Show us your recent purchases!

[that_someone_special]

Ok, fess up! I know a lot of you have made black friday/ cyber monday/ xmas purchases lately and only a few have posted!

Let's see the goods!

 

[that_someone_special]

I know some of you are holding out!!!

 

[baby monster]

Here are my recent purchases from PP's holiday special email. First is a 18" tahitian strand. I like how it feels on the neck but think it's way too short for me. Plus, the blemishing really bothers me. This is my first tahitian strand so I may have to up the budget a bit to get cleaner surfaces. The ball clasp also annoys me to no end. There must be a reason why they're so popular that I haven't found.

Second are freshwater stretch bracelets that PP had in clearance section. I really like the luster and size. They also feel quite hefty on the arm and have a nice clackity clack sound when I move my arm. Apologies for fuzzy pictures. It seems harder to photograph pearls than diamonds.

 

[baby monster]

Close up of the tahitian strand

 

[that_someone_special]

Hi BM!
Can you tell me what you don't like about them specifically? Which blemishes? The shape? Color?

I think they're lovely. But if they bother you already.... they probably will later on too.


I am waiting on an 18" 7-7.5mm exotic strand. Should get here thursday! UPS has the slowest shipping.

 

[starshine]

Still on holiday vacation, but will take pics when I get home! On CyberMonday, I took advantage of the 20% off and got my Freshadama set -- 7.5-8.0mm, 18", rose overtone. Love them!!

Then when they did the 12DAYS 20%, I splurged and got the blue Akoya studs...bad Santa! I haven't seen them yet, as they arrived while I've been gone.

 

[baby monster]

Hi BM!
Can you tell me what you don't like about them specifically? Which blemishes? The shape? Color?

I think they're lovely. But if they bother you already.... they probably will later on too.


I am waiting on an 18" 7-7.5mm exotic strand. Should get here thursday! UPS has the slowest shipping.

Bean, there is a lot of pitting. Some superficial but some quite deep. The deep ones really stand out to me since the pearls have high luster and the pitting doesn't reflect light so it looks like craters. I don't think I can get over this and will just need to wait for a cleaner strand to spend more money on

The shape and color are good. It's a baroque stand so variation of both in the strand. I do find it really short but 18" is the standard length. I think I need to try 20" or 22" at least. What length do you typically go for? Exotic strand sounds lovely. Can't wait to see pics!

 

[NacreLover]

There is a ebay seller who sells finished jewelry and components. She had some fancy colored Tahitians I couldn't resist. I was thinking of taking the 22K findings off and having my friend Miniature artist Jim Pounder custom create some mountings for them. I am still thinking about what I want him to create, so I decided to wear them while I decide. The blue Tahitian is 11.4 x 12.5mm and the pistacio Tahitian is 11 x 12.5

I had purchased two strands of baby blue baroque akoya's from Jeremy at Pearl Paradise a few years ago. 6mm and 7.5mm. They matched the Tahitian so well that I purchased some gold roundels similar to the style the pendant and yesterday strung them up so I could wear the strand and the pendant on the popcorn chain together. ( I was going to put the pendant on the strand but didn't like the look) Now they are more flexable. She also has matching earrings I haven't purchased, yet.

 

[4Ranch Girl]

NL how your project turned out. I still think you NEED those earrings.

 

[NacreLover]

Yes, I know. DH and have to put in a new mitsubishi ductless mini split today. It's going to kill my cash flow for the rest of the month. The matching earrings will have to wait. I was thinking of clipping off the bail and adding a enhancer bale, that way I could wear the pendant on a strand or the popcorn chain. I still have all the 6mm baby blue baroque akoyas which I could make a choker with. I don't have enough of the ball and roundels left to do this chain to match.

 

[baby monster]

NacreLover, what an amazing color on those blue akoyas and great job on the craftsmanship of those pieces. Is this a hobby for your or a profession?

 

[briolette]

I agree with everyone here. NacreL-- That set is stunning and more beautiful than something you can buy at a store. I love the rondelle spacers and the popcorn chain is just the right proportion to the pendant.

 

[that_someone_special]

awesome!
I like the alternating metal colors too.


My necklace arrived late last night--- I will post soon!

 

[NacreLover]

I will tell you.... I am cheap. If I can find something on the seconday market I can harvest parts from instead of paying wholesale with my license, I will do it. I was over at ebay and I found a necklace with 157 roundels like I was looking at at RioGrande. I purchased the strand and then hacked it up for the spacers. I figured out I if I had bought the spacers on Rio it was $198. I got the necklace with 14k clasp for $79 I had already had the 14k beads.

I like to use at least two colors of gold if I am going to make something as it give me felxibility to wear more jewelry . I have a collection of both white gold enhancers and yellow gold enhancers. I also buy reversable chains for the same reason, more bang for the buck.

I used to work at a jewelry store and did repairs on the bead and pearl items. This summer I went to the Pearls Ruckus sponsored by Pearl Paradise. Hisano gave a pearl stringing course on Saturday and taught us all how to string pearls using only a needle and thread. You hand knot with no tools. She also showed us some new techiques for ending the strands which was very nice of her to share. Hisano is videoing her technique and is graciously going to share the video over at Pearl Guide for anyone to learn. Becasue of the lack of tools needed for her techique. The average person could learn and use them for the cost of a beading needle , a few feet of silk,1/2 inch of frenchwire/bullion and some superglue.
Are all of you signed up over there?

 

[HHPmom]

What happened here? Hardly anyone posts their pearls anymore. Beautiful pearls baby monster and Nacre Lover.

I like how you alternate white and gold spacers too. Hmm... I don't remember ending technique for ending the strand. Was it something different than the normal way? I must have missed it while unraveling my knots. But I'll be looking out for the video. I've always used darning needle to move the knots to the pearls prior to picking up the lesson from Hisano. It was a great tip for transferring pearls from temporary hanks too. She also showed me to use the plier to sort of flatten and jangle the the knot a little bit to help unravelling. Thanks to this trick, I've gotten better at undoing my mistakes, instead of starting all over because I couldn't seem to unravel them in the past.

 

[that_someone_special]

I look forward to that video!

I am not on PG... everyone is so... smart and has great collections there- it's a bit intimidating

I do browse it though.

One of the reasons I don't come into this section as much anymore is because I would spend a lot of time helping people find something or tell them about pearls (or discuss) and then they would never come back and tell/ show us what they got! I mostly lurk now.

 

[NacreLover]

Bean, When I see it is up over at Pearl Guide I will start a thread to show you. HHP mom, 4RanchGirl , pearls of joy and I are members over at Pearl guide, there may be more but I don't know everyone, here or there. I was invited to join here by 4RG. I get intimitated easily also, but the PG members have lots of info to share. Like that. I mostly read not chat there. What kind of things do you collect?

 

[that_someone_special]

Bean, When I see it is up over at Pearl Guide I will start a thread to show you. HHP mom, 4RanchGirl , pearls of joy and I are members over at Pearl guide, there may be more but I don't know everyone, here or there. I was invited to join here by 4RG. I get intimitated easily also, but the PG members have lots of info to share. Like that. I mostly read not chat there. What kind of things do you collect?

I really "collect" diamonds Up until 2009 (I think) I didn't know anything about pearls.
Once PS added this section I lurked a bunch and fell IN LOVE! I didn't know that pearls could have so much depth. My mom and friends said they were for "old farts" but I don't see that. Anyone can wear them. It's just how you accessorize with them.

I suppose my favorites are tahitians. I do not own any round yet- just baroque. I would like a baroque SS strand too. I also really prefer larger pearls. My favorite earrings are my PP SS baroque dangles that hubs bought me last year. They are so fun.

Oh, and the natural color akoyas. Yum. I only have blue baroques.

 

[Heart2pearls]

Hi pearl lovers Just got this beauty for XMas from Pearl Paradise .

 

[Rubybrick]

Not a recent purchase, but I recently came out of lurking so I want to play....
Baroque rope I wore to a recent wedding.

 

[mtsapphirelovingannie]

Welcome Rubybrick! Your rope is lovely.

 

[Rubybrick]

Welcome Rubybrick! Your rope is lovely.

thank you! there’s so many beautiful pearls to see here.

 

[Rubybrick]

Hi pearl lovers Just got this beauty for XMas from Pearl Paradise .

lovely colors, would love to see a picture of it on you.