Thank you and opinions please

[DonnaH]

And to think, my last addiction was cowboy boots ... . I have always wanted a really nice strand of pearls. Now, just before my turning 60, just have finished my Master of Science in Nursing and on my quest for my graduation present. I have been reading a ton on pearls and find myself completely fascinated. The thread showing off your pearls captures my time and my attention. Oh my gosh you guys have some gorgeous pearls and such imaginative creations.

I have one Tahitian pearl pendant that was given to me as a gift from my husband. I love it (although it doesn’t lay well after a surgery as it hits right at my crooked breast bone). Photo attached.

Now I am torn... nice freshwater and a drop or baroque Tahitian pearl strand? Upper quality Akoya strand only? I literally cannot make up my mind. Size 7mm-8mm as I only wish I had a long thin neck like these pearl models have .... sigh.

longer 20” strand and wear with my pendant?

with all of the photos and wisdom found on this forum and others, I think my pearl addiction is just beginning. . Thank you all for sharing so much!

my pendant is so special to me, because of the sentiment behind it. I think it is beautiful and very unique

any thoughts for my next purchase? Splurge? Meanwhile, back to reading and dreaming.

 

[Charlotta]

Your tahitian pendant is beautiful and welcome to the forum. Personally I think that you cannot go wrong with a tahitian strand. Maybe a nice multicolored one. It will go with just about anything.

 

[CortezPearls]

Welcome to the forum DonnaH
The pendant is very nice and makes for a great starting point. I would say earrings are the next stop...of all pearl jewellery items I've given to my wife; earrings are the ones she loves best!

 

[DonnaH]

Thanks to you both!

 

[TriciaS]

Welcome to the forum, DonnaH! I am new here, too, and pretty new to collecting pearls.

If I understand you correctly, you want a strand of small (6-7mm) pearls. I think this size might be hard to find in round Tahitian pearls (but please correct me if I'm wrong, fellow forum members). You might be surprised how nice a slightly larger Tahitian pearl necklace looks on you, though.

Personally, I would choose either a high quality freshwater pearl necklace or a 10-12mm multicolor Tahitian pearl necklace. Akoya's are beautiful, but there are some lovely freshwater pearl necklaces that give you a very similar look for considerably less cost. Many vendors are offering Mother Day sales now, so this is a good time to buy: Pearl Paradise, Kojima, Kamoka, Cortez Pearls, to name a few, are all offering 10-20% off right now.

Are you able to adjust the length of the pendant necklace, either by shortening it on the existing chain or adding an extender to lengthen it? If so, you might be fine with an 18" pearl necklace as the pendant could be higher or lower than the strand. (I do like 20" too, but they're not as readily available.)

I agree with Douglas that earrings are a logical next step, too, especially if you have short hair or wear your hair pulled back. (I've found that anything other than large white pearl earrings aren't visible through my long, dark hair.)

Good luck and have fun shopping!

 

[DonnaH]

7.5-8 for white. . A baroque strand Tahitian pearls and freshwater may be in the future. Tahitian studs would be gorgeous too. My wish list is long!

 

[Marianne]

Congratulations DonnaH! Surviving statistics at sixty is an accomplishment worthy of a Tahitian strand and earrings!!! Welcome to the forum and a very slippery slope

 

[jeg]

Welcome DonnaH, and congratulations! I’d say a celebration is in order and I vote for Tahitian anything- earrings, strand... heck, before you know it, you’ll have it all. There are lots of things to celebrate, right?!

 

[lary007]

Congratulations! That is a lovely pendant. Do you know what kind of gemstone is used? It compliments the pearl beautifully.

It's hard to say what I'd go for first. I gather a lot of us start off with round white pearls, but after years of collecting it's hard to say what you would have picked first if you had the chance to start over.

I do know that my larger-necked self certainly appreciates the 20" strand I have. The 18" strands are great too, but the 20" on me looks like the 18" on most models. I would recommend going for the 20" if you usually wear chains that length, but Trisha is right that they are harder to find. You'll almost always need to special request that.

I love drop/baroque tahitians personally and think freshwater pearls are a great option when they have high luster. I guess what you have to decide is how important luster and roundness is to you. Good quality akoyas will almost always be of higher luster than freshwater pearls unless you're talking about metallic freshwater. Metallic freshwater will usually be considerably less round than akoyas though. Also usually less expensive, so if you want two strands that may be the way to go.

Good luck with your pearl hunting! It really is the most fun!

 

[pearlescence]

If I understand you correctly, you want a strand of small (6-7mm) pearls. I think this size might be hard to find in round Tahitian pearls (but please correct me if I'm wrong, fellow forum members).

Two pearl farmers are regularly growing Tahitian pearls this size, and there are also keishi pearls this size.