Recent content by Pearl Dreams

I'm guessing they're the same silicone bumpers that I have in my GSS necklace from Cees. The bumpers take the place of knots in necklaces strung on wire.

They look like mabe pearls. Also, see the MOP backing? That is typical for mabe pearls.

My understanding is that a half hitch IS an overhand knot, except the half hitch is tied around an object (like a post-- or in this case, another thread.) Thus the first few knots (the back-knots after attaching the clasp) would technically be half hitches, just because they are knotted around...

Yes-- I have a Majorica necklace that was given out to General Electric employees.

I use generous tablespoon of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (dissolved in very hot water, in a Pyrex container lined with aluminum foil) to clean silver and gold. I avoid any plated items, any stones that could be damaged by thermal shock (e.g. tourmalines have a lot of inclusions and could...

This! (y)

Not related to the latest question, but this may be of interest to some: I recently bought this inexpensive pin vise (manual drill) and used it to widen a drill hole slightly in a few pearls and also to remove a stuck knot in another pearl. It's easy to use but it is manual (not powered) so...

I don't wear jewelry every day-- at home I often don't wear any jewelry, pearl or otherwise. I have non-pearl necklaces I love to wear. I also own many pearl necklaces, therefore no single necklace gets a great deal of wear. I'm sure this affects how often I have to restring. I have restrung...

I'm sorry for the loss of your mother. To me they all look like imitation pearls except for photo #3. The pearls in photo #3 are off round; some have the eggy / potato shape typical to freshwaters. Please check the clasp with a good magnifier or a jeweler's loupe for marks indicating what...

These appear to be shell beads with an imitation pearl coating. See the striations in the bead? -- that is characteristic of shell. Just because the bead is shell does not mean the coating must be real nacre. These kinds of "shell [imitation] pearls" have been around for a while. Mark Brown was...

I see the 925.

This thread is 15 years old.

Those are all in the natural color range for FWP.

I never would have guessed there were so many naturally colored FWP of that color. As long as you didn't overpay for FWP, wear and enjoy them!

I'm on page 436 of Pearls by Strack, in the section called "Growth Rate and Growth Time." This is for the sankaku mussel a.k.a. Hyriopsis cumingii. It says the growth rate ranges from 1mm-5mm per year, depending on water temperatures and the season, with other factors listed as also influencing...