- Joined
- Jun 15, 2015
- Messages
- 3,445
So this is... Hmm. Let me figure out how to say what I'm thinking. This is exactly the path that I wanted to take - I had a list of things that I wanted to accomplish, and I wanted my purchases to accomplish those things. But my actual path wound up being very different, much more wandering around. Partly because my bar for "best" kept moving as I learnt and experienced more!! And partly because the To Do list kept getting longer the more I discovered and wanted to experience. If that makes sense?
I originally wanted one pair of white pearls (which I figured would be akoya), one pair of Tahitian pearls, and one pair of gold pearls. With time that morphed into one pair of white pearls with pink overtone, one pair of white pearls with blue overtone, one smaller pair of whites, one bigger pair of whites... Later I thought I wanted a gamut of Tahitians with different overtones and then I learnt that I don't actually like dark earrings... I confess that some pairs I originally guessed I'd use a ton, in reality I hardly ever reach for.
I know I personally meandered more than necessary and I'm glad that me sharing my experiences is helping other people meander lessBut the one thing I do want to say is that no matter how much homework you do ahead of initial purchase(s) - you might still end up trying a few times before you land on exactly what fulfills you most. Honestly the more particular you are the more likely it is you'll have to try multiple times!! And that's okay. For me - I know that all of my "trying it out" has lost me money with failed attempts, but at the same time I've learnt so much and now I completely trust my own eyes and judgement, and I've made new personal friends, and I've got vendor relationships that indulge preferential consideration and pricing, some truly one-of-a-kind opportunities, and a few incredibly lucky finds. I wouldn't have my Paspaley preciouses if Crystal_Dreams wasn't my friend!!
So... All that to say... I think buying your one and only up front is a really good goal and you're so much more likely to achieve it when you're willing to take your time! But if you do wind up trying more than once, or your goals change, that's totally okay. I think it's very normal. Hope that doesn't come off as preachy, just don't want you to feel like you've "failed" if your purchases don't go exactly to plan. I guarantee you'd get something out of any in-the-middle experiences you might have that *will* help you find whatever you really want (and avoid more pricey future mistakes!!)
Thank you, Yssie, you explained this really well and I think any pearl “mistakes” I make will just be part of the education and journey. An excellent reminder. Especially since I don’t live in the US and can’t try on anything locally! Ah well, let the education begin!
I’m reminded of when I first learned about OECs. Seeing them on PS I wondered what on earth the fuss was all about! Then I went travelling and saw a bunch in person in a store window - I was starstruck, and could hardly believe my eyes! I *got* it.
So with pearls I’ve been wearing some plastic faux pearls lately and I’ve been thinking “gee these look pretty good” but I fully expect fo see the light once I meet my first pair of gem quality studs! We shall see!
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