Homage to Abalone

[Caitlin]

Some of the necklaces I have made since the 2007 gem show in Tucson

This one is abalone and CFWP sticks

 

[Caitlin]

sticks & stones CFWP, of course!

 

[Caitlin]

CFWP sticks and abalone ovals

 

[Caitlin]

Here are some faux "Haliotus discus" actually huge striated CFWP.

 

[Caitlin]

Faux Haliotis Kamchatkanas and pteria sternas, aka CFWP with extra nice dye jobs.

 

[Caitlin]

baroque CFWP in nice peacock colors 12x14mm

 

[pattye]

Nicely done, Caitlin!!

You have definitely been inspired, funny, I just ordered some abalone shell beads, but they haven't arrived yet. Last year in Mexico I got some little silver boxes with Abalone inlay that I just love. Also a necklace with oval inlays in silver. Very nice size pearls! I'm certain 500% prettier in person,too!

Pattye

 

[Slraep]

Hi Caitlin,

Tucson was just last week-end. Boy, that was quick! You sure can string 'em. Impressive! I'm loving all the necklaces.

Your freshwater dyed "abalone" sticks very much remind me of my h. kamchatkanas. Ho hum. And on top of that, this week I found some big white freshwater sticks that are hollow. Double ho-hum.

Love the "faux" pteria sternas. I think you've managed to amass one of the world's greatest "faux" exotics collection. All you need now is to make up a new persona to go with your stash! What will it be?

Slraep

 

[Caitlin]

I was thinking --the mysterious Pearl Princess of Uma Sabaan maybe- or how about the Yucky Pearl Sorceress?

All this goes to a point I made a long time ago that CFWP are the chameleons of the pearl world. The can be grown in any size and/or shape and dyed any color to suit your fancy. Especially if the real thing is imaginary to begin with-such as h. kamchatkas or h. discus......

I didn't did post the picture of my Green eggs and Glass yet, so here goes

 

[Susan]

Oooo liking everything. If I had to choose, then for me it would be the abalone teamed with the FWCP sticks - they compliment each other perfectly. Nice findings by the way.

Susan

 

[Caitlin]

I couldn't think of a clever apellation for this one, also made from green dyed coin pearls alternating with vintage dark olive glass disks.

It is a present for an old friend who likes the disk shapes and likes green. I don't buy coin pearls often, but I knew Hannah would totally love the color of these. The necklace is 25" inches long i order to go over the head easily, which is a style often preferred by friends my age and older.

I made earrings to match, but forgot to take a picture of them.

 

[purepearls]

This one is my personal favorite! I love the way the light plays on the green coin pearls. I also love the colors of the necklace. It looks really elegant.

 

[Caitlin]

This is a necklace and 2 bracelets I made from some remarkable pearls, which I adore. They are my all time second favorites at the moment. The black pearls are there for size reference, because they are very close to 12mm in any dimension.


I thank the donor everytime I look at them. And I extra thank her for revealing her source. I was able to buy one more strand and I am afraid that is the end of it.


I do believe they resemble the legendary lamprotulas in their unique freshwater luster rich in orient and water.

 

[Caitlin]

Here are two klonks sized strands from the gem show. I have not strung them up yet. My 12mm is there to compare sizes. As you can see, one is slightly larger and the other is distinctly larger.

The skins are in good shape and it has patches of brilliant luster on every single pearl, but patches of dull as well, on most. What is remarkable is that it is huge for FW, but being a lower quality pearl, it has a comfort level with wearing it in most everyday situations, compared to a gem quality strand.

 

[youngster]

Thanks for the photos Caitlin. Those are fun strands! I really like the klonks you just posted too. I can see the luster on them.

You're right tpp that they will lend themselves easily to everyday, casual wear. It'll be a great spring/summer look. I'm looking for a strand of high quality freshwater baroques right now, for the same reason.

 

[Slraep]

I was thinking --the mysterious Pearl Princess of Uma Sabaan maybe- or how about the Yucky Pearl Sorceress?

Hi Caitlin,

Although I like the mysterious Pearl Princess of Uma Sabaan(sounds like a femme fatale from a Clarke Ashton Smith story), the Yucky Pearl Sorceress made me double over with laughter. Too bad it is an inside joke because it is just so funny and a great play on words.

Slraep

 

[Caitlin]

HI Slraep
Yes, I liked the latter also. I thought you'd get the joke. Glad you liked it.

 

[Slraep]

Here are two klonks sized strands from the gem show. I have not strung them up yet. My 12mm is there to compare sizes. As you can see, one is slightly larger and the other is distinctly larger.

The skins are in good shape and it has patches of brilliant luster on every single pearl, but patches of dull as well, on most. What is remarkable is that it is huge for FW, but being a lower quality pearl, it has a comfort level with wearing it in most everyday situations, compared to a gem quality strand.

Psssssst, Caitlin, you mean transgrafted klonks, don't you?? Or are these not part of your "faux" exotics collection? Wearing your klonks day and night for about two weeks should lessen some of those dull spots. The absorption of natural skin oil by the pearls will render the spots much less noticeable.

Slraep

 

[Caitlin]

Woops! I totally forgot to say that those giant pearls are transgrafts grown from snippets of Pinctada Maxima mantle epethelial cells transgrafted into margarita fulcata mussel mantles in a highly secret method (I think it is a form of implantation of just a few cells into the mantle, with a syringe) developed by the Texas A&M Aggie extension in cooperation with Chugiak College located high up the Eagle river in Alaska where they were grown as a by product of a project to get mussels to produce special substances used in the tiles to cover space shuttles. The icy waters make the nacre really dense and also the mussels hibernate, which makes the implantations practically unnoticed by them.
Oh BTW these were just scraped off the bottom of the project ponds where they have been growing untouched for almost 15 years. I was able to scoop off the best 20 kilos of perfectly matched pearls, all klonks over 12mm, by beating several illegal poachers at a famous card game until they literally lost it all. I took the pearls in lieu of cash.

Did I forget anything?

 

[Slraep]

Caitlin,

Hmmm.....All very, very believable, except for---what kind of famous card game? eh?

Slraep