Recent content by ennui

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...

How much length do you need? Keep in mind, it's not so much the length as the size of the pearls that will make it fit smaller. I don't know how crafty you are, but I'm wondering if you could do wire-wrapping -- that would extend the length. Or, perhaps a tin cup style? You have a lot of...

Once upon a time, a $20 gold piece was worth $20, but that was a lot of money. Minimum wage in 1970 was $1.60. It's all relative.

Well, I am disappointed to report that Attack did not work for me. My first project was for practice -- I have a pendant that I was fiddling with and the stem broke off. I have tried acetone (in case it was super glue), and after soaking in Attack for almost a week (!) that nub/stem is firmly in...

I'm glad you said gold was "less expensive;" I don't think it's ever been "inexpensive," or those people would not have rushed to California and Alaska all those decades ago. There are also various grades of diamonds, from D-flawless all the way down to industrial. I think it's a pretty...

Akoyas do naturally occur in golden tones, which is my estimation of your strand. They do have great luster! I have a golden Akoya bracelet from PP, and a strand. I combine them with golden South Sea earrings.

Thank you for the update. I don't have any personal experience with untreated Akoya, so I can't offer an opinion. I think BWeaves has untreated Akoya, perhaps she will chime in.