Recent content by Katbran

Nice job stringing ! And lovely colour on those silvery T's

Great job ! Looks beautiful !

perfection !!

Really you can use any metal type you want depending on how much you want to spend. I believe in pairing "Like with Like". So if I were using AAA Akoya or South sea. I'd use gold. Silver is great for Freshwater and Gold filled will give a gold look without the cost. Half hard but never...

gorgeous lustre and colour !

Look like a lower grade nucleated pearl . That's when a bead is inserted into the mollusc and the nacre forms over the bead - this gives a round shape and lets the grower get a larger pearl faster. Like all pearls you get a range of quality from a metallic high lustre to a lower dull surface...

I'm certainly not an Akoya expert but that doesn't look like Mikimoto knotting .. they might have been restrung at some point, possibly to add in a few pearls to get the extra inches. I't is an odd length. Or someone has used an old Miki clasp and strung some Ahoy strands ? I'd do as BWeaves...

Catmom , That clasp is a stunner and the lustre on those pearls is gorgeous !!

Wow - sch intense colour !! and that drop .... oooo la la !!

BWeaves - Wow I wouldn't want to restring that either lol. What a lovely piece and those Blues are gorgeous !! Jeg - beautiful little studs !!

Did Jeremy post the information he learned about the state of the Freshwater industry and beaded pearls somewhere. I've looked and didn't see it....but I am not the best at finding...

I guess more like an artist who carves MOP or even a scrimshaw on MOP ? Like the pendants Paspaley make

Thank you for this information Douglas. Scammers are getting so darn. good ... it's easy for almost anyone to be fooled.

I'd guess that the clasp is a pretty standard manufactured clasp. 585 is 14k gold. It's a ball clasp that you can still buy. The are decent quality but certainly not a gem grade. I can't help with valuation as Akoya aren't my thing . But I'm sure Jeremy can tell you all about them.

Slightly on topic... MOP .. does anyone know where to find high quality carved disks for pendants ?