Can't decide- FW or Tahitian Baroques

callire

callire

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Feb 3, 2008
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I can't decide what to purchase next from PP! I think I need some baroques to even out my collection... but I'm not sure.

I'm a HUGE believer that exceedingly high quality (and therefore usually expensive) jewelry should speak for itself... So I'm not so sure about either purchase because they aren't AAA (not in the budget) and the last thing I want is "okay" pearls.

Option One: This $385 Tahitian strand. (shifty eyes... don't you dare snag these beauties!) I love the idea of tahitians, but I'm wondering if I should hesitate.

Option Two: This $250 white free form. Again, concerned about overall quality.

I think it's just in my personality that I either want to do something all the way or not at all...

For the people that have these, are they fabulous in real life? I love show stopping pieces (my freshadamas are amaaaazing).
 
If I might make a suggestion, could you visit PP to see them in person? I think the best choice would be immediately clear to you if you could see them before you buy.
 
Tahitian baroques ... the orient pops in the pictures even after muting (standard PP procedure), and you get the exact strand.
 
Well...I'm of 2 minds.

The Tahitians are lovely-- but there are lots of nice Tahitians available and there are likely to be more in the future.

However, the baroque freeform pearls at that level of quality are a truly unusual item. (Aren't they the pearls that were left over after the private offer last year?) So they may not be available in the future.

I believe that photo of the freeform pearls is representative, rather than of the actual strand you would get. You could ask for a photo of 3 or 4 specific strands and select the one you like best.
 
Pearl_dreams said:
I believe that photo of the freeform pearls is representative, rather than of the actual strand you would get. You could ask for a photo of 3 or 4 specific strands and select the one you like best.
Click to expand...

I like this idea... Hm... I could also buy them faster since they're cheaper....

On the other hand, I don't own ANY tahitians.

No, I wish I could head to PP but I live in MA.
 
I recently had a similarly hard time deciding among a few of the baroque Tahitian strands. I ended up calling PP and Mia was extremely patient with my questions and wonderfully helpful. She described each strand for me in great detail and often quite vividly; when I received the necklaces, I could see her descriptions were right on. I would suggest giving them a call if you feel like you need a better picture of the actual item. By the way, the baroque Tahitians are more beautiful and lively in person. Mine are also AA+ but the pearls are cleaner than I expected, there aren't any blemishes that detract, the colors and overtones are much more vibrant than in the pictures and I love them.
 
I saw some of these or similar strands recently. Some of the Tahitians have very high luster and look pretty fantastic even though they are only AA quality. That identical strand of Tahitians won't be available for long, but there was a pretty good stock of white FW Baroques. If you don't have any Tahitians yet, you might like to choose the strand you like before the pre-Christmas rush. Phoning to speak with one of the girls in PP is a good idea. They can give you a pretty accurate description.
 
IMHO:

I would first consider which one has the better "cost per wear" value, then visual impact.

Personally, I would go for the white free form FWP, as I am more likely to wear it on a day to day basis as part of my working jewellery wardrobe.

Whichever one I would choose, I would go for the most blingy clasp that I could afford, as I believe the clasp can dress up a strand to make it "look" more valuable :D

Happy shopping! :)

DK :)
 
One more vote for Tahitians. A good strand with nice colours is not easy to find for this price. While the FW baroques are very popular now and I think will remain on the market long. Each Tahitian stand has more individuality than a FW one. Besides, I just got a similar one (8-10mm, dark, circled, only extended to 36 inches) and just love it. It stands so good with black and other dark winter colours.
 
Hmmm... I think I might go ahead and save for the Tahitians (probably buy in a month or so) and wait on the FW. Another thing I thought of is that I can always buy the FW after Xmas- I get a ton of extra cash from work, family, friends, etc. etc,
 
Have to agree, seems to be a great selection of Tahitians around right now, good prices, and if you want a certain size, shape, color, chances are good you will find them. Lots of baroques, my favs! Tahitians do get a lot of attention!
I will be "helping" my son find a strand for his wife for Christmas! So have been doing some previewing------------
 
dkan 168 said:
Whichever one I would choose, I would go for the most blingy clasp that I could afford, as I believe the clasp can dress up a strand to make it "look" more valuable :D

Happy shopping! :)

DK :)
Click to expand...


Good point! I was thinking of just going with the standard gold polished ball clasp (in yellow gold for the tahitians), but this is a great idea! Has anyone used "Senora?" It might look awkward on a necklace though. I like the idea of the toggle too, but probably not for this necklace.
 
The ball clasp shape looks really nice with a strand of pearls, IMO. The simple way the round shape falls into synch with the pearls really works nicely - it has even caught my husband's eye - not at all a jewelery person. What about adding the stripe of diamonds for some "punch?"

*edit* The other clasps, senora and toggle, both look great. I particularly like the senora on a bracelet which was posted I-can't-recall-where on the forum.
 
Oooh,
Difficult decision....
If it were me, I'd probably opt for the Tahitians; although I have a couple of the baroque f.w. strands and they are nice....

Clasps - I love the ball clasps because they blend in so well when joining strands to wear as a single, long rope.
However, the senora clasp is very handy as you can usually hang a pendant from it.......
 
Isn't that dependent on the size of the pearls and the rest of the outfit? :confused:

If the outfit is primarily dark or black, then the white FWP will stand out and contrast better than the Tahitians, and vice versa, IMHO :)

That's coming from someone who like strong contrasts and bold colours, just look at my car in my avatar - in real life, she is red with a lime green roof and wing mirrors :D


DK :)
 
I love ball clasps in any form, preferably encrusted in diamonds :D

That's what my new gem-grade necklace will have, pave diamond ball clasp, along with 6 diamond rondelles :D

The most expensive strand of Akoyas I bought from ES Store, was really for the clasp which is a 9mm pave diamond ball. The price I paid for the entire strand was way below the price of the clasp alone - Jeremy is right about that one! :D

I later re-strung it with my baroque Tahitian strand to dress it up :D

DK :)
 
I?d say go for the tahitians and the normal ball clasp since you aren?t too keen on the toggle for this strand. Use the money you save on not buying an expensive clasp on the freshwaters.

I sort of consider everything above 100 to be "very expensive" for a clasp, I think I just prioritize pearls more.
 
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