New purchase SSP?

massrog

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Oct 19, 2019
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Hello I am new to the site and also to pearl buying/collecting. I bought these for my wife the other day and was told they were "South Sea Pearls" and were graduated from 12-14mm. I saw the thread on candled pearls and tried my hand at it and saw the bead and halo of Nacre round it in most of them. I am attaching some photos in the hopes that you folks can tell me how they look. Any advice on improving the images is very welcome.
Thanks to all!
Roger
 

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Nice looking pearls. I'm curious, did you buy them in a brick and mortar store or online?

How long is this necklace? With 47 pearls if they are 12-14mm, I estimate the necklace to be 24" or a bit longer. Is that about right?

On my monitor the pearls appear cream colored. Is that right?

And most importantly, how does your wife like them? (Or hasn't she seen them yet? :cool: )
 
Nice looking pearls. I'm curious, did you buy them in a brick and mortar store or online?

How long is this necklace? With 47 pearls if they are 12-14mm, I estimate the necklace to be 24" or a bit longer. Is that about right?
On my monitor the pearls appear cream colored. Is that right?

And most importantly, how does your wife like them? (Or hasn't she seen them yet? :cool: )

Thanks! It was between a shorter triple strand or these at a local estate auction, both from the same estate. You are correct, with the clasp 24.5". I would have said white out in daylight but against the printer paper backround there is a cream cast under fluorescent light.
She has definitely seen them! I learned VERY early in our 32 year marriage not to spend more than $50.00 without permission. I refer to her as the CFO for a reason. I credit that lesson to our success!
 
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I wonder if they were recently restrung? The knots appear to be clean and tight.
 
I would guess that they were. I noticed that as well! Not that it matters now but do you think I did ok at $1500?
 
If your wife loves them, then you did fine.

Pearls are such an individual taste-- the size, the exact color, the shape, the length etc. What pleases one person may not suit another.

Should she ever want to shorten the strand or restring it with a different clasp, that is also easy to do. Some clasps are easier to manage than others as our fingers get older.
 
Thanks! I've read that pearls should be restrung every year or so. Does that apply even if they are not worn? She is more of a collector that wearer. I see that you are in Connecticut so you should have an idea who I can go to in the New England area for that service and how much I should expect to pay. Would it be possible to trouble you for some references?
 
They won't need to be restrung so often if they are not worn.

It's time to restring if ...
• there are unsightly gaps between the pearls, caused by the silk thread stretching, thanks to gravity!
• the silk appears grimy. Silk absorbs skin oils, lotions, sweat, environmental pollution etc. This weakens it, besides dirty knots not looking nice.

Pearls are soft and should be stored apart from other jewelry that may scratch them. In a soft cloth bag, for example. They should not be kept in a plastic bag as they need moisture from the air. Also do not keep them long term in a safe or safety deposit box, for the same reason. If you do store them in a safe, place a small dish of water in there, too, to add moisture to the air.

Wearing the pearls occasionally is good for them as they will absorb moisture from the skin. Pearls shoud be the last thing put on and the first thing taken off. When they are removed they should be wiped clean with a soft cloth. I like microfiber for this but any soft cloth will do.

As for restringing, you can probably ask your local jeweler about this. Many jewelers have someone they send their pearls to for restringing. The cost may be $3/ inch or more. You can also send them out to be restrung yourself. Pearl Paradise, for example, offers restringing service. Link:
https://www.pearlparadise.com/produ...paradise-com-item?_pos=2&_sid=27ac3d0b2&_ss=r

However, many of us restring our own pearls; I do. You can see tutorials on the Lowly Beaders Club forum. It's not hard and it definitely saves money, and then one can modify the necklace as desired.
 
Thank you again for all the info!!!
Another question just occurred to me. Do pearls appear different in color based on lighting for example daylight vs fluorescent?
 
Light does affect how pearls look. This is particularly true of pearls that have overtone colors, such as Tahitians.
 
Dear Massrog,

The necklace is very pretty and shiny and great size and length! I think you did very well with the price!
 
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