And here's my new blue Vietnamese akoyas. 6-7 mm. Thank you, Hisano, for picking these out for me!
I decided to throw on my natural white Hanadama 8 mm akoyas, and my very first pearl necklace of 5-6 mm pinked white akoyas from 1982, just as a comparison. I liked how they nested, so I left them on. I don't really think they go together, but I liked the feel of all the ropes bouncing over my boobs when I walked.
Look at the color on those blues. I love it. I think I can tell which pearls came from which of the 2 original strands, since one strand was dark and shiny and the other was lighter and not quite as shiny.
Also, the necklaces didn't nestle in my cleavage like that in real life. The cleavage look was caused by how I held my arms when I was taking the selfies.
I didn't think it was really fair to have my old akoya strand in there. It comes off looking like a poor 3rd cousin. However, I've grown to appreciate how well matched the pearls are, even if the orient cannot compare to the Hanadamas or the Blues. I don't think I realized at the time what a good strand of pearls I got back in 1982. My parents owned a small Mom and Pop department store, and my mother picked them up for me at a jewelry show. I was disappointed that they were so small, but I've worn them to death and they still look great when they're not sitting next to a strand of Hanadamas.