My Chunyun Jewelers mini-splurge

[glitterata]

Here they are spiraled with my akoyas that my Dad gave me oh, 25 years ago.

The akoyas are not top quality--they have lots of surface blemishes. But they''re perfectly round and perfectly matched. I''m not sure how big they are, maybe 8 mm?

The Chuyuns are whiter and cleaner than the akoyas, which have cream overtones. The Chuyuns in the center of the strand are bigger than the akoyas and the ones at the ends are smaller.

 

[D&T]

Date: 10/16/2009 2:51:41 PM
Author: glitterata
Close up. Quite off round, sizes don''t match, but still pretty nice.

They look beautiful on your neck! I think it is a great price for the strands though, but too bad you have to restring them

 

[that_someone_special]

I think they look nice! I agree that it''s too bad you have to re-string them. I ordered two, one for each of my bridesmaid... and I haven''t gotten them yet. In fact, I have received ANYthing from chuyun yet... can I asked when you placed your order? I won and paid for my first auction with them on 9/29 and nothin yet.

But yours look so great! I hope mine will look that good

 

[summertime]

Date: 10/16/2009 5:26:53 PM
Author: swedish bean
I think they look nice! I agree that it''s too bad you have to re-string them. I ordered two, one for each of my bridesmaid... and I haven''t gotten them yet. In fact, I have received ANYthing from chuyun yet... can I asked when you placed your order? I won and paid for my first auction with them on 9/29 and nothin yet.

But yours look so great! I hope mine will look that good

Hey swedish bean, I ordered the pinkish-lavender pendant on 9/26, and I haven''t gotten it yet. I''m hoping it comes next week, but I just wanted to let you know that you aren''t alone!

 

[that_someone_special]

Date: 10/16/2009 6:08:59 PM
Author: summertime

Date: 10/16/2009 5:26:53 PM

Author: swedish bean

I think they look nice! I agree that it''s too bad you have to re-string them. I ordered two, one for each of my bridesmaid... and I haven''t gotten them yet. In fact, I have received ANYthing from chuyun yet... can I asked when you placed your order? I won and paid for my first auction with them on 9/29 and nothin yet.

But yours look so great! I hope mine will look that good

Hey swedish bean, I ordered the pinkish-lavender pendant on 9/26, and I haven''t gotten it yet. I''m hoping it comes next week, but I just wanted to let you know that you aren''t alone!

Phew! It''s just that I have placed orders through pearllunar after my chuyun order and have gotten them days ago.. I was worried my precious gems would be lost in the mail

Please post pics when you get yours too!!

 

[cellentani]

glitterata: the size of the pearls on the necklace look really nice on you. Like you, I wasn''t wowed by the luster on my necklace, but it wasn''t too bad. And after seeing your other stringing projects, I know you''re not gonna have any problem re-stringing them!

swedish bean - I ordered and paid for my chuyun pearls on 9/28 and received them on 10/4, so hopefully you and summertime will get your order SOON!

 

[glitterata]

Let's see...I ordered it on 10/6, so it took 10 days. I hope yours arrives soon! Did you get a notification that they'd shipped yours? I got my shipping notification on 10/9, three days after I won the auction. I think I paid right away--I usually do. At latest I paid the next day.

I'm actually looking forward to stringing them--it's fun! (Cellen, are you tired of my thanking you yet?) I need a better clasp, though.

I think these will make great bridesmaid gifts. They're pretty and substantial and versatile--your bridesmaids will definitely wear them again.

 

[cellentani]

I''m so happy everyone''s getting into beading - it''s like a little club!

Okay, do I sound like an 8-year-old, or what?!

 

[that_someone_special]

Date: 10/16/2009 8:55:54 PM
Author: cellentani
I''m so happy everyone''s getting into beading - it''s like a little club!

Okay, do I sound like an 8-year-old, or what?!

Yes we should start a club!

Actually when I was shopping for stuff last night my thought was, "darn I wish I had some pricescope girls to ask questions to!!"

 

[glitterata]

I restrung them. I''ll post some pictures soon. Unlike Cell''s, mine came out shorter than the original necklace--the knotting I use makes smaller knots.

 

[glitterata]

My restrung Chuyun pearls. I used #2 white Griffin silk and a simple sterling lobster clasp.

 

[glitterata]

The clasp and jump ring ends. I need to clip the thread closer to the knots on the clasp end. See how uneven the color is? But it looks okay from a distance.

Cellentani, I hope you don''t mind me co-opting your thread with all these photos!

 

[glitterata]

Close-up of the knots. Very unround, but nice pink overtones.

 

[glitterata]

Neck shot (I''m wearing what I think may be the oldest teeshirt known to mankind).

 

[glitterata]

Neck shot with my akoyas. The restrung necklace isn''t as much shorter as I thought--only a fraction of an inch, probably. I forgot to measure it before I restrung it, but it falls close to where it used to fall, according to the photos anyway.

 

[cellentani]

glitterata, that''s a terrific re-stringing job! I like how your french wire isn''t too big of a loop - it wraps snugly around the clasp just perfectly. And I think smaller knots look better, so I see I''m going to have to try something different. Way to go!

And seeing that last shot makes me think that a double strand would look fabulous!

 

[glitterata]

I just measured my Chuyun pearls with a caliper. They're supposed to be 8.5mm, but the largest one is only 8mm at its largest diameter. They're very off round, so the largest one has a smaller diameter of just a touch over 7mm. The smaller pearls, the ones toward the ends, are 7-7.3 mm at their large diameter and go down to 6mm at their small diameter.

Now, these pearls were the really cheap ones--just $33, including shipping--and they're clean with decent luster, so I still think they were a good buy. But they were NOT as big as advertised.

Just thought you guys should know in case anyone's considering buying from them. Expect the pearls to be at least 1/2 mm smaller than advertised, graduating down to 1.5 mm smaller, and more off-round than they look in the pictures, and bid accordingly.

PS: If you're looking at the photos above, my akoyas are all exactly 7mm.

 

[cellentani]

Mine are a little off-round like that too, glitterata, but we''re probably the only ones who''ll notice. At least we''ll be the only ones getting out our digital calipers, lol!

I took another look at your lobster clasp - is it one of the argentium silver ones? It looks very nice, and is a little more refined than the cheap lobster claws from the craft store. I''m off to check out that website...

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 10/8/2009 5:59:48 PM
Author: cellentani
Do you think this is a good length, or should I shorten it a little?

Oh these look PERFECT on you!!!

I love what you did w/your studs and pearl's!!! i want to do that! What size are your studs if you don't mind me asking? yours are a good proportion together!!

You and Glitterata look great w/your pearls on!!!

 

[cellentani]

I swear, I just posted an answer, and I don''t know what happened to it - hopefully it''s not in some weird place where it doesn''t make any sense, lol!

Anyway, thanks for your compliments Skippy! I''ve been enjoying the pearls a lot lately. My studs are 5mm, hope that helps.

 

[that_someone_special]

I thought I already commented on this- post pictures (which has happened a lot lately- sorry!) I reaaaallly like those. I think the clasp works well with it too.

Thank you for taking to time to share with all of us too

 

[glitterata]

I''m sorry, everybody--I think I confused people by reviving this thread to comment on the size of the Chuyun pearls in my necklace.

The clasp is just one of the ones I got at my nearby beading shop--that was before I''d ordered Argentium findings. But it''s simple and secure. I didn''t like the silver flower clasp that came with the necklace--too fussy for me.