Sneak Peek at the new Freshwaters

[jshepherd]

We are up to just over two kilos now and the sweet spot is going to be around 5-6 kilos before we start putting them together (one more trip to China for a total of three).

Blaire came over to see them and take a few pictures over the weekend, but capturing the colors is pretty difficult to do. These are some of Manut's shots.

Enjoy!

 

[Ramona]

Goodness. I will start saving.

 

[KarinK]

How difficult to believe that this is made by a living organism. Amazingly beautiful! Are they for the metalic freshwater line?

- Karin

 

[GemGeek]

Easter Eggs! Manut ROCKS!

 

[Pearly Shell]

*gasp* I think my heart just skipped a beat!

 

[Mikeyy]

I've been hooked on that color for a while now. I have been picking them out here and there but I only have a few. That is one nice pile. Sweet.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Those are fun!

With 5-6 kilos, is that enough for strands? Or are you thinking of other uses-- bracelets, pendants, tin cup styles, etc?

 

[newberry]

Be still my heart.... Those pearls are beautiful, drops my favorite!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Another question: What is the size range?

 

[KauaiAnne]

Why don't you think about making some Tin Cup necklaces with these? What color gold do you think looks best with them - yellow, white, perhaps rose gold? Or maybe silver or copper? I'd love an extra long tin cup made with some of these and some dangle earrings to match.

 

[jshepherd]

Another question: What is the size range?

The first lot I collected were from a material lot, 9-10 mm, so the smallest pearls should be 8.5 mm. But now I am focused on 9 mm and up with a cap around 11 mm. I am planning to blend the sizes in hopes of having uniform color strands - or at least some.

As for the tin cups, I think rose gold would look best with these pearls. But again, I really want to be able to do full strands of these. I've wanted to do that since collecting those first "purloined" pearls and making Hisano's ring.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Full strands will certainly be stunning!

 

[KarinK]

Do the pearls come from the same source/ the same farm or is it just a random thing of nature that you 'simply' search through loads of FW pearls to find?

- Karin

 

[lilliefuzzysocks]

WOW! Jeremy. Those are just beautiful. Any idea when you will have them ready?

 

[Mitsucats]

Those are just gorgeous!! I love the iridescence, and the color. I'd love to see drop earrings, maybe on one of those "pull through" styles, on a long chain with the pearl dangling on the end of a few strands. A lovely strand would be nice too! I hope I can get one when they are ready....so pretty!

 

[jshepherd]

Do the pearls come from the same source/ the same farm or is it just a random thing of nature that you 'simply' search through loads of FW pearls to find?

- Karin

No, they don't come from the same source or the same farm. The way you find them is by selecting from preselected and sorted pearls. When you go into processing factories there are rooms that contain loose pearls in baskets; each containing 50 kilos. The baskets are already separated and sorted by size, shape and surface grade. For some reason color and luster aren't separated. Well, color isn't, and luster almost isn't. So in order to find pearls like those above, you've got to go through the baskets (in my case, 9-10 and 10 -11 mm lots, drop shape, perfect surface) and select them. They pour the entire fifty kilos onto a long table on a white sheet and then you slowly move the pile to the other end of the table going through the pearls individually or in small groups.

I went through all the pearls available in those size ranges and quality at Sanshui, Angeperle and Ruan in January and came back with just a few hundred pearls. But the reason for that trip wasn't to collect enough for the line, but to train them how to select exactly what I was looking for. Now we have a little over two kilos, but need a few more in order to make consistent strands.

I am hoping they will be ready in the Spring.

 

[lisa c]

Holy cow, that is labor/time-intensive for you. Is it taking so much time because you are taking only a handful of supervisors/employees at a time? That must be it; you have to supervise, be there to answer as they say "is this what you want?", etc... and over how many farms...not at all like standing at a lectern with a split-screen.

 

[KarinK]

Thank you for the info, Jeremy - and the picture! I think it makes us appriciate the result of all that work even more.

- Karin

 

[Hanaleimom]

That took loads of patience to cherry-pick the best ones. Thank you Jeremy.

 

[Caitlin]

Indeed. These pearls are like your signature style!