Pearl rings - What's hot, what's not?

[Raisondetre]

It's interesting, because I have always found it hard to get platinum in Australia, so I assumed it was more an Asian thing for platinum. White gold is more popular but still priced much higher than yellow gold, which is my main gripe with it here.

Platinum is known as 铂金, which sounds similar to "white" (bai) gold in several Chinese dialects, including Mandarin (depends on which province you're from) and Cantonese even though they are totally different things. It's very easy for vendors in Asia to say that something is platinum rather than white gold. Of course, you can always rely on certificates but the smaller businesses do not always carry those. But as always, reputable businesses would not do that so you just have to know your stuff and do homework.

Titanium is not cast, but pretty much carved into whatever shape by drilling/laser, so the cost involved in any single piece would be much greater than traditional jewellery metals. The settings for precious stones are also more limited so it will be quite some time before it becomes mainstream jewellery culture.

 

[Valeria101]

Considering the pearl's size, that ring should be rather ... oversized (ring size 3=15mm inner diameter, pearl=13mm => HUGE to me). Or, is it?

Whatever was done to the shank makes me think of a pearl bangle - one that protects the pearls adequately, for once

 

[Satine De La Courcel]

Okay as well as being incredibly chatty tonight, I really like that last ring, very aesthetically pleasing, Valeria, I am WAY too rough on my jewelry to wear that frail of a thing but I do like it.. an hey no oddball references this time...

Cheers

Ash

 

[Ashley]

Okay guys- I was totally inspired by the pave diamond eternity band and Tahitian ring that Valeria photoshopped for us earlier in the thread- I immediately fell in love with the design and decided to have a similar ring made in white gold and mounted with a Golden South Sea pearl.

I give you our latest addition and applaud you, Valeria for your creativity and fantastic photoshop skills, without which this ring would never have come into existence!

 

[Raisondetre]

Ashley, I think you made a mistake on the pricing of this ring, mixing up the retail and your price! It says $3675 or something on the catalogue page, but $735 on the actual product information page.

Damn, I think I might have to get this one to match PP's Venus pendant and the bracelet I had Jeremy conjure up ... maybe after Christmas. It is a regular item, isn't it?

 

[Valeria101]

OMG! Picture comes to life!

The pearl looks mighty happy to be be held by a diamond thread ... Hope the wearer will too

 

[Ingykiz]

What a beautiful ring. I love the classic combination of diamonds and pearl in a minimalist design. How large is the pearl?

 

[Ashley]

Thanks for the compliments- but Valeria, again if it wasn't for you this ring wouldn't exist! Thank you!!

This is going to be a regular item on the site, but I am trying to get rings that are only 1/2 eternity style so that sizing the products won't be such an issue! In the full eternity style, customers would have to know their exact ring size, minus half a size due to the slim width of the band.

The ring itself is a delicate band, about 1.5mm in width and topped with a 9-10mm AAA Gold South Sea pearl (I purposely chose a lighter tone- more champagny so that there wouldn't be such a contrast in colors.) and the minute I put it on, I fell in love! It has such a delicate look and feel to it I can't wait to start putting together a line of pieces similar to this style!

 

[pattye]

Very, Very Lovely! Prefer the idea of stones only half way around. How about with sapphires? Yellow, teal with Tahitian, etc, etc------also might try that style with squared off shank on the bottom to reduce rolling---

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

 

[Ashley]

The squared shank is a good idea- just have to find the right mftr (needle in a haystack problem...) to supply them. I used to work for a colored stone importer- Emeralds, Sapphires, Rubies etc etc etc, so I have given a great deal of thought to using precious gemstones, but would like to make sure there is a market out there for those types of designs before embarking on anything too ambitious (especially given the state of the economy right now.)

At this juncture however, colorless diamonds have a proven track record among consumers as being the "it" stone to purchase so that's the area that I'd like to stick to for now... However, I am always open to custom design!!!

 

[Valeria101]

3/4 pave would also allow sizing... and sounds more sophisticated then the lot of half-way rings out there, methinks. Sizing beads allow one size up/down on such a ring - wearer's choice to allow some leeway.

Freelance?

 

[Ashley]

Sorry not to have posted lately, Valeria; Christmas is pretty crazy around here! I have given alot of thought to the sizing beads, and I think they're a great idea- not only would it provide a modicum of sizing opportunity, but it would prevent the ring from turning on your finger and the pearl in place (I hate it when a ring can't stay straight don't you?) I'll have to check it out...

 

[Valeria101]

Bump to the thread....

Two ring designs that did not happen to pearls, but seem particularly well suited for them (protective, and quite glamorous... even toned down from these poster-kid versions)

Safdie Basta (E. Eichberg Inc) _____________Ray Zajicek (Equatorian Imports, Inc)

 

[Raisondetre]

I actually like a bypass ring that's kinda cross between these two. I saw it at a local jeweller's but can't draw it properly. Will go back and have a look, see if I can get a catalogue.

I like the swirl of the bypass ring, but not the channel setting for the diamonds. The one I saw was set like the sunflower with prongs. The diamonds are channel set like an eternity ring when the curvature ends though. Most bypass rings are set too high, or the curvature wraps around the pearl too much. It feels almost like the taichi symbol. Dunno if I make sense. No, don't ask me to photoshop it. I just can't.

 

[Valeria101]

I like the swirl of the bypass ring, ...almost like the taichi symbol.

One pearl, or two pearls?

 

[Raisondetre]

Just one - why, are you going to work your magic?

 

[Valeria101]

Just one - why, are you going to work your magic?

I would! Unfortunately, there is no magic - photoshop (collage, really) works for small modifications or for putting together elements from different pictures that fit just so. I think THIS is close to what you describe; see the original photo down the link too. For any more substantial modification... well, that why there is pen and paper to draw with. A stack of reference photos doesn't hurt either.

Speaking of the 'Yin & Yang' motif, is this (below) anywhere close for the top-view? Sorry for the smudge...

Usually the details start to make sense to me on a normal drawing as opposed to collage like these 'photoshoped' pictures. Perhaps the 'coil' around the pearl could be constructed somewhat like THIS... with the spiral is 3D rather then flat, that could create a lighter frame w/o the usual boring 'metal walls'. I could see the 'side view' made in a zillion different ways, in fact. What can be made at any given jeweler, that's a different matter. Some workshops can really, really let you dream away

 

[Raisondetre]

I went back to the store to have a look. Well, I must be hallucinating, because it was actually a full circle with the swirl. I still like the design, but at US$850 with a 8mm presumably AAA white freshwater pearl and 0.21 carats diamond on 18K gold I'm not sure it's worth it. The workmanship is fantastic though. I'm going to look at similar designs in Chinatown to decide what the workmanship is worth. The discrepancy should only be in the pearl size and diamond carat weight for similar.

 

[AnnaDK]

I saw these rings and jewelry in person at the Tahitian Pearl Auction during Thanksgiving. They are some of the most creative and attractive rings I have ever seen. I like the fact that they are stylish and versatile. Each one is hand done.

Defenitely worth a look!

http://www.blackpearlparadise.com/

(Click on "Jewelry Gallery")

 

[Valeria101]

This one, right? It isn't obvious how to link to specific objects on that website...

Liked their long pendants with small multicolour pearls too. The 'coulee' style they use looks great with pearls These could be made on scale!


Interesting what a wood sculptor could do with mabe! Like almost everything on their site, but would definitely wear their wood & mabe objects. Wonder how they fit the surface of the wood and the bumpy blister pearl this well, and whether these could be made to function as a clasp...