@Thanks, Red. I am pea green with envy at your pearl collection!
@Thanks, Hanadama. I have that same setting for my Tahitian ring and wear it with my small diamond ring guards so I know I'll like it.
My husband does the pearl gluing for me. He uses some two part epoxy stuff and just dips the pin in, plugs it in and holds it for awhile. It's worked just fine so far. The pearl is glued onto the pin, but doesn't screw in.
Also, about the ding from dropping the pearl, I think just appears white-ish in the two teensy spots where the nacre is roughed up rather than actually being a different color. I, too, have dropped other pearls or accidentally banged them into things and not noticed any damage so I guess it's just the particulars of the fall. I could kick myself for that bone-headed stunt!
I wonder if there's anything I can put on or do to the dings to make them less noticeable? They're not a huge deal but they do bug me. Maybe some kind of buffing or a teensy spot of some substance applied with a toothpick? Of course I'd just be fixing it to please myself, not to ever try to sell it with undisclosed doctoring. Any ideas?