My pearls from Hong Kong

[bsomlo]

Icy jade -- in Korean tradition it's "wedding ducks" -- carved out of wood. If the ducks are beak-to-beak, all is well with the couple. If tail-to-tail...

http://miconthehill.blog.com/2011/02/15/ducks-of-love/

Maybe it's time to up that medium to pearls!

(Hubby is Korean, I'm Hungarian.)

 

[icy_jade]

Ok, since loading takes forever a brief explanation. I took pics of like 80 % of the pearls on display. May not keep them pinned forever cos I am not sure if they will be happy with me sharing the pics tho I got permission for snaps.

If you see individual shots or close ups, those pieces caught my eye either cos of colour, luster, design or size. Maybe not apparent from pics but yeah some really gorgeous pearls in real life.

Anyway I ran outta budget so didn't go to another store. But compared to Singapore, most stores have nice pearls for sale. Look really expensive tho. I only went to higher end malls and gave the el cheapo markets a skip.

 

[icy_jade]

Icy jade -- in Korean tradition it's "wedding ducks" -- carved out of wood. If the ducks are beak-to-beak, all is well with the couple. If tail-to-tail...

http://miconthehill.blog.com/2011/02/15/ducks-of-love/

Maybe it's time to up that medium to pearls!

(Hubby is Korean, I'm Hungarian.)

Hehe. Thanks for this interesting info. I think the designs are very chinese so they are probably just fat birds! Haha. Hubby is supposed to be the taller white one.

 

[icy_jade]

Oops! Didn't realize that changing the board name changes the web address. The earlier link no longer works. Pls use this one instead.

http://pinterest.com/amodularlife/hong-kong-pearl-shopping/

Oki am finally done! Enjoy the pics ladies!

Some thoughts on the Tahitians... I thought that Andy Muller (which I got a colour graduated strand from) had far more strands to choose from. But Rio was very accommodating re: customizing the length. Anyway overall I still like shopping on person cos I get to try the sizes. E.g I look terrible in the fireballs. And to try different colors too. E.g I like blue tahitian pearls, but they just don't 'pop' unlike some other colours when I tried them on.

Hmm... I shall try to go to my local jewellery shows more often from now on!

Next post will be the address and contact for Rio Pearl. Sorry I find long posts hard on iPad.

 

[icy_jade]

Rio Pearl.
Address 3/F., 39 Mody Road,Tsimshatsui,Kowloon,Hong Kong.
Website www.riopearl.com.hk...
Telephone No.: (852) 2723-7676. Fax No.: (852) 2739- 5055.

Salesperson: Stella

Pls let her know that the tall lady from Singapore recommended you (who bought the bird ring, etc). She mentioned that if my friends are looking for particular pearls, I can check with her in advance via whatsapp. Just drop me an email.

To get there, you can take the MTR to Tsim sha Tsui station and exit near K11 mall. I took cab tho. But remember to get the Chinese translation for the address from your hotel concierge.

Best to go early in the trip if you plan to customize. Their workshop/goldsmith works half day on Sat and not on Sunday. Think no problem for stringing tho.

 

[HHPmom]

Oops! Didn't realize that changing the board name changes the web address. The earlier link no longer works. Pls use this one instead.

http://pinterest.com/amodularlife/hong-kong-pearl-shopping/

Oki am finally done! Enjoy the pics ladies!

E.g I like blue tahitian pearls, but they just don't 'pop' unlike some other colours when I tried them on.

I know exactly what you mean. The darker blue looks beautiful on white background but is blah on my neck. Even with dark cherry, it has to be a particular shade. Too light it washes out, too dark it blends in with olive skin tone. Shopping in person is still the best.

 

[icy_jade]

Definitely better for me since time zone differences makes direct communication a pain, and returns difficult.

Plus I love to pearl shop in real life! I mean, who doesn't right?

Did some breakfast photo shoot of the Tahitian strand. Yep that's the napkin serving as the background. Hope you ladies enjoy the pearl p*rn. Can you tell that I am very tickled by the term? Haha.

 

[bsomlo]

icy jade -- you bookended my day with wonderful reports and more and more pictures. Thank you!!!

 

[icy_jade]

icy jade -- you bookended my day with wonderful reports and more and more pictures. Thank you!!!

Hey no worries. What are imaginery pearl friends for right?
On hindsight I think I should have visited another store too, but hey there is always next time.

Mmm. I am going to Manila next week (for work tho) - perhaps a visit to Greenhills and Jewelmer if I get time? No promises tho.

 

[bsomlo]

Jewelmer, mmmmmmmmmmm............

 

[Agneau]

Would you mind sharing about how much their bird rings run? I want to stop pretending that I could possibly afford one. Such a sweet ring.

 

[icy_jade]

Would you mind sharing about how much their bird rings run? I want to stop pretending that I could possibly afford one. Such a sweet ring.

I negotiated a package price for the 3 items, but I think was definitely less than USD 1k (incl resizing)? Stella said that workmanship rates have gone up (cos mine was made a while back) so new pieces may cost more. I've added more pics so you can see the detailed branch work on the ring. The birds are made from SSPs btw.

Definitely think the ring is affordable.

P.S. I bought the last SSP bird ring in the store. The tahitian one not so nice I think (black birds)... So better contact Rio if you are interested.

 

[icy_jade]

icy jade -- you bookended my day with wonderful reports and more and more pictures. Thank you!!!

Today is lazing around day - so took more pics. Hope you ladies are not sick of them.

@mrs taylor: more of my pastels as requested!
Btw in daylight the colours are more muted vs in the store. But they photograph extremely well. No touch ups or enhancements for these pics taken using iPhone.

Ok, think that's it... Taking so many pics that I now feel like a pearl vendor...

 

[jenncent]

Wow, amazing!!!!! Those pastel Tahitians are the first that I have seen that I have wanted! LOL, great. I liked it better when I thought Tahitians were not for me. And those Edison pearls... OMG. I die.

 

[icy_jade]

Wow, amazing!!!!! Those pastel Tahitians are the first that I have seen that I have wanted! LOL, great. I liked it better when I thought Tahitians were not for me. And those Edison pearls... OMG. I die.

Jenncent, once you start on Tahitians... Hmm... Hard to turn back! Fascinating overtones and colours. Have you seen HHPmom's collection? She has great pastels, and SoC pearls of course. Those are TDF.

The Edison baroques have great lustre. Should have taken a comparative shot against normal FWPs and SSPs. Didn't think about that till I left the store.

 

[LitGeek]

Wow! Your new tahitian rope looks gorgeous!!! You must be grinning from ear to ear wearing all of your lovely new pearls! Thanks so much for taking the time to load and pin all of the pearls for us to admire And those Edisons are just spectacular!

Oh a visit to Jewelmer would be just dreamy

 

[icy_jade]

Wow! Your new tahitian rope looks gorgeous!!! You must be grinning from ear to ear wearing all of your lovely new pearls! Thanks so much for taking the time to load and pin all of the pearls for us to admire And those Edisons are just spectacular!

Oh a visit to Jewelmer would be just dreamy

Haha just at bfast for a quick photo shoot and then I am back to my typical tourist outfit. The Edisons are nice. In fact I might have taken the bait if they had white baroques - starter set to real SSPs?

Glad you ladies enjoyed the photo tour.

I'll see if I can pop by a Jewelmer. May not be able to take pics tho. Gold SSPs look awful on me btw, so I really have no plans to buy a golden SSP. But if I spot some nice white SSPs...

Edit: added a few snaps of Mikimoto in the Pinterest board.

 

[jenncent]

Wow, amazing!!!!! Those pastel Tahitians are the first that I have seen that I have wanted! LOL, great. I liked it better when I thought Tahitians were not for me. And those Edison pearls... OMG. I die.

Jenncent, once you start on Tahitians... Hmm... Hard to turn back! Fascinating overtones and colours. Have you seen HHPmom's collection? She has great pastels, and SoC pearls of course. Those are TDF.

The Edison baroques have great lustre. Should have taken a comparative shot against normal FWPs and SSPs. Didn't think about that till I left the store.

Yes, I have seen them! The SofC is perhaps the most amazing necklace I have ever seen.

 

[icy_jade]

Jewelmer, mmmmmmmmmmm............

Hmm... If I have a Jewelmer store in the hotel that I am staying at, not paying a visit would be abnormal right?

 

[bsomlo]

It would be beyond abnormal. It would be masochistic not to go in, imaginary friend 'o mine.

 

[LitGeek]

Jewelmer, mmmmmmmmmmm............

Hmm... If I have a Jewelmer store in the hotel that I am staying at, not paying a visit would be abnormal right?

etremely abnormal

 

[alice87]

I can't see anything.

 

[bsomlo]

That's the problem with imaginary friends, alice87. She's doesn't really exist...

 

[LitGeek]

That's the problem with imaginary friends, alice87. She's doesn't really exist...

 

[icy_jade]

That's the problem with imaginary friends, alice87. She's doesn't really exist...

ROFL

 

[icy_jade]

I can't see anything.

The pics are in the Pinterest link. Pls have a look before I close the board, probably before end aug.

 

[icy_jade]

Jewelmer, mmmmmmmmmmm............

Hmm... If I have a Jewelmer store in the hotel that I am staying at, not paying a visit would be abnormal right?

etremely abnormal

It would be beyond abnormal. It would be masochistic not to go in, imaginary friend 'o mine.

Hey I didn't even have to look very hard, the store is next to a restaurant that I went for dinner today. Was closed tho, but I did spot some gorgeous pearls on display, like a matched golden strand

So no chance to be abnormal or masochistic, unfortunately.

 

[LitGeek]

So no chance to be abnormal or masochistic, unfortunately.

That stinks! Maybe next time

 

[icy_jade]

I can't see anything.

Ok, since I finally figured how to use the phone to upload pics...

 

[LitGeek]

So Sweet ~ just love that ring with the tahitians