My old 10mm & new (old) 10.5mm studs.

[Camelotshadow]

Not bought a pearl in a few years.
I guess I have always been drawn to this color. The studs on the left are my old 10mm 18K yellow gold with mecan backs.
I got bit by the Tahitian bug again & was drawn to a 10.5mm similar pair on ebay in 18K white gold. I esp like the thick backs which come in at 1.8 grams themselves. Got them today & I am pleased. 5.5 g pair with bigger & a slightly lighter cleaner grey body with similar pink aubergine ? overtone. Really not much different at all so next time I want to go for a more silver lighter body.
Anyway I wanted something to fill the void of my 91 yo Mom's passing this month & these will lift my spirits as they come with super secure setting.

10mm on left, 10.5 mm on right stud in ear is 10.5mm in photos

 

[Katbran]

Very nice ! I'm sorry to hear of you mum's passing. Such a difficult and sad time.

 

[pattye]

Pearls certainly do lift our spirits, Camelotshadow. I hope you and your family have many happy memories of your times together with your Mother.

 

[Charlotta]

Your new tahitian studs looks lovely on you. I am sorry about your mothers passing. But great that you found something to cheer you up. When my father died suddenly two years ago I went directly to pick up a new kitten. I have never regretted that. She sure is a joy. It sounds like I have many cats, but no, only two.

 

[Camelotshadow]

Thanks everyone. Today will be my first day wearing them out. Guess they will look ok with a mask. LOL
One thing I am happy about & never can find the answer is why most modern posts are .8mm /20 guage?
My ears were pierced in the 80's & I like the 1mm 18 guage post thickness which is hard to find now. I find the thinner posts just cut with heavy earrings. Luckily these earrings are the thicker 1mm posts so I am very happy!!! It is so hard to find 1mm thick posts now. Does anyone else have the same problem? Are the newer earrings all the thinner .8mm/20 guage?

Just love the 750 thick push backs. Tight & firm. No wiggle. Has 2 notches on the post. Just superb. Backs like this are hard to find.

The pearls are probably older. They came in a nice push button black which feels like real suede M Fabrikant box but no idea if that was original box. I was told they came from a woman who had exceptional taste in jewelry.

Anyway they were fairly priced so I am happy.

 

[StarryPearl]

I am very sorry for your loss. But beautiful pearls, Camelotshadow.

I suspect the answer to your question is the diameter of piercing needles. I suspect the needles nowadays are thinner than those in the 80's. The reason why I think this way is that one of my friends once complained to me she bought a pair of handmade earrings with 18 gauge ear wires and she could not put it on and asked me if I could replace those with 20/21/22 gauge ear wires for her. She was pierced just a few years ago, it might also be that her ear holes had not been stretched enough. I kind of feel 20 to 22 gauge ear wires are prevalent now, and I even saw 24 gauge on FireMountain a few years ago - way too thin, can't be good for weight. Not familiar with ear posts' thickness on the market though.

 

[Camelotshadow]

Thank You, I enjoyed wearing them yesterday with my mask. LOL

I felt underdressed & also I don't wear makeup anymore.
Pearls were lovely but i felt blah.
I imagine the colors of makeup would bleed onto the mask. Can;t even wear lipstick. Yuck.
Sad state of affairs & I should try to keep up appearances but hitting 60 has been hard & now losing my Mom. I look at myself & see the years. Its all so sad but i love jewelry & so did Mom but she did not wear it in the last few decades. It was always hidden away & kept her from going out for fear it would be stolen. I too keep mine in a bank vault. I saw Mom almost a prisoner to her stuff in time & in the end we can;t take it with us. So I guess we have to enjoy it now.

I agree you are right as it seems the new piercings can be smaller but in my opinion 20 gauge posts (.8mm) is too thin. I bought stuller palladium stud settings for a pair of diamonds & the posts are so thin they bend if you put on the push back too hard. Not to mention they are not made to carry heavy settings as they will just cut into the earlobe like a cheese cutter. For todays cheap 1 or 2 gram earring settings I guess its OK but to me that is disposable jewelry. I like things that can be worn for 100 years not that I will live that long or have anyone to pass on jewelry too but I like my settings to be thick quality. I have noticed the posts being thinner on earrings for quite a few years now. Least 2 decades. That's a major reason why I don't buy new jewelry.

 

[Camelotshadow]

Smeared a little eyeshadow & it & the pearl brings out the grey green in my eyes which have a tigers eye center.
They are a bit large but not overly so. I like some peacock tones in a charcoal gray pearl as too blue or green pearls makes my eyes look more brown.

Bad news looks like posts are yellow gold rhodium plated or something as where they acid tested the post end & on the posts there are areas where the yellow is coming through. Always something as have yellow gold & wanted white gold...LOL
Still all in all I like the pearls so far until & if I find something terribly wrong. I think the seller is trustworthy but there are so many
questionable pearl & jewelry in general floating around.

 

[Camelotshadow]

I took them to the local coin store & he said they were nice & not to be in a hurry to return them. He said he would have paid $200 but he has to resell them & $300 was fair. The yellow gold posts plated white are not visible so should not deter me as the pearl have good luster & are black not gray even though a slightly lighter color than my other similar Tahitians, So I guess I will keep them abeit being perturbed the posts are really yellow gold.

 

[Happy Huku]

Your earrings look great on you and such a lovely way to fill the void of your Mum.
Perhaps you would feel better about the posts if you could replace them some white gold backs? Or even silver if you wanted the white/silver colour?

 

[multichrome]

I think the person at the coin store gave you good advice. White gold is always yellow gold that has been alloyed with other metals, and is very often rhodium-plated. In time, the plating on a much-loved piece of white gold jewelry will always begin to wear off, and the yellow will begin to show through. A while back I took my mother’s white gold engagement ring that was starting to look yellow to the jeweler’s, to be replated in rhodium. They did a beautiful job and I was glad I had it done. It was so fresh and beautiful and shiny. You could have the posts of these earrings replated in rhodium, or platinum even. I hope you find a solution that makes you happy, even if that means selling them and buying something else. You deserve to have a piece of jewelry that you totally love.

 

[CortezPearls]

I hope you find a solution that makes you happy, even if that means selling them and buying something else. You deserve to have a piece of jewelry that you totally love.

I so totally agree.