Tahitian Drop Strand

[mausketeer]

Finally got my battery charged on my camera before all the light was gone!

Okay, here are my vintage Tahitians (white gold clasp with European marking for gold so no idea where or when they are from). To my newbie eye, they are pretty nice. They seem to have very few blemishes (I would say each pearl maybe has ONE, but certainly not EVERY pearl has a blemish. I'd say at least 50% are perfect). Some are ringed, some aren't. They seem to be very well matched for colour. The body colour (again, to my untrained eye) seems to be a medium grey/green? Does that seem right to everyone? (these photos are fairly accurate). My ONLY issue with them is that they don't seem to have much in the way of overtones. The ones that do have cherry and green overtones. Most of them are just that steely grey. Which is beautiful but...... not sure if it's my thing. Oh, and they are approx. 8 to 10mm. with a length of 18 inches.

So..... I'm not sure what I think. They are LOVELY but..... I'm a COLOUR gal!!!!
(note, what looks like pink in the pearls are my hands on the camera. They are so silver they reflect all colour - I had to change my shirt because I was wearing tye dye and it showed up in the pearls!)
- Jodie -

So..... here are the only photos I could take before the light faded......

 

[lisa c]

They certainly do have a gorgeously smooth surface! The glow is nice also. How is the color, looking in a mirror in daylight, outside (remembering that mirror glass has a slightly greenish effect on the reflection unless the glass is the newer, special kind)? Well, that's awkwardly phrased, I hope you figured out what I was trying to say. Sheesh.

I think you got your money's worth and more if I remember correctly (and I'd better check, my memory being what it is), because they are gorgeous, but if you want color - that's a soul thing.

I don't think you'd have any trouble selling them, if you want to resume your quest for your dream strand. Before you go that road I'd say wear them on your wrist for a while, have someone photograph you wearing them in indirect sunlight, and live with them for a while.

Being a color lover myself, I'd probably resume my quest, but you never know. Pearls have a way of growing on you. Hee hee, that's an old mollusc joke.

If I remember correctly, you have a few more strands or goodies on the way?

 

[KarinK]

Thank you for sharing! They do look very well matched. The kithcen tissue (all time reference) comes up blue on my monitor, may just be me...

You are right where it all starts. You get some really nice pearls at a price you can afford. Then you see GREAT pearls, and 'really nice' just doesn't cut it anymore. But I agree with the Lisa. You got them at a good price, you can always sell them again, and they might grow on you. They might look amazing the coloursful strand you will eventually get. Or you might want to cut up the strand and put it together in a different way, maybe with some of your vintage akoya. Nice pearls at a good price are never wasted.

I was very lucky and got GREAT Kamoka pearls for my birthday. Being able to string I was able to pull a few tricks and get both a necklace, bracelet and earrings. I have matched the pearls on the bracelet with some facetted rubies and I somtimes wear the necklace with a small strand of Columbian emeralds underneath. Both really adds to the colour of the colourful pearls. You might try something like that.

In the proces I cut the pieces I had made with the 'really nice' pearls that came before the 'great' pearls. I know I wouldn't wear them when I have the other. But... Now I find myself wondering if maybe I could braid some leather with them or make a rope with facetted spinel and Tahitians...

- Karin

 

[lisa c]

You have some very clever ideas Karin! It's true Jodie, once you start looking at something for it's component-parts you see things in a different light.

My guess is if you don't see more color coming out in the next days, you're going to move on to something better. Lots of folks will be willing to take those pearls off your hands, loving that near black uniform color.

Karin's correct about the pictures. My computer is showing the paper towel as bluish. Someone recommended setting your camera's color sensor using a 'pure-white' standard - Some item you consider 'pure' white. I'm garbling that message, but you can check the site search function.

Caitlin, was a thread ever started about how to take a great picture? Seems to me there was talk of that, sort of like the thread thread.

You did a great job catching the creamy surface and glow, though! Very, very nice job.

 

[pattye]

Jodie,

Excellent photos, nice quality pearls and they are pretty! What Lisa said about color being a soul thing--it's true!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Mausketeer, I grabbed your first photo there and made adjustments until the paper towel looked white to me, and here is the result-- is this the color of the pearls? They do look greenish here. The color is pretty.

 

[lisa c]

Mausketeer, I grabbed your first photo there and made adjustments until the paper towel looked white to me, and here is the result-- is this the color of the pearls? They do look greenish here. The color is pretty.

That's the color I came up with, too, with the Windows Photo Gallery 'Fix' program. Well, maybe a tad more to the black.

 

[mausketeer]

Mausketeer, I grabbed your first photo there and made adjustments until the paper towel looked white to me, and here is the result-- is this the color of the pearls? They do look greenish here. The color is pretty.

Thanks everyone for all your comments and suggestions! Yes, that is EXACTLY the colour! They are VERY grey but also a bit of green...... but the green you can really only see sort of around the edges (as you can see in the photos) so I guess that IS an overtone?

Yeah, I think I decided to keep them for now. They were a good price I think for having such a nice lustre and surface ($600). Oh, and they're vintage because I bought them "used" off of Ruby Lane (an on-line antique website - they have a bunch of shops, most of them actual "bricks and mortar" shops I think - it's AMAZING - check it out if you've never looked at it). http://www.rubylane.com/
The woman I bought them off didn't have any information about who owned them before or where they were from, what era etc (although the french gymp - is that what's it called? - looks a bit tarnished and they need to be restrung so they're not NEW). They came with no box, no papers.

Okay, well, I'll keep you all posted when I want to sell them! (Not sure how to go about that but we'll call them "Jodie's Steel Tahitians" as a code word, how's that? LOL)

I'll post a neck shot too when I get one. And shots of ALL my new shineys!!!

- Jodie -

 

[Ash]

Jodie,

The strand is lovely! Definitely keep them for a while. Play with them and see what creations you can do with them. There is always the option to re-string like this and keep or sell later. they are too pretty not to hang onto for a while anyway.

Cheers!

 

[mausketeer]

Adeline - for you! (sorry, too many threads going today!)

Adeline - for you! (sorry, too many threads going today!)

Finally got the neck shots. I WAS wearing a rainbow (of course!) sweatshirt that was reflecting in the pearls but changed into a neutral grey shirt (realized someone could FAKE peacock overtones by doing that!!!!)

- Jodie -

one more thing: I discovered one of the pearls has an extra drill hole in it!
Is there any way to "fill it"? Like with wax or something? I would think it may be difficult to match if I had to replace it.

 

[Adeline Leigh]

AAARGGGH!!! By golly, they are gorgeous! And look at that swan neck! It's so fabulous on you. I'm thinking ... tahtians in work suits, tahitians to play in sweats, tahitans on water accidentally in the shower, tahitians and nude skin, all the better for horizontal actitivites! Did I just say that! Aghast! I blame the tahitians; they got to my mind.

I am eyeing a peacock strand at Sarah's for the moment and am praying someone else will swipe it away before I cave in (am crumbling). Here's to fuelling other people's desires:

 

[Caitlin]

Those are so plump and juicy, I want to eat them!

 

[lisa c]

Adeline - Bad Girl! to add fuel to our fires! Good thing we love you...

Jodie, what a gorgeous neck you have! All you youngsters, sigh... The pearls look a lot better, much, much, much! and bigger too on your neck, than in the other photos. No' so shabby at all!

 

[Nerida]

Jodie - they are worth keeping, don't you think? They look great on you (oh, to have a young young neck..) and the colors liven up as expected when worn.

I would wear them for a while and see if they grow on you - you won't lose if you resell them later on.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Ooh, so nice, Jodie!

 

[mausketeer]

Well thanks! Hmmm, swan? I'd say GOOSE is probably more accurate! lol (of course I stretched my neck out and chose the BEST photos!)

Something I've discovered about the drop shape is that there is a bit of an optical illusion with them - because you see them from the bottom they look more round when they're worn. Kinda neat. Yes, I have to say they are growing on me! I now wear them to walk the dog (I'm off work - where ELSE am I gonna wear them?) Although I DO wish they had more overtones (Adeline, those are very PRETTY! Very RAINBOW!!!! You know I won't be the one to dissuade you from buying them!) But that IS why I bought those giant Chinese freshwaters, to feed my need for colour!

- Jodie -

(forgot to say I found my millimetre gauge! there is one small pearl that is a smidge over 8mm but most are 9mm. The largest are 11mm.)

 

[Marianne]

Beautiful pearls Jodie. (and better a goose than a turkey)

 

[Bodecia]

Jodie,

They are beautiful. Really beautiful and have a great lustre. WOW. Keep them unless you see another strand you would kill for. They are worth keeping. I too wish I had a young neck again. Boo hoo.

Dawn - Bodecia
http://stores.ebay.com/Dawns-Designer-Collections
Natural pearl collector and all round pearl lover

 

[mausketeer]

Jodie,

They are beautiful. Really beautiful and have a great lustre. WOW. Keep them unless you see another strand you would kill for. They are worth keeping. I too wish I had a young neck again. Boo hoo.

Dawn - Bodecia

http://stores.ebay.com/Dawns-Designer-Collections
Natural pearl collector and all round pearl lover

Thanks! Yeah, I love 'em now...... but c'mon Dawn - you're forgetting rule #1 of the Pearl Guide - MORE IS MORE! These are my "silver/green drop Tahitians". Now I need a strand of "circled peacock Tahitians" (see what I just did there?) As long as they're not the SAME it's okay, right?....... lol

- Jodie -

 

[mausketeer]

well...... i found another strand that seems to have a lot of rainbow overtones that i really want - and i can't justify having TWO strands so...... think i'm going to be selling these....... anyone who is interested please message me. i'll just sell them for what i bought them for, i'm not looking to make money......

- jodie -