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What do you all think of this strand? I wondered if this was a natural strand so I took a chance. What do you think? Would the rings near the holes be something of concern or is it just the outer nacre surface chipping from wear? Think they will come clean with a bath? I was told it had a...

I've been longing for a very fine tip round nose set of pliers to wire wrap 26 and possibly smaller gauge wire. What brand do you recommend and why, and what is the tip width? Interested to know if there is anything you'd change about what you're using. Thanks!

Many folks are wearing pearls in honor of Barbara Bush. My son's college, Texas A&M, where Barbara Bush is going to be laid to rest today, is no exception. This is a memo written by one of the students. I will be wearing pearls later tonight when I go out.

A couple of days ago, my mom and I worked as extras on a documentary about pearl farms called, Power of Pearls. When I saw the casting call, I was so excited because of my love for pearls, and because I actually knew some pearl farmers and about the pearl farming industry (thanks to Ruckus and...

There are quite a few fake Mikimoto strands being sold by Chinese sellers. They don't mention anything about the brand but it is pretty obvious they are selling counterfeits with that swirly ribbon clasp. Please don't fall for their scam. There are several different sellers (who are most likely...

At the Ruckus, someone mentioned they were looking for the pyramid type diamond cut beads and I mentioned I knew a source. Unfortunately, I forgot who was looking for them, so I am posting the link here for everyone. Here is a link to them...

I know nothing and would like to learn! My mother's friend asked me to repair her broken strand of vintage akoyas. These are super tiny so I was going to use wire with no bumpers. It is a graduated, unknotted strand with the largest pearl about 6mm. Would wire be the way to go with this or do...

A friend had these cute akoyas. I think they might be dyed after seeing the black spot. What do you think?

When did Mikimoto first start using his current swirly decorative ribbon clasp? Does it date back the the 1960s? Most of the clasps I have seen from the 60s are silver and not the ribbon version. I'm curious because there is one for sale from 1966 and it is silver. I have no intention of buying...

What are the shiniest of small gold beads? I'm wanting to do something with 2.5-3mm gold beads and pearls, and want the beads to stand out. Which are your favorites?

Question for all the pros... how do you tell when you have a light/whitish colored Tahitian or a SSP? Is it just the luster? Are there certain flaws that are only found in one type of pearl but not the other? I don't have enough experience with either pearl to know if I could tell them apart...

Just call me curious, okay? I was looking for some cheap gold clasps and of course, I like vintage so I end up browsing on the great bay of E. I do searches for gold clasps and see a very cheap 14k gold ball clasped shell pearl necklace for $.99 plus $4.99 shipping. The thought that there is...

A few months ago, I decided to play a game of risk by buying a few pearls off ebay from some Chinese sellers. Transaction #1: I found a seller selling pearls for $.99 starting price and free shipping. I figured I didn't have much to lose so I bid and won four auctions. Each listing had a...

I would love some ideas on how to use a beautiful clasp that was on a two strand bracelet with a long strand of pearls. I hardly ever wore the bracelet and have decided to add those pearls to my long pearl strand. I've got 47" of 6.5-7mm unknotted akoyas that I can wrap around my neck three...

I recently became an empty nester. My youngest left for college last month and I have become unemployed after being a full time mom/volunteer for 21 years. After saying I wouldn't be buying any pearls for a while, it only took me 2 1/2 weeks to break down. lol... I wasn't going to buy anything...

In my attempt to restring pearls, I realized I don't really like the clasp on the pearls now, and would like to change it. However, I don't have any experience with toggle or cage clasps. Can you give me your opinions on them? The pearls are standard sized akoyas 6.5-7mm and about 40" long. I...

I want to purchase some loose pearls and wanted to ask for clarification on the definitions used to describe pearls. I've been looking primarily at Tahitians, but a lot of the vocab applies to any type of pearl. Is this the order of roundness (from round to less round)? ROUND > NEAR ROUND > OFF...

Do these look like FWPs? The pearls range from 9.6-10.85mm. I know he usually sells FWPs but these are larger than most, so I wasn't sure. Thank you!