Lots of Beads at the North Carolina Wholesale Gem Show-

[pattye]

Hi again Zeide,
How are the SS and Tahitians regarded? Is the larger size not as desirable? How about the colors in those? Are they developing a taste for baroques?
Pattye

 

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Pattye,

From what you see actual Chinese women buying (which is a totally different standard from what jewelers want to sell you), the biggest hit are large round pinks and baroque pearls of all colors that have much orient.

Chinese women and especially the wealthy ones are very concerned how a pearl will make their skin and teeth look. Tahitians have the reputation of making your skin look darker and Chinese women do not appreciate that very much. South Sea whites tend to be very white. Indeed they are mostly whiter than most women's teeth. The Chinese "color me beautiful" wisdom is that your pearls must never be whiter than your teeth or they will make you look old. That's probably why the golden South Seas are so popular.

Northern Chinese women tend to be rather tall (I know one who is 6'6") and prefer larger pearls while the Southern Chinese women tend to be smaller and prefer smaller pearls. Most Chinese women find sizes over 12mm masculine so that is generally a cut-off point for good taste there.

Zeide

 

[pattye]

And do the Japanese women pretty much stick with their akoyas?
My personal choice of pearl size starts about 10mm and goes up from there! Thanks again Zeide, for another ZESPA lesson!
Pattye

 

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Pattye,

In a phenomenon not unparalleled in the Western world, Japanese women mostly do not buy their own jewelry but wait to have it given to them. Jewelry giving preferences are very different from buying-your-own-jewelry preferences.

Just like almost all mothers in France, for instance, receive a bonbonniere (frilly box of chocolates) for Mothers' Day, almost all Japanese women receive akoya pearls at certain occasions. And just like British women wear hats to Ascot even if they would prefer to strangle the millner that perpetrated the crime, wearing akoya pearls to certain occasions is similarly required in Japan no matter what Japanese women really like.

Having said that, you now understand how the akoya industry has evolved into a perpetual motion machine there. Japanese women rarely buy their own jewelry and the few dozen that I know all said to prefer graduated strands of anything other than akoyas when asked. They also said that they revere akoya farming and processing as a national heritage industry. They also wear their akoyas that were given to them to the usual akoya-wearing occasions. They also would and did buy akoyas for their daughters, mothers, nieces, etc.. They just would not buy them for themselves.

Zeide

 

[pattye]

Zeide,
Thanks sooooooo much for your insights!
Pattye

 

[pearltime]

I was able to purchase silk thread at the Tuscon show last year at a good price . The price was $2.00 for a large spool of silk thread. It was at the Roadway Inn,outside in the center courtyard area. I can't remember the dealers name.

Karen

 

[jerin]

Hi Caitlin,

A few years back hubby and moi went to visit a friend in New Jersey and while on a visit to Princeton and surrounding area I wore one of my "lowly beading thingies" while browsing through jewelry stores. In every single one of them (of about 8 or 9 I went to) some customers remarked on the necklace and wanted to buy it off my neck. The highest offer was US 2000.00. Below is the necklace that everybody wanted. I did not sell it because I cannot find the multi-color rondelles anymore.

Zeide

This necklace looks great. I like that kind of using spacers and rondelles.