Wonderful Obssession, Terrible Addiction - Pearls

[Bodecia]

I do have a photo. I didn't know where to actually post this, so Show Us Your Pearls seemed suitable.

How many of us are collectors and how many of OC Disorder regarding pearls. And is there a difference or when does one stop and the other kick in. Personally, I think I have a Pearl Addiction as much as any drug or alcohol addiction. Pearls, that is just about all I think of. Maybe I should have realised this when nearly every strand of gems I designed just had to have pearls added. At first I just had to add the odd pearl here and there. Time goes bye. Then most of them had to be pearls with just a few precious gems thrown in to compliment the pearls

I have been trying to rework a necklace I started some time back with only Green Garnets and 18 k gold. But of course NOW that just doesn't do it for me and I have trouble designing without adding pearls. So, a thought just came to my head. I am not kidding. I was going to try and add Moonstones but instead deep green garnets or emeralds look fantastic with Tahitians so why not go for it. Thing is I cannot keep all of these beauties I design. I have to sell. So add Tahitians to Tsavorite (I have even forgotten how to spell it) garnets and 14k or 18k and we have a huge price leap, so what do I do????

Really bearing my blemished or is it artistic soul here guys. When a customer needs a price bracket and I try to keep down to it but it really pains me to do so. Not because of the customer but because of ME. I pain myself. Last 2 pairs of earrings. One was already made up - hurrah. The other was Huge FW pink pearls with to keep prices down Vermail but I agonised over them for 3 weeks to get them just right, perfect as far and and then further than the budget would allow. So because I took so very long getting them to her, I added a pair of large FW Pearl Studs and an extra pendant to make the earrings. How the hell am I supposed to even break even with a mind set like that.

I do know why Van Gough cut off his ear. It was not some lover, it was his love of his art.

Often when my husband comes to visit (that is when I have been productive in designing) he will also be my stringer. Very handy. But I am so bloody picky on everything has to be just so. It has to be on the thread that way not this way, to keep the balance. No wonder I drove him nuts. A pearl, a bead, has to be postioned just so. Otherwise it all has to be undone and done again. Not that I tell him that. I just hide it until he has forgotten the time he put into and redo it myself or give it to him as a new project When I am productive I can design many, many a week and these are all in my head as I could not draw to save my life. So, all in my head and then on fishing line but then I hang it to see if it "pleases me" totally.

Just realised this has been a rather me, me post but then I am a pearl lover, a designer, and an artiste so I am a little insane which I think many of you can at least understand if not Totally understand.

So what am I, what are we. Do I have a disorder which totally takes over my mind. The Pearl disorder. I think I do have.

I was born in the sign or Cancer which is the Sign of the Pearl. Check how many of you were born under Water Signs. Have a good think about why we are so B attracted to pearls.

Okay photos 4 of them. One without pearls just to show that I can actually design quality without pearls. I just don't like too.

Me, Bodecia (bearing my Soul) - now the photos - I meant to just add one but I ended up adding 4. Sorry. I guess 4 to 1 is the most I can go without pearls.

[Pearl Dreams]

I love the first one with the amethyst! The colors go so well together. Are those rubies in the 4th photo? Stunning, whatever the stone.

I've always been fascinated with pearls. It goes way, way back. I think maybe it began when I was received a strand of pretend pearls from 'Santa' when he visited a local park.

In middle school we were assigned Steinbeck's The Pearl, which furthered my curiosity about this gorgeous gem.

For Christmas 1980, when I was 24, my mother gave me a strand of small Biwa pearls, which I wore and treasured for their high luster and orient. I wanted to buy round pearls someday, but then I read the August 1985 issue of National Geographic, whose well-illustrated article about pearls discussed the industry's concern about decreasing nacre thickness and its negative effect on durability. At that point I sadly resigned myself to settling for high quality imitation pearls and satisfied my pearl cravings with highly readable and richly illustrated volumes like Pearls: A Natural History.

Now that CFWP are available at such reasonable prices and such high quality, no one who loves pearls needs to do without. They are available at every price-point.

A few days ago I bought my 12 year old daughter her first CFWP pearl set-- 18" 7mm necklace, bracelet, and slightly larger button earrings. White, pretty good luster, some blemishes, off round, but overall a good looking set that she can wear every day, even to school, without worrying about damaging them.

She asked me if they were "good" pearls. I told her that a hundred years ago, before cultured pearls became available, only the wealthy would have owned a natural strand of pearls-- and the majority of naturals would have been imperfect in shape, luster and would have had blemishes. Because CFWP are all nacre, they (and keshi) are the closest thing to those naturals-- so she should wear them with pride.

Gotta start 'em young!

[jerin]

Thanks Bodecia and Pearl_dreams for your nice and interesting outlook on pearls and design.

I love strand number 3 for the colours and the last one (although without pearls) is a lovely colour. Are the stones garnets?

The 3 strand is very lovely too with its pastel colours! I do pity your husband as he is the one to string You are the one perfectionist!

From another pearl addict!

[olmander]

What a poetic confession in love! What a nice stream of passion, Bodecia!
I do fully agree - this is a real adiction. As sombody wrote in one of the forums - "my brother also wants pearls, he thinks he is joking...".

I can not imagine that a year ago I had absolutely no interest in pearls and knew nothing about it...

Just found out that I am also a water sign (a Scorpio) - this confirms your theory...

[Caitlin]

Hi Bo
You are done for. You have it bad. Fortunately, it is a habit you will enjoy the rest of your life-so much better than collecting stamps! You are stringing on wire? I have used wire a lot, so I was wondering. Carrot couldn't have done better than that top one, though the rest are fine as well-(My daughter heard Care Ehret's name as "Carrot" and I just think it is so cute!)


P-D

She asked me if they were "good" pearls. I told her that a hundred years ago, before cultured pearls became available, only the wealthy would have owned a natural strand of pearls-- and the majority of naturals would have been imperfect in shape, luster and would have had blemishes. Because CFWP are all nacre, they (and keshi) are the closest thing to those naturals-- so she should wear them with pride.

I agree!That is a good mom, teaching her daughter about pearls. I hope she takes after you and gets the passion. Really, until I discovered this site- I was just a retiring old folk. Now, Pearls have given me much to wake up to every morning. Much better than golf as a retirement pastime- or rereading all those Regency romances. IMO -Thank heavens for pearls!-

[imanit]

Sagittarius = fire...... so why am I obsessed !!!!????!!!!.
Maybe I can be saved and maybe not - born on 23rd of November, soooo close to Scorpio, must have some water in me.....

Lovely designs, beautiful execution !!! I like #1 & 3 the most....

[Bodecia]

Hi Pearl_dreams.

I love the first one with the amethyst! The colors go so well together. Are those rubies in the 4th photo? Stunning, whatever the stone.

Yes Pearl.dreams, I love that one too. Amethyst just seemed to go so well with the Fireball pearls, also Peridot goes very well as I have yet to list and take photos of. Peridot goes well with many pearl that have fire.

Yes, they are Rubies in the 4th photo. Ugg. I love them but it took me 3 years plus to collect enough of the same colour and quality to make a bracelet and I had hoped to make a necklace, dream on. So bracelet it was. 22 k with them and I just hope to make my money back with gold prices the way they are.

Bo

[olmander]

I LOVE the forth photo with rubies very much, it is so elegant!

[Bodecia]

Pearl_dreams,

Yes, do start em young but hopefully not with obsession but with appreciation. Makes such a difference.

imanit

Sagittarius = fire...... so why am I obsessed !!!!????!!!!.
Maybe I can be saved and maybe not - born on 23rd of November, soooo close to Scorpio, must have some water in me.....

Well, fire and water compliment each other or are opposites and opposites attract :O Damned if I know, I just wondered how many of us needed water to survive in so many ways. Thing is I live so far from it at the moment. Seawater that is. I keep feeling the tug to bring me to it.

olmander,

Just found out that I am also a water sign (a Scorpio) - this confirms your theory...

Your brother had better watch out. It will catch him without a sinker. And thank you so much for your

What a poetic confession in love! What a nice stream of passion, Bodecia!
I do fully agree - this is a real adiction. As sombody wrote in one of the forums - "my brother also wants pearls, he thinks he is joking...".

It is just the way I feel about pearls. I am so totally wrapped in them, enticed by them and always in the hope of finding the ultimate in them.

Bo

[Bodecia]

Hi Bo
You are done for. You have it bad. Fortunately, it is a habit you will enjoy the rest of your life-so much better than collecting stamps! You are stringing on wire? I have used wire a lot, so I was wondering. Carrot couldn't have done better than that top one, though the rest are fine as well-(My daughter heard Care Ehret's name as "Carrot" and I just think it is so cute!)

Hi Caitlin, Yes, I am done for and fortunately it is not a really bad addication, but it is compelling and adictive.... Much better than stamps. I only string on wire to (fishing line) ask the last part of my designing, most is done in my head. Then I transfer my ideas after I am totally satisified to - well normally silk. But I do string on other thrad too. Yes, I can understand why your daugher calls Carolyn Carrot after seeing her photo in the last week or so. Curly haired I am, natural red I am not.

Bo

[Pearl Dreams]

I'm an Aquarius, but I don't believe in astrology...still it is funny about the water....

[boo]

Virgo here - total earth sign, wheat sheafs and all

[Raisondetre]

I'm a Leo - fire sign ... really shouldn't be compatible but there you go! Then again I'm supposed to be passionate but I'm not - not apart from pearls anyway.

[Cathybear]

I'm a libra and I'm hooked. My middle name means 'a pearl' so maybe that's how I caught it!

[Reiah]

Another Libra here...

Off topic - but how do all the collectors store your pearl strands? Really large jewelry boxes? I'm finding that I need to make room for my strands...