen of England, or it was fake. (One website, I notice mentions how Jackie Kennedy and Barbara Bush had larger pearls. But everybody knows that those were Kenneth Jay Lane, not cultured). Things have chnaged though, a lot, with not only the SS and Tahitians but the way bigger Akoyas. However, the 7.0-7.5 looks big enough on me (I'm not a big person) and actually the size pearl I am thinking of buying is smaller, I don't know exactly how small, but my husband bought me a double strand of black and white freshies in China about 10 years ago and I love that size for everyday. I don't know what size it is (but am having them appraised soon to find out). I am going to Beijing in a couple of months and probably am going to try to buy pearls there, actually looking online to inform myself (and I'll buy online if it turns out that Beijing is more expensive online, which could be, if internet dealers here are getting wholesale prices). the thing is though, is there anywhere that one can find 6-6.5 online or even 5.5-6. I can see with my eyes that my black and whites are enough smaller than the Akoyas that they are probably 6-6.5 at biggest. I don't see anything at the online vendors smaller than 6.5-7, which is a little bigger than I really want (though maybe I can find smaller in China?)
Any advice/answers are much appreciated.
But one thing confusing me is the 'metallics' (which seem to be sold only on PP).
IN the photos on Pearl Paradise, they look rather awful, almsot like Mardi Gras beads.
But in photos taken by those who have them, they look great, especially in white (which I don't see for sale on PP).
They look as if the sheen in just lustre?
Whatare they exactly? I see them listed under Freshadamas. Are they a form of freshadama? And what is the difference?
Also, I notice that the freshwaters on PP and also ThePearlOutlet come in colors, besides white, natural colors.
But on my screen, lavendar is the only one that looks like a color. I am somewhat interested in peach/pink. I like peachy yellowy colors (one of my favorite pearl necklaces that I already own is golden Akoya and I love it). On my screen though the peach/pink looks like white. Is the peach/pink just an overtone? It looks very different from the baroque freshwaters described as 'peach; by say, CAtherine Cardellini.' and very, very pale. I want something with some color (though not dyed).
Last question, size. When I last bought pearls (the Akoyas in Japan in the 1980's) my 7.0-7.5 was considered to be a sizeable string, for cultured pearls. When people have 8 mm or much less above, they were either the Queen of England, or it was fake. (One website, I notice mentions how Jackie Kennedy and Barbara Bush had larger pearls. But everybody knows that those were Kenneth Jay Lane, not cultured). Things have chnaged though, a lot, with not only the SS and Tahitians but the way bigger Akoyas. However, the 7.0-7.5 looks big enough on me (I'm not a big person) and actually the size pearl I am thinking of buying is smaller, I don't know exactly how small, but my husband bought me a double strand of black and white freshies in China about 10 years ago and I love that size for everyday. I don't know what size it is (but am having them appraised soon to find out). I am going to Beijing in a couple of months and probably am going to try to buy pearls there, actually looking online to inform myself (and I'll buy online if it turns out that Beijing is more expensive online, which could be, if internet dealers here are getting wholesale prices). the thing is though, is there anywhere that one can find 6-6.5 online or even 5.5-6. I can see with my eyes that my black and whites are enough smaller than the Akoyas that they are probably 6-6.5 at biggest. I don't see anything at the online vendors smaller than 6.5-7, which is a little bigger than I really want (though maybe I can find smaller in China?)
Any advice/answers are much appreciated.