Recent content by ennui

I like to look at Tahitians on rainy days. There's something about the moisture and diffused lighting that helps bring out overtones. I'm glad you like the pendant, and I agree that it is very wearable. You may reach for it more often than you expect.

The dark spots remind me of abalone pearls. Curious to hear from experts.

I don't think a shiny clasp will make a difference; people are buying the pearls. When they have the strand restrung with knots, they can clean the clasp before reattaching it. Or, they may swap out the clasp entirely. I found your listing on the auction site, and I suggest you make it clear...

The surface looks smooth and reflective. It's difficult to judge tones -- a good pearl will reflect the colors around it and there's only one photo against white paper. I'm curious about size. Please let us know what you think when you receive it, and I hope you love it! A first Tahitian is a...

Just to be contrary, I think the light thread gives the pearls a floaty appearance; dark thread might look heavy, since the pearls are small. How long is the bracelet? It could be that the current clasp allows it to be twisted, if it's too long. Just a thought. Also, if you decide to restring...

So, I was in TJMaxx the other day and the fireballs were all still there. They had some tin cup style necklaces and some earrings. They also had a couple of keshi necklaces. For earrings, they had two, one smaller pair with CZ, and one large pair. I thought, what the heck, gimme the big ones...

How does it make you feel when you put it on? Do you feel beautiful? Or do you want to take it off and wear something else? The price is indicative of quality; you could easily spend $3K on a pendant. Pearl prices keep going up, if you wait for something better you may find you can't afford it...

I think it's something pretty to have on your desk. I can't tell if the pearl formed attached to the shell or if it was glued on later. In any case, I don't think the pearl itself is valuable.

I'd be afraid to use hydrogen peroxide, even diluted. I'd just accept them as is.

Fireballs come in the same colors are regular freshwater, which would include peach and lavender tones. I have a natural orange fireball from Pearl Paradise that I call my "goldfish." The dyed fireballs I've seen at TJMaxx are black; or supposed to be black. They can look questionable, but they...

I have two of the pearl/chain necklaces, one 18" and one 20" and I layer them. The other necklace is four stick pearls that I rescued from a $10 bracelet at TJMaxx, and strung with my grandmother's Hawaiian souvenir pearls; it's casual and beachy.

I've seen fireballs at TJMaxx, and on their website. You need to be careful because some are better quality than others. Occasionally see dyed fireballs, too. I'm often tempted by the earrings but I convince myself they'd be too heavy for me.

I have long pearls strung with chain, like a tin cup. I think it's 20", though.

I kind of like the clasp (is it magnetic?), but I agree, it looks like something I could find at a craft store.

Gold was once much cheaper. I think in the 1990s it was around $400/oz, and silver was $3. Gold can create more intricate designs. Back to the OP, the clasp is very pretty even without the pearl.