Recent content by ennui

Over on YouTube, I found under World of Paspaley, Diver: A Collection for Men, introduced about a month ago. "Inspired by our real pearling crews, past and present, Diver captures their strength, courage and the wild energy of the Kimberley coastline." I think I could watch it on a loop (drool).

Rocky Horror is a classic! MUST SEE! Michelle changed her hair again.

Let me know if you find a cure. I look forward to seeing your earrings!

Ha! Good catch! I always liked the Assael advertisements, but they weren't really campaigns. The "campaign" that I remember was in 2023: Ni Ni an acclaimed Chinese Actress/infuencer and pearl lover, celebrated the success of her latest movie with a stunning social media campaign of 30 selfies...

If it's a double strand, I want a clasp that stays put, no flipping, which would mess up the lay of the necklace. I like gold but the clasp is at the back anyway.

Cigarette smoke is a film; it should wash off.

I didn't explain myself very well. Yes, 9ct is an alloy. In the UK, 9ct is the baseline and most common level of purity, and is the go-to choice for UK jewelers. I guess I thought of the gold mines in Wales because that's where I first heard of 9ct gold jewelry. I still think there's a chance...

Sarah at Kojima loves color, too, and she's experimenting with neon thread -- she has something she calls "lime twist" that is tempting.

I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss the 9ct gold. Gold mined in Wales is generally 9ct. If your ring originally came from the UK, that's a possibility.

Did I know this? I know about blinking but I never really thought about *why*. Transparency. I thought it was just thin and fragile. Chalk it up to, learn something new every day ... or maybe just a new way of thinking about nacre.

Some of the pearls appear oval to me, but that could be distortion in the photo. If they're all round, I'll go with Akoya, but the clasp attachment looks inexpensive even if the clasp itself is 14K.

I didn't find anything current. The jewelry was on tour in 2024, and there was a different exhibition in 2025.

The organic surface combined with the age has me inclined to think it is authentic Biwa. So many Biwa pearls are stick shaped, so it's unusual to see a button pearl. What I did was start searching the 'net to see if I could find similar rings at estate auctions, etc. There are a few, and it's...

I like your strand, very organic and pebbly. Pearls of that age will be all nacre, no bead.

I'll leave the pearl analysis to those with more expertise, but I do think you should delete the personal information. Err on the side of caution, we don't need the receipt, just the photos of the ring. It's a pretty ring, I like the claw setting. Are you wearing it again, now that the pandemic...