Are drop metallics a good gift for somebody who doesn't know pearls?

[recordaras]

At the PP Black Friday sale I had some technical issues when trying to order the small 5.5-6mm metallic drop pearl necklace, and Jeremy was kind enough to substitute with this 8mm strand:


I received it yesterday, and while it's beautiful on its own, I don't really like it on me - the size is just too big, and the color is a little too gray/silver for my skin tone (it looks gold in the vendor photo, so I'll have to take some pictures that show the color better when I get home today).

As it is still a very nice strand, my first thought was to gift it to my future mother-in-law for Christmas - even though she's very petite, she's in the 60+ age group, so I'm thinking the size would be a better fit for her than for me.
However, I'm starting to have some doubts. She currently doesn't own any pearls, and I'm thinking that the drop shape might be a little too daring for a first strand? Or bring back bad memories of potato pearls from the 80's? Also, would a white strand be too "stuffy" for somebody who has never worn them before?
I'd love to hear your thoughts - my backup plan is a strand of round metallic Catherine Cardellinis that I bought preowned.

 

[KarinK]

Hmm, how fashionable is she? She might confuse the drop shape with lower grade pearls and not notice the top grade metallic. Though that could be addressed by including the certificate they came with.

Would the colour suit her skin better than yours, do you think? Would she be okay with exchanging them if she preferred something else? I'm gussing that is not an option with the pre-owned strand so the drop pearls might be a better choice.

- Karin

 

[recordaras]

Thank you, Karin.
She has quite a funky style (think leggings and tunics), but I think I'm right in my concerns about her not understanding what drop pearls are. *sigh*
I think the tone would be a good match (she has darker hair and more prominent features than I do), but once again not so sure about the white, since she's not your average 60+ old in terms of what she wears. All in all, I think the Cardellinis are probably a safer choice.

 

[pattye]

I'm def in the over 60 age group; I'd love these~and feel they'd be stunning on her~BUT you have to use your judgement, of course.

 

[Sarah]

I think they'd make a wonderful gift, although non-pearlies don't necessarily understand what makes certain pearls more special than others. I would rather gift drops than rounds, as rounds would seem quite extravagant to me.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I'll be 58 soon and I would definitely wear those! I say go ahead and give them to her.

 

[GemGeek]

If only you had a crystal ball...

 

[battah]

I'd go with drops, too! If her style is on the funky side, she'd probably prefer non-round pearls. And I'm sure she'll love whatever you give her jewelry is always a fun gift.

 

[recordaras]

Thank you so much for all the great input! I'm actually quite relieved that you don't think the drops would be a bad idea. I'm just so worried that I'll give her the "wrong" strand and they'll just get put in a drawer! Both are so lovely in their own way, and I'd just hate for either option to not get worn.

 

[recordaras]

Also, here are the white metallics (wearing them with a big sweater today and thinking that maybe they aren't all that big?..). Sorry for the terrible photos!

 

[pattye]

You're lookin' pretty awesome, lol! What may seem too big at first often morphs into being just right!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I like those! They look fine on you-- and probably would also on her.

Why do you suppose she has not gotten any pearls yet? Does she associate them with her parents' generation? If so, ovals are less likely to push that button than rounds.

What is her other jewelry like?

Would her clothing go better with the Cardellini pearls' colors?

Equally important, which would you prefer to keep for yourself?

It can be exasperating to give a gift and then not see it used. I've made-- and bought-- jewelry for my daughter that just sits in her jewelry box.

 

[recordaras]

Hmm, I was actually just wondering why - she has plenty of other jewelry, so it could be that she just never liked pearls?.. But at the same time she has complimented me several times on a CC strand of keshis, and even pointed them out to a friend at Thanksgiving. And she is not one to do that just for the sake of being polite, lol! So they definitely did catch her eye.

Her other jewelry is pretty bold, mostly yellow gold. This makes me want to lean towards the CC strand - even though she looks great in cool tones, she does seem to have a preference for warmer colors. However the CC rounds look much smaller than the drops, even though they are 8mm. It almost seems like the ideal strand would be some kind of cross between the two!

Which would I prefer to keep? Also a tough choice. If forced to choose, I'd probably go with the CC strand (there's just something so... special about Catherine's work), although I would have to get it restrung and shortened a bit, as 18" doesn't go with any of the necklines I currently have. The metallics can be worn as is, which is obviously a plus.

Not a terrible dilemma to have, I must admit, but still not an easy one!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

The ovals are larger than the rounds because 8mm is the short diameter (perpendicular to the drill hole), so they would actually be longer than 8mm-- which makes them larger overall.

 

[recordaras]

Yes, this came as a surprise to me! For some reason I thought it would be 8mm at their largest dimension, but turns out it's the other way around.

 

[LitGeek]

Those drops look perfect on you! Since you think your MIL-to-be will most likely love the CC strand and it is too long for you, I think you should keep the metallics for yourself. Then you can make your next pearl purchase a shorter strand of CC pearls

 

[Marianne]

Totally agree with LitGeek, those metallics look amazing on you!

 

[leon deng]

you really looks so pretty,

 

[recordaras]

Thank you so much! I will definitely be keeping the metallic strand (after all, it was meant to be mine!), and will keep my fingers crossed that the CC strand will be put to good use.
And now I have a good excuse to buy a strand of something smaller, right?

 

[Pearl Dreams]

There you go! A perfect solution.