My new white South Sea pearls!

[SMC]

My MIL gifted me with a strand of white South Sea pearls for my wedding. I love them. I don't have any specs on them as I didn't do the purchasing but they look very near round to me.

The color is a lot whiter than my silver rose Freshadamas. They appear to have pink and blue overtones.

My DH wants to put them in a safe deposit box, but I think that I've convinced him to let me keep them and wear them occasionally. I told him that putting them in a safe deposit box would be detrimental to the condition of the pearls.

Please excuse the awful bathroom lighting. The sun rose after 8am today and set at like 4pm here in Seattle.

 

[4Ranch Girl]

Wow nice MIL Sortmon. You are one very, very lucky girl. The pearls are just wonderful. Wear them often and enjoy these beauties

 

[SMC]

Wow nice MIL Sortmon. You are one very, very lucky girl. The pearls are just wonderful. Wear them often and enjoy these beauties

Thank you! I'm trying to wear them as frequently as DH would allow. I got quite a few blingy presents from her, but this one is by far my favorite!

Can SS pearls withstand frequent wear? I've only worn them once on my wedding day and wiped them down carefully afterwards.

 

[4Ranch Girl]

I do not think they are as fragile as akoyas are known to be (I have been wearing my first akoyas strand since the early 1980"s and wore them every day for almost 15 years and they still look fine) so I would not worry to much about these south seas. These pearls should be worn and enjoyed. As long as you take care of them as I am sure you will it would be a shame to leave them in their box. As far as presents go this one should be at the top of anyones list.

 

[bsomlo]

sortmom -- Are you crazy madly in love?! WOW!!! They are unbelievable!

More pictures, please.

Wear them often and in very good health!!!

Have I said "WOW" yet?!

 

[CareBear]

Oh my! Your MIL has exquisite taste! Do you know what size they are?

 

[NacreLover]

Now I see why you want an appraisal for the strand. I don't blame your husband for wanting you to lock it up. Since you live near a big city, ( I used to live in a city near by) I understand theft could happen when you're not home. If you have many more items you really want safe when you leave, I would buy a good safe and bolt it to the floor. Liberty has the best safe on the market and they deliver and set up. It would be a great gift for your first anniversary or before. http://www.libertysafe.com/

 

[pearlsngems]

They are stunning!

They beg to be worn and enjoyed. One thing I have learned in my nearly six decades is that life is short and beautiful things should not be "saved" for special occasions.

Besides, there is no need to avoid wearing them; the nacre on SSP is thick-- thicker than on any other cultured pearl. And exposure to moisture (in the air and on your skin) is good for the nacre. If they spend too much time in a safe they can dry out.

That said, since you have other "blingy" jewelry to protect from theft, I think the suggestion to install a safe in your home (where you can get at it conveniently) is a good one. If you have room for it in your bedroom, all the better. (Who wants to have to walk to their basement to get jewelry to wear?)

 

[Confection10]

Absolutely breathtakingly beautiful necklace . Wear it, love it and share the beauty of them to all You family members and friends. And make all others envious. If something is luxury, Your pearls are.

 

[LitGeek]

Oh my goodness they are gorgeous Your MIL is so sweet for gifting those to you! Definitely wear and enjoy those beauties! More photos please

 

[dk168]

Pearls are comparatively cheaper than diamonds, therefore, easier to replace should anything happens to them.

Except for those with very expensive jewelled clasps that cost thousands to replace, of course.

Besides, pearls need to be worn to keep/maintain their lustre.

Hence I keep my pearls close to me, so that I can wear them as often as I like, without having to go to get them out from the safe deposit box etc...

Enjoy your SSPs, and thanks for sharing!

DK

 

[SMC]

Oh my! Your MIL has exquisite taste! Do you know what size they are?

I don't really. I don't have any specs on them. I'll see if I can use my calipers to get some better info later.

Everyone else, I'm working on getting more pictures! The dark Seattle weather, my horrible camera, and my general in aptitude at photography are all working against me.

I am opening up a safe deposit box at a bank for the non-pearl jewelry. A lot of it is not my style so I can't see it getting much wear anyway.

 

[dk168]

Recycle the ones not to your tastes/style and turn them into something that you can wear?

That's what I would do.

DK

 

[SMC]

Recycle the ones not to your tastes/style and turn them into something that you can wear?

That's what I would do.

DK

I can't, at least not while my MIL is alive or she would be offended if I traded in/dismantled what she gave me. One of the gifts is a diamond watch which I won't wear because it has a pink face and I don't like pink (and I also have a watch I love for everyday). Another gift is a 24kt gold chain with gold charms that are supposed to be for fertility and luck. Then there's a diamond ring which is both too wide and too big, but it used to belong to my DH's grandmother and I don't think DH is in favor of altering it in any way as he wants to preserve the antique look.

Anyway, this is such a first world problem that I feel bad complaining about it. I am very lucky to have what I received.

 

[baby monster]

Wow, gorgeous SSPs . Please don't lock them up and wear as much possible! I agree about installing a home safe bolted to the floor for peace of mind.

 

[periwinklegirl]

Congratulations! They're beautiful!
Enjoy!

 

[NacreLover]

I was over at PG and saw your post. I'm glad Jeremy and GemGeek chimed in and gave you some options for help in your appraisal search. Did you select one yet?

 

[Pearlescence]

Wear them everyday. The perception and fear of loss or damage is far more negative in your life than any actual and highly unlikely loss could ever be.
If you allow your lovely pearls and other such stuff to be locked away you might as well not have it.

 

[HHPmom]

That's such a beautiful gift from your MIL. Lucky you. You've received lots of good advice already. Wear your jewelry and don't lock them up.

 

[artdecogirl]

Those are gorgeous What a lovely mother in law!

 

[BWise]

OMG! That's stunning! Wear it in good health.

 

[SMC]

I was over at PG and saw your post. I'm glad Jeremy and GemGeek chimed in and gave you some options for help in your appraisal search. Did you select one yet?

I did! I emailed a few of them, and ended up selecting one that my friend had also used. She makes house calls, so it's easy for me.

Another comparison photo - this time in natural light. The SS pearls are much much whiter and more silvery. I think my Freshadamas are still going to get more use since they're lighter (weight-wise) and more comfortable to wear.

 

[periwinklegirl]

They're both lovely!

The south seas look quite big given that your Freshadamas are 9-10mm! I'm not surprised they're heavy!

Enjoy

 

[LitGeek]

Happy to hear you found an appraiser. Just look at how lovely your freshadama strand is next to those beautiful wSS! It is so nice that you have options, one strand for "everyday" and one for when you feel like making a statement And now you will have some silver Ts to throw in the mix What a lovely collection you have going!

 

[SMC]

Happy to hear you found an appraiser. Just look at how lovely your freshadama strand is next to those beautiful wSS! It is so nice that you have options, one strand for "everyday" and one for when you feel like making a statement And now you will have some silver Ts to throw in the mix What a lovely collection you have going!

Thanks! I hope the silver Tahitians work out for me. PP needs to stop tempting me with all these sales!

 

[pkinnew]

sortmon - Now that is a memorable SS strand! Large, white and stunning! I hope you get lots of opportunities to wear it - and often!

 

[innerkitten]

Oh my goodness those are gorgeous! I agree wearing them is better than having them in a safe deposit box.

 

[Smith1942]

WOW! They are absolutely STUNNING!!!

 

[SMC]

Thanks everyone! They're getting appraised this weekend and they'll be worn more frequently once I have insurance. I do want to pass them on though, so I plan to be careful with them. In the meantime, my Freshadamas are getting worn daily. Can't wait for my silver Tahitians to arrive!

 

[YC]

Hi Sortman,
The SS strand is truly gorgeous. That is a lovely gift from your MIL! Do wear them often.