My "Pearling" Story...

[MotherOfPearlTrumpet]

My Mom bought these during the Princess Diana, big pearl earring era. My Mom loved this style of earring back, but I find them a bit uncomfortable to wear all day. I took the photo with no lighting, so the diamonds look dull. But if I turned the lights on to make the enhancer sparkle, then the pearls were overexposed.

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I had to prop the earrings up on the pearl strand in order to get them to sit right for the photo.

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I saw a pair of mabe' earrings like your enhancer with diamonds close together-all around on EBay through a cosign auction and they went for a mere $675.00! I would have loved to bid that, but I had a feeling the other bidder would have kept going. Earrings like that sell for over $2,200 on Ebay. So whomever got the $675 really got a steal for the 1.5ctw diamonds that went around the pearls.

 

[MotherOfPearlTrumpet]

Below is my Mabe' lattice pearl necklace. It was a vintage find and needed restringing. I had to rack my brain on how to properly secure the pearls one strand to the next. I practiced on a bracelet of similar size and quality so I'd have a bracelet to match the necklace. In the end I felt a tremendous sense of satisfaction having figured out this tricky technique. Great party or wedding pearls when worn with the tear-drop Mabe' earrings.

 

[lary007]

That is just stunning, @MotherOfPearlTrumpet!

I'm a few days late, but here's a picture of my mabe.

 

[BWeaves]

Oh wow! The Mabe' lattice pearl necklace is stunning. What a great technique to make sure the pearls don't jumble around, but stay in place.

And the SoC Mabe' is gorgeous, too.

 

[CortezPearls]

Below is my Mabe' lattice pearl necklace. It was a vintage find and needed restringing. I had to rack my brain on how to properly secure the pearls one strand to the next. I practiced on a bracelet of similar size and quality so I'd have a bracelet to match the necklace. In the end I felt a tremendous sense of satisfaction having figured out this tricky technique. Great party or wedding pearls when worn with the tear-drop Mabe' earrings.View attachment 462867
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The lattice and Mabe pearl necklace is divine! Love it!

 

[CortezPearls]

That is just stunning, @MotherOfPearlTrumpet!

I'm a few days late, but here's a picture of my mabe. View attachment 462876

Green with Envy...How I miss "my babies"

 

[Happy Huku]

Welcome to the forum and what a great thread.
Thank you for sharing all your beauties, have always loved clasps and am enjoying your collection.

 

[MotherOfPearlTrumpet]

That is just stunning, @MotherOfPearlTrumpet!

I'm a few days late, but here's a picture of my mabe. View attachment 462876

This is stunning, love the greens that flow upward. Thank you for your comments, picture and support. So nice to find individuals who share pearl passion. Most of my friends think it's a bit much, but I don't care. I love my strands and I love wearing them.

 

[MotherOfPearlTrumpet]

Happy New Year Everyone!!! I have a new granddaughter so I'll be focusing more on baby care than pearl stringing for a little while, but I'll keep logging in and sharing my collection. My last purchase before baby arrived was from Goodwill of San Francisco! I simply can't believe that someone took this strand of South Sea Pearls with a high-end diamond 18K White Gold screw-type clasp into Goodwill. It's an 11mm to 14mm graduated strand. They were broken, but no pearls were missing as the graduated strand still had a balanced number of pearls on each side to the largest pearl in the center. I cleaned the pearls, took the clasp in for a good inspection, to make sure everything was genuine then a rhodium dipping to make it look brand new. I had so much fun restringing this necklace. The luster is outstanding! The pearl color is more creamy than white, but definitely lovely South Sea. What a Fantastic Find.
I'll be posting more in the coming year. Thank you everyone for your lovely friendships and comments, and especially for your shared love of these wonders of creation: Pearls! Keep on "Pearling."
Funny aside story: I always think through a restringing project before starting. I racked my brain trying to figure out how to keep the pearl silk tension from "twisting" as I screwed the clasp together (this was my first screw-type clasp). I scoured the internet for any finding that would keep this from happening. I did all this when the clasp was in for testing/rhodium dipping. So, I felt like an idiot when I got the clasp back and realized that the clasp has a "loose, spinning" jump ring integrated into clasp to keep the pearl string from twisting when screwing the clasp together. I thought to myself, "Of course it does!" How silly of me not to think that the designer hadn't thought of this. Anyway, another valuable lesson learned.

 

[KarinK]

Holy smoke! What a find!

Somebody probably cleaned out a house and dumped it all with Goodwill.

 

[MotherOfPearlTrumpet]

Holy smoke! What a find!

Somebody probably cleaned out a house and dumped it all with Goodwill.

I know, right! At least the people at Goodwill knew they had a very nice necklace. I got it for about 1/10 of what it's worth. A week later the same store had another strand, not in as good a shape as this one, still broken and with a smaller hollow clasp. It went for $3,500 on EBay. So they "got a clue" about what they really had between my necklace and the next one. There is so little knowledge out there about pearl value that sometimes charity shops and those inheriting parents' estates don't realize what they have. Oh well, that makes it really nice for the rest of us who search out these deals.

 

[MotherOfPearlTrumpet]

DOCUMENTATION:
When I first got started and had completed about 5 projects, I realized that I wanted to 1) have a record of what I owned, what I paid, and it's value and 2) make sure that someday, when I'm gone, I would have an appropriate history and identifications of my pearl collection. So, I started documenting each piece/ensemble with the photos you see (and some additional ones). I also included 1) where I purchased the original piece (because I almost always take a necklace apart and use the pearls and clasp in different projects), 2) how much I paid for the original piece, 3) an inventory of gold or non-gold beads and other findings (so I and those after me know if these are real gold claps/diamonds/beads or vermeil /rhodium silver/CZ stones), 4) the cost of any additional findings or storage boxes/folders, and 5) the diamond and gold quality/rating and specifics (14K, 18K, Platinum, color/cut/clarity of the diamonds). Finally, there is a "what I paid for everything" cost line, and then a 2022 valuation cost line. That way my children will know (and I can remember) the value of what is wrapped up in these pearl necklaces and ensembles. I also plan on writing a "name" on each paper copy indicating whom is to receive it upon my departure from this world. I want these pieces to be enjoyed after I'm gone as much as I enjoy them now! The other wonderful bonus is that I have accurate digital and printed documentation of what I own (insurance purposes) as well as a library I can flip through to decide what I want to wear each day! I keep these binders on a shelf in my closet and I try to make sure and rotate what I wear. I guess my accounting/musician/detail oriented side is really showing right now. Probably way more work that any normal person would like to do, but I thought it was a fun project that yielded an outstanding library of jewelry. It also allows me to share my collection with you all, and other friends who show interest in my "pearling" endeavors. I take photos of the strands I give away too, so I can remember what I've given away and when.

 

[MotherOfPearlTrumpet]

Speaking of "Gift" pearls, sometimes I create beautiful strands at the request of husbands to give to their wives (who are, most often, my friends). I did this strand of off-round lovely quality freshwater pearls in a bigger size for a friend. I had so much fun with the gift wrap presentation. I was able to use my "scrapbooking" materials to cover the display box and make a package topper. I also included a beautiful flower to display the matching earrings instead of the standard earring box. It was a fun project and so much appreciated by the lovely friend who received them from her husband. Hope you are inspired to spend time on the wrapping/box as well as the pearls.

 

[MotherOfPearlTrumpet]

In the midst of all my pearling I realized that my husband didn't have any pearls! He's not the type to wear a pearl on his neck or ears, but he does play with a professional Orchestra so I started looking for suitable pearls to wear with his tuxedo. I found these vintage Mikimoto cufflinks in rhodium sterling silver and some vintage shirt studs. I ended up having to find one more "shirt stud finding" to match these and one more pearl to go with that finding. He needed 4 shirt studs instead of the traditional 3. He wears them all the time, and because of my passions, appreciates the quality and beauty of these little pearls. (I think I did a pretty good job matching that extra shirt stud...can't tell which one is the newest, except for fewer scratches on the gold!)
He now, also, recognizes quality pearls when he is looking into the audience. One time he turned to his fellow orchestra musician section member and pointed out a lady sitting on the front row, who was wearing a stunning 3-strand of 15-17mm perfectly white South Sea pearls. He said, "Dude, look at those pearls on that lady's neck." His friend replied, "Yeah, they probably cost more than my car." To which my husband knowledgably replied, "No, they probably cost more than your HOUSE!"
It's so fun that he loves me enough to share my pearling passions.

 

[MotherOfPearlTrumpet]

About a year ago my husband's mother passed away. She was such a beautiful person, inside and out. She left behind 3 sons and 2 daughter-in-laws. When going through her more valuable jewelry I decided to take only the pieces I loved, leaving the others for my sister-in-law. Here is a ring that I a plan to have made into an enhancer for my gray pearls. The backing sits high (as all rings do) so I'll have the jeweler remove the ring part, and mount a small "jump type ring" on the back top, and then attach that to a pearl enhancer clip. It should sit nicely on my 9mm off-round gray pearls. This strand has 3mm diamond cut 14KWG roundels so the enhancer won't scratch the pearls. The diamonds are not super great quality, mostly SI2 to I1, so the darker sparkle will enhance the gray pearl strand. Here are the pieces...I'll post the final project when the jeweler is done.

 

[CortezPearls]

In the midst of all my pearling I realized that my husband didn't have any pearls! He's not the type to wear a pearl on his neck or ears, but he does play with a professional Orchestra so I started looking for suitable pearls to wear with his tuxedo. I found these vintage Mikimoto cufflinks in rhodium sterling silver and some vintage shirt studs. I ended up having to find one more "shirt stud finding" to match these and one more pearl to go with that finding. He needed 4 shirt studs instead of the traditional 3. He wears them all the time, and because of my passions, appreciates the quality and beauty of these little pearls. (I think I did a pretty good job matching that extra shirt stud...can't tell which one is the newest, except for fewer scratches on the gold!)
He now, also, recognizes quality pearls when he is looking into the audience. One time he turned to his fellow orchestra musician section member and pointed out a lady sitting on the front row, who was wearing a stunning 3-strand of 15-17mm perfectly white South Sea pearls. He said, "Dude, look at those pearls on that lady's neck." His friend replied, "Yeah, they probably cost more than my car." To which my husband knowledgably replied, "No, they probably cost more than your HOUSE!"
It's so fun that he loves me enough to share my pearling passions.
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These are beautiful!

 

[MotherOfPearlTrumpet]

Hope everyone's New Year is off to a great start. The Pearl World is so tied with the Chinese New Year that many sellers and stores that merchandise pearls are closed for this amazing holiday. Year of the Rabbit!

Happy Chinese New Year to all our Pearling Friends!

My daughter was recently in a wedding and the color of her dress was that lovely dusty rose (that was totally in style when I was back in college...any of you remember that!) I put together this pretty double strand of mixed akoya and freshwater for her to wear with her dress. She LOVES pink/rose colors so she wears it with lots of different outfits. It's so fun having daughters and grand daughters who appreciate the fun and joy of pearls.

 

[MotherOfPearlTrumpet]

I have a dear friend from the Philippians who had this long sting of pearls she was given, I assume to be made into a necklace. It had a bead on each end of the string and no clasp. She said it had been in her jewelry box for over 10 years. I offered to string them for her and it made a 36" strand with 2 left over pearls for earrings. It's so fun to see her wearing these now! Please don't let pearls just sit in a Jewelry Box! Right!
Of course, this group knows better than to allow that to happen.
Had to share these lovely colors.

 

[CortezPearls]

Hope everyone's New Year is off to a great start. The Pearl World is so tied with the Chinese New Year that many sellers and stores that merchandise pearls are closed for this amazing holiday. Year of the Rabbit!

Happy Chinese New Year to all our Pearling Friends!

My daughter was recently in a wedding and the color of her dress was that lovely dusty rose (that was totally in style when I was back in college...any of you remember that!) I put together this pretty double strand of mixed akoya and freshwater for her to wear with her dress. She LOVES pink/rose colors so she wears it with lots of different outfits. It's so fun having daughters and grand daughters who appreciate the fun and joy of pearls.
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Lovely smile from the bride in pearls!
Congratulations @MotherOfPearlTrumpet
I have 3 daughters and none of them wear pearls so I am an unhappy camper in that respect
My wife adores pearls and wears them every day, but let's see if the twins will eventually warm up to pearls. They are still teenagers.

 

[CortezPearls]

I have a dear friend from the Philippians who had this long sting of pearls she was given, I assume to be made into a necklace. It had a bead on each end of the string and no clasp. She said it had been in her jewelry box for over 10 years. I offered to string them for her and it made a 36" strand with 2 left over pearls for earrings. It's so fun to see her wearing these now! Please don't let pearls just sit in a Jewelry Box! Right!
Of course, this group knows better than to allow that to happen.
Had to share these lovely colors.View attachment 463084View attachment 463085View attachment 463086

You have done her a great present..a Pearly Mitzvah!
I am sure she is now enjoying her lustrous orbs of beauty!