Help clueless boyfriend select necklace length (and pearl size) for tall girlfriend

[KarinK]

I have a strand of the barogue akoya pearls, from Pearl Paradise. They are super close to being completely round! I find them incredibly good value for money since they are super lustrous and I dare anyone to spot them not being round when I am wearing them.

[Pearl Dreams]

I think that 9.0-9.5mm baroque akoya strand would be a great gift!

I bought this 9.5-10.0mm strand of baroque akoya pearls from Pearl Paradise-- they are among my favorite pearls! They have thick nacre (which is not necessarily true of baroque akoyas, but PP 's do have thick nacre), fantastic luster and, because the surface is irregular, orient (an irregular surface refracts light better than a perfectly round, smooth surface.)
They are round-ish, not perfectly round. From all the photos I've seen, PP's white baroque akoyas are rounder than their blue ones.
Baroque Akoyas from PP April 2015 special

[linda.wald]

The same as Pattye: I don't know Laguna Pearl at all, but I have had very good experiences with Pearl Paradise. If you are in the L.A. area, pre-covid you could make an appointment to go in to their showroom and see what they have. Really a fun thing to do! Now though, I don't know. They do have a very large selection. Baroque pearls can run from very strange shapes to are-you-sure-they-aren't-round?

[Lady_Disdain]

Considering her personal style, I would not go for the white akoyas. They are beautiful but way too traditional for how you describe her. I would go for something that can fit her "business persona" but still follow her freer spirit. That screams Tahitians to me.

Back when I worked in business consultancy, my important meeting necklace was a strand of large circle Tahitians. The texture and colours made it absolutely beautiful and kept it from being stuffy or old fashioned. It also screamed quality and confidence.

[RocketScientist]

...You may not realize that Jeremy Shepherd of Pearl Paradise and Kevin Canning of Pearls of Joy are the guys that started this forum back in 2004. ... Akoya pearls don't develop rings like Tahitian and Freshwater pearls can, although they can be drop shape. I recommend you give PP a call and likely they can share specifics about what is in stock, whether a specific necklace can be lengthened and even send comparison photos.

Pattye, thanks so much for all the info! I did NOT know that re. the founders of this forum. Also, that helps to know re 'baroque' shaped on akoyas, and I can see that now in some of the pictures I thought might have actuyally been of round pearls. Lastly, I did not realize there was a possibility to lengthen some of these strands, or otherwise 'customize' an order like that at PP. I think I will call and see what they reccomend as far options. If they could possibly lengthen the 18" 9.0-9.5mm strand I linked previously an inch or two that might be just the perfect thing. Again, thanks so much for all the info/advice

Considering her personal style, I would not go for the white akoyas. They are beautiful but way too traditional for how you describe her. I would go for something that can fit her "business persona" but still follow her freer spirit. That screams Tahitians to me.

I know what you mean, and I thought quite a bit along those lines. I settled on a more traditional white strand for a few reasons, which I touched on in a previous post. She does have occasion to wear more formal or traditional styles in social or professional settings. So I like the idea of something that could work in those circumstances as well. Plus theres the wow factor of a traditional strand of big white pearls, right? I really do appreciate the advice though, and with all my research into pearls, I am kinda hooked. I had no idea the variety in size and shape and color etc. I've always thought opals were fascinating and beautiful, so have bought her a few over the years. But I am pretty sure she can expect some big gold south sea earrings or a colorful tahitian bracelet in her future!

[RocketScientist]

So probably my final update: I've been in communication with Pearl Paradise and I think I'm going to purchase from them. The 9.0-9.5mm AA+ Baroque Akoya I linked previously, but with an additional 2" of length (20" total). I was a little nervous about going with non-round or non-AAA-grade pearls, but that compromise allows me to get the dramatic size I think would work well for her. Then they sent some comparison photos that really convinced me. Side by side with a same-size strand of AAA round pearls, you can see the difference if you look very closely, but the "baroque" pearls are still very round, and the lustre and surface are still very impressive to my eye. I was worried it might LOOK like it was a lower-grade of pearl, but even side by side with a top-grade strand it looks very nice, and I imagine by itself it will really shine. I've attached some of the images they shared, the strand I am likely to purchase is the one on the right, labelled "baroque".

I'm going to sleep on it before ordering, but I think this is the route to take. I would REALLY appreciate any last minute feedback if you have any. Am I right that this looks like a high quality necklace? Or to someone with a more discerning eye like y'all (and my girlfriend) does this look like a lower-quality choice?


Thanks so much for everyone who responded, I really appreciate all your help, I really don't think I'd have been able to figure out the right options, nor find such a nice necklace as I did , without it. So again, much appreciated! And I'm sure my girlfriend thanks you, based on your feedback, she'll be getting 9+mm pearls instead of 7+

[CortezPearls]

Pearl Paradise (and many other vendors, of course) has top notch Akoya pearls...ALWAYS. You can't go wrong if what you are looking is quality and price with them

[Pearl Dreams]

I'm just going to flip that last photo for you-- and I think the baroque akoyas look great! The other 2 photos to follow in next post.

[Pearl Dreams]

And here are the other 2 photos, flipped:

[RocketScientist]

I'm just going to flip that last photo for you-- and I think the baroque akoyas look great! The other 2 photos to follow in next post.

Haha, thanks! For some reason they kept posting rotated, the originals are not in the orientation they got attached in and I could not get them to post correctly for some reason. Appreciate the help!

[Pearl Dreams]

Photos appearing in the wrong orientation seems to be a common problem here. Sometimes resizing the photos helps, sometimes not.

[SydK]

They are beautiful pearls and I’m sure your gf will be delighted to receive them. The quality looks excellent. I’m glad you’re buying them, so I’m not tempted to...

[Lilpearl]

That Batoque strand is an excellent choice!! I’m sure she’s going to love it! Neck pictures please when she receives it!!

[Katbran]

My only suggestion would to be to ask for close ups of the baroque strand to see how noticeable the possible flaws are.. it's hard to tell if I'm seeing flaws or it's the light/ reflections . Obviously the lustre is higher on the left but the right appear to be very pretty. Just get a close up.

[Happy Huku]

Just wondering if you bought the baroques, RocketScientist, and how do they look on your girlfriend?
Fantastic present, I'd be thrilled to open that box!