GSS Strand

Thanks for the thoughts so far.

@PD, I do like the length and size but not sure what you mean by the drape. The pics were taken in natural daylight. It seems to me a nice strand but I'm not sure I like it with my skin tone.
 
I think the specific shade of yellow is too close to the yellow in your skin, so it sinks back rather than stands out.. They look like really nice pearls but gold south sea pearls are way expensive so you need to want to wear them 24/7
However...I just held some similar golds against my quite tanned skin (looks similar to yours) and while they blend with the tan, on the inside of my wrist where I'm still pale they stand out a lot more. Do you lose tan in winter is the big question - try them against somewhere not tanned and see if they look stronger there.
i wore my blue strand last night and they shone from across the room while in winter when I'm all pale and (un)interesting they fade totally
 
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By drape I mean, is the strand flexible? Does it feel like it lies nicely on your neck? You said you asked for it to be strung with Stringth and I'm curious about how the stringing material performs when knotted.
(However I just ordered some, so I'll find out soon enough.)

As to skin tone, do you think you might prefer a strand with green overtones?
In the following thread P-G member Red tried a 22K strand with green overtones and a 24K strand with gold overtones, and chose the greener one because she felt it looked better against her skin. (I found that so interesting because green overtones don't look good on me.)
Golden South Sea Pearls at Pearl Paradise
 
@PD- I compared it to a couple of my other strands and it does seem less flexible. But it doesn't bother me to wear them (although I didn't have them on for very long). Also, they're newly strung so might stretch a bit, I don't know. Also yes, it could be that green overtones would look better on me so thanks for the thought.

@Wendy- Yes, they do seem too close to my skin color... And they do stand out better when put next to my skin that isn't tanned. Good point. (But I usually am tanned lol). I agree that the goldens are too pricey to keep if on the fence about them.

So I think I'll send them back, dangit. Deep goldens are hard to find. If anyone else wants to give them a try, contact Jose at Tahitian Pearls Biz. :)
 
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Ah, well. But you are right to not keep them if you don't feel really happy about how they look on you.

Besides green overtones, have you considered a mixed gold and white strand?
 
A dark golden strand has always been high on my wishlist (like probably everyone else in the world lol) so I think I'll keep trying for one that looks good on me, for now anyway. Thanks for your help. :)
 
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Sea urchin- I think they look beautiful on you. I think they stand out quite a bit. To me, in the picture on my monitor, you have a ruddy tone to your skin ( ruddy tan) and the gold stands out. They are beautiful pearls. I always have had good luck with Jose at tahitianpearls.biz.
But, I agree-- you have to LOVE them, and it doesn't sound that way. Golden pearls are the hardest to buy online, I think!
 
Inspired by Cathy Keshi and Jersey Pearl, I've decided to try to wire wrap some GSS baroque pearls myself. Hopefully they will look just fine on me because there will also be some yellow gold involved (which I already know I like the look of on my neck). Here they are in the vendor photo, below the strand I sent back. They're moderately blemished but high luster. I'll post more photos when they arrive. Also, I have no idea how to wire wrap lol.

gss-circle-strand.jpg
 
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I like the new strand, more than the old one-- I like baroque shapes generally, and that strand does look very lustrous.

For the wire wrapping, I suggest you buy some craft wire (Michaels carries it) and practice with that on beads or pearls you don't care about. It isn't hard to do, but like any skill it takes a bit of practice and you don't want to waste costly wire while learning.

I love the double-flush cutters I bought from Rio Grande-- they let me get in close to trim the wire and make such a neat cut. I got the size 4 but there are other sizes based on the gauge of wire you plan to be cutting.
https://www.riogrande.com/product/swanstrom-double-ergo-super-flush-cutters-size-4/111712
 
Definitely practice using inexpensive wire.. and make sure you have some nice small round nose pliers. Its easier to start with a slightly longer piece of wire as the wrapping is much easier... once you get the hang of it and can make your loops small and round .. start to shorten the wire. If you are going to work with real gold you want to be able to avoid waste. Frankly I'd consider using gold filled wire and make sure you like the result - no one can tell the difference. Then once you know that this is the design that you like and you are wearing it a lot then you can always redo it in real gold.
 
I practiced every night for a week with an inexpensive spool of wire and some cheap beads from the craft store. The more you wrap, the more technique and muscle memory you develop. I discovered I really enjoy wire-wrapping much more than knotting.
 
If you use a fine point permanent marker to make a mark on your round nose pliers you can make consistent-size loops.
 
I never even thought about that, PD - but what a great idea! That's always been my issue - the wire sliding up and the loop being bigger than I want it :/
 
Best investment is a good pair of round nose pliers. I have that first pair (0.5 tip) and they are really great. It works well for super tiny gemstones. I also prefer to use round nose pliers to tuck my wire ends since the smooth surface doesn't scratch the pearl, or crack a gemstone as you tuck.

eta: Rio's price is really good...Stuller sells them for significantly more.
 
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