Search results

Very true. Perhaps if skin oils worked their way inside the pearls from the PowerPro, they could carry abrasive dust or grime, but this seems no more likely than with silk... probably far less likely and easier to prevent. I don't have a silk-strung strand that has lasted more than a few...

I'm sorry I'm failing at clarity. I thought the reasons that nutty presence seemed completely illogical in my mind could be useful for Julie, but *clearly* she should avoid this topic at all costs. :D I was definitely using the term "solvent" inexactly/colloquially in the first post because I...

Colleague said tests revealed "presence of the nut." Most dyes are applied in the presence of mordants that would break town traces organic compounds that were clearly of nut origin, meaning it is highly unlikely that a reputable lab would be able to look at an affixed pigment, which is, as...

Yes. I'm saying that even mild solvents would make the "traces of the nut" allegation infeasible because traces of the nutty (drupe-y, really) part would be destroyed, not that it would damage the pearl visibly. Yep, they could narrow it down. I don't know how specific the top laboratories...

Yeah, I'm pointing out that the "traces of the nut" the OP's colleague mentioned would be long gone. Those inorganic metallic salts wouldn't scream "I'm a nut!" during mass spectrometry or whatever else one would use for such a test.

I don't know that gel-spun polyethylene, branded as Spectra, would be more abrasive to pearls than silk because the real source of the abrasion would be dirt trapped by the fiber. In that sense, Spectra would be better than silk because it is more tolerant of washing. It is very hard on the...

Betel nut juice does, however, stain concrete if people chew the nuts and then spit on the street or sidewalk. "Apparently so many people spit betelnut juice on the floor of the airport terminal that the authorities decided to paint the floor betelnut-red..." via Jerry Peek You've already...

It reminds me of a beautifully stacked confection made by a master chef. Kahelelani shells are amazing.

Why-oh-why is orient so camera-shy? Does it think it has put on a few pounds, or something? :D ETSY's compression seems to be reducing what little rainbow-orient-effect I was able to catch on camera. I may be able to do better if I adjust the light, do a little daytime photography, get my...

This time last year, I don't think I even owned a strand of pearls. The conversation here has helped me turn my interest into a full-fledged... preoccupation. :D I'm not completely happy with my photography setup, but I wanted to show some of the pieces I've made for ETSY. My personal tastes...

Ahhh! This made me so happy. That's one of the things about loving pearls in all their natural variation... she'd have probably found others in her life that she loved too, but she'd never have had that *specific* one she fell for if she'd been helping a person with less heart. :D Massive good...

Ah, yes. Places to go, bubbles to burst. :D

One of my favorite "best of the worst" activities is ragging on etsy products with other craft-inclined friends. I'd never, ever do it to someone's face and I don't in any way discount the artists's ability to create beautiful stuff, but there are some hilariously cautionary wares on that site...

Seconded-- lots of us may be interested in your settings and tools, but we need to see them! :D

How rare is a fancy surface like that? Is there something that has to be done to the pearl or mussel to produce it? And since I'm full of questions... is there a set time/date when the sale page will go poof? I've had a brainstorm about how to use more strands, but I'm trying to sell a few...

Ta-Da... Rounds! Lower right-hand corner. http://www.pearlparadise.com/detail.aspx?ID=2450

The hard part is keeping it centered over your pasties.

I initially wanted the rounds, but wasn't sure what to do with them... then I realized I needed them for the one gift my mother requested, so I nabbed some of those as well. Quite thrilling... can't wait to take each one out and admire. :D

Woohoo! Lavender hanks for me as well, and I didn't even skip my final. Thank you so much for the opportunity! :D

The olive oil is a good idea, I think. Good olive oil is, by definition, very low in natural acidity. I lightly oil pearls just as you described after washing them because they feel a little dry. Bouquet is a great idea too.