[suzannelowrie]

Originally Posted by pearlescence

Can I suggest that the pendants go onto enhancer findings - they would make great enhancers as well as straightforward pendants

Reply:
That idea is terrific. I think enhancers may be the way to go. In that way, everyone who sells pearls might buy some pieces. I thought of La Jolla Pearl Company as EITHER pearl necklaces OR freshwater pearls-silver-gems-and-silk necklaces. Two separate businesses. You are bringing both together. OK. Pearl necklaces (all the same size) with enhancers. That means I have to think what would look good with 7.5mm pearls and what would look nice with 9mm pearls. Oh, thank you. Fun, fun, fun. Look for them at this time next year. I'll make 100 drawings, 50 will be thrown in the trash (I'll feel like fainting), 50 will be re-worked and we'll have something that will let all of us buy more freshwater pearls. How very thoughtful of you to share your idea. Meanwhile I'll look over the existing pendants and see which can be adapted (then offer the custom-made hardware that turns them into enhancers for pearl necklaces).

[Mandy]

These designs look really fun I like!

[aggiep]

gold spot market as of Friday afternoon's close was down to $830. Insiders i know at metal refiners tell me it is dropping slowly but they expect it to go down considerably in the next year. People are dumping their gold jewelry, and the fear that it will go up like the housing market did then crash has investors nervous. It was the late 70's when gold ran up over $700 an ounce then fell to under $280 and stayed there for quite a while. This could easily happen again.

Problem I see with Rhodium is that it is selling for over $6000 an ounce. Plating it is much cheaper, but will be a big added expense even with the plating methods. Ask your designer about depletion guilding of fine silver.

[callire]

Oh wow. I love these! Are they immediately available for sale? Also, are these all one-of-a-kind, or are you equipped to make however many are needed? (Those are all very selfish questions on my part) Wow wow wow. I am SO happy! Really, I'm about 5 seconds away from squealing. These are exactly the kind of pieces I love.

See, it seems like whenever I want to buy a pendant (I'm a pendant person), I have to compromise by buying pieces with gold hardware, simply because that's all I can find. These are BEAUTIFUL and very affordable.

Ah. Really, I love them. I could write you an essay on each one (while I like the vast majority of them, some aren't my cup of tea)

A few notes: (since you asked for a review)
1. I think you should have an option of having the pendant be on a sterling silver chain (like, $20 extra or whatever it costs). I love the pendants themselves, but I'd personally switch all of them to a silver chain the second I got them. Maybe you could offer both a snake chain and the normal... linky type of chain (I am so not a lowely beader). It would be more convenient if you offered them that way, so I don't have to go through all the trouble of getting them, finding a better chain elsewhere, ordering the new chain, cutting/meddling with the black silk, etc. etc. etc.

2. Most of the designs look like silver pieces with pearl accents. I'd consider making some pieces with higher quality, bigger pearls, so that you could incorporate a new line into your collection. Some of your designs are so pretty that I wish you could use 10-11mm or 11-12mm pearls.

3. I'd like to see more complete sets and variety. I'd love to buy a pendant with matching earrings, etc. Also, it might be nice to offer the most popular designs in a 1-2 different sizes.

[suzannelowrie]

Dear Friend of the freshwater pearl:
I bought 50 nickel-free silver snake chains, thinking that when the Thai silk eventually wore out (or people got bored with the black necklace), clients could switch to silver snake chains. So I do have some silver chains on hand of the same composition of silver as the pendants and I can buy more in Thailand. I like the idea, however, of even more flexibility: integrating the pendant with silver or pearls at the whim of the moment. I also have black stingray necklaces-- although they are kinda/sorta edgy. My daughter likes the black silk better. My son likes the black stingray. How much inventory do I have? At present I only have one each of each design. How would you order a dozen of a particular design? Well, they are produced one-by-one so ordering a 100pieces would take 60-90 days lead time. That is the disadvantage of hand-crafted work. Bench jewelers produce slowly and carefully. The advantage, of course, is that you don't see the work at Wal-Mart and very few people on the planet have what you have. What would be the conditions of purchase? 60% down. Why 60%? Because I have very little profit margin. I might have to kick in a lot of my own money to supplement yours. How much? Depends on the models ordered.

[suzannelowrie]

Dear Friends of the freshwater pearl:
I wanted matching earrings too because my next-door-neighbor in Thailand always buys sets for his wife and told me to make sets. However, the Italian designer scoffed and said (in Italian) something like "matchy, matchy." I talk to him in Spanish and he slowly responds in Italian so we communicate in a broad-brush sort of way. I got the idea that he thought pearls were the ideal earring. Light weight, classic and beautiful. He thinks pearls close to the face make women more lovely (imagine at this point lots of arm waving). He did make one set for me-- the most expensive necklace has a matching bracelet and earrings. The bracelet is beautiful. Lots of rubies and pearls. I think the earrings are too heavy, but then.... I'm spoiled. I wear very small earrings. I'd wear pearl studs with the necklace and bracelet, just because that swinging leaf is solid silver. I imagine it jouncing up and down. Ouch! I've photographed it, it seemed heavy, but I never put it on. I could be wrong.

[callire]

Those lily earrings are GORGEOUS! I love them. Oh, with my obsessive-ness I noticed that you used the picture of "Our Matte Silver Lily" for "A Matte Silver Tropical Flower."

Weird thing is... some of them I thought I didn't like, but now I keep staring at them and they're starting to really grow on me.

(edit: I just pm'd you)

[jshepherd]

The designs are cool. Definitely a brandable line.

One thing on the Web site though. It is not live yet so I would strongly suggest changing the template. You might have Blue Nile coming down on you hard if you go live with what you have currently.

[SpaceNeedle]

Lovely designs

Do you have a shop in Thailand? We will be visiting Bangkok in March 2009 and would love to see the actual pieces.

[aggiep]

Well I bought a necklace. I look forward to getting it. I just wish the lily earrings could be redesigned to make it a set.

[Amrita]

Gorgeous designs, Suzanne! I am sure all your hard work will pay off - hugely so Good Luck!

[Pearl_dreams]

I could see your pieces in high end museum gift shops!

[GemGeek]

Most has been said, but I love the Meet our Team page, and, of course, the jewelry.

Rhodium plating is really only good for items that are already shiny. The brushed or granular textures will not have the same glow after being plated. Your pieces sure do make the most of silver as precious metal.

[Nathan Reed]

Excellent work! I think you have something for everyone in your wide variety of styles. I took forever to pick my top ten favourites, mainly because I kept getting over 20. Regardless, I think these are the finest:

“Polished Silver Swirl”, “Sixteen Natural Rubies”, “Twenty Five Natural Rubies”, “Five 2-point Natural Rubies”, “Fourteen Royal Blue Sapphires”, “Four inch wide symmetrical sculpture”, “A Vision of the Night Sky”, “A Single Tropical Flower”, “A Blazing Silver Star” and “A Matte Silver Flower”

[Sueki]

Ooh, yes, Jeremy's right. Do heed his advice Suzanne.