Pinctada Maculata (Pipi) Pearls

[SteveM]

Two finished pieces dropped off in the care of Jeremy and Hisano at Pearl Paradise yesterday. Fabulous PP photography!

The act of setting a random lot of pearls versus meticulous matching has resulted in a tassel with an organic expression and natural feel. It's almost as though someone snagged and landed a mysterious sea creature on their fishing line (in particular the side view). The pearls appear to have 'Self-Organized' in the manner of all things in nature.

View attachment _PP_7801.jpg

For the strand, species ID is not in doubt given the absolute match in the full range of Pinctada Maculata colors.

 

[CortezPearls]

Two finished pieces dropped off in the care of Jeremy and Hisano at Pearl Paradise yesterday. Fabulous PP photography!

The act of setting a random lot of pearls versus meticulous matching has resulted in a tassel with an organic expression and natural feel. It's almost as though someone snagged and landed a mysterious sea creature on their fishing line (in particular the side view). The pearls appear to have 'Self-Organized' in the manner of all things in nature.

View attachment 470857

For the strand, species ID is not in doubt given the absolute match in the full range of Pinctada Maculata colors.

View attachment 470854

GORGEOUS!

 

[SteveM]

Closure for the Alex Collins Poe Pipi lot project! As a quick reminder, here is an image of the pearl material: 1) 110 carats Poe Pipi collected by Alex Collins in the Tuamotus; and 2) a hank of 3mm Poe Pipi collected years ago for an abandoned project, serendipitously in the hands of our chosen jeweler (who is also among the world's preeminent natural pearl traders).

View attachment TeTaongaMaterial.jpg

The 3-carat perfect drop has become the center of a platinum necklace, taking advantage of several pairs of decently-matched pearls, all excluded from the selection for the tassel and cap. Upon discovery of the hank, it was decided to create a multi-strand in lieu of a gold chain for the tassel. Interchangeable hinged bales for the tassel offer the possibility of wearing with either the multi-strand or a chain.

View attachment TeTaonga.jpg

This golden treasure prompted a return to Maori for an appropriate title. The collection is herewith christened

"Te Taonga"

(In Cook Islands Maori, the word for "the treasure" is "te taonga". "Taonga" translates to "treasure" and encompasses
not just material possessions but also cultural heritage, ancestral items, and things of great importance.)​

 

[BWeaves]

WOWZA! Gorgeous!

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

Outstanding Steve!

For a modern assembly, it's scarcely more exceptional than this. Well done, sir!

 

[SteveM]

Outstanding Steve!

For a modern assembly, it's scarcely more exceptional than this. Well done, sir!

Dave, thanks for the compliment! As hinted in a prior post the assembly has been successful in large part as an expression of the pearls themselves, versus following some preconceived notion. The execution is masterful, as the settings remain subservient to the pearls. I can't tell you how many discussions we had regarding a choice of two-sided stone for the platinum piece, an idea we finally discarded as a distraction.

 

[lisa c]

We could call it: the Scientific Corner. But we do have more than enough threads as is!

I don’t think there can be too many threads, or marine science threads, and I like that name. I suppose a search engine will provide subsets to help browsers.

 

[SteveM]

A new forum was indeed created:

PEARL DIVER: SCIENCE AND DIVERSION​

Welcome pearl aficionados!​

This newly-named Forum invites deeper “Dives” into the whys and wherefores of the pearl production process, be it natural or cultured.

It may get technical at times, at others unabashedly esoteric.

No question or comment is out of bounds as long as it relates to pearls. Contributions and advice from members, the pearl trade, and the pertinent specialties of Marine and Material Sciences are most welcome.

Curiosity is the Pearl Diver’s mantra!

This new forum was launched without fanfare and has yet to be discovered or utilized in any significant way. Scientific and what might be called 'existential' posts naturally occur in the course of a thread. But there are times that a subject may merit a thread of its own.

 

[SteveM]

After a year in construction, all the pieces of 'Te Taonga' were received just a couple weeks ago. There is reason to think that the tassel would be best worn on the clasp as an enhancer, with the required adjustments to the findings. Comments welcome!

 

[SteveM]

Here's my idea for the clasp: Discard the lobster. Add swivel push clasps on each end of the strand, each attaching to the center hoop along with the tassel on its hinged bale. Additionally, as the strand is too short at 17 inches and a length of 20-21 inches would be desireable, a chain consisting of an odd number of matching hoops (to retain a center hoop) would serve as an integrated and matching extender.

That's about as imaginative as I can get given the limitations of my jewelry experience. Again. comments welcome!

 

[la_corsetiere]

I LOVE that tassel! You might consider removing the clasp and replacing it with an opening ring from which the tassel could be suspended. This would work as a clasp and allow the tassel to be worn with other strands of pearls, a chain, etc. of any desired length. A little hard to explain, but this photo may give you an idea – I have an opening ring from which I have suspended the cage. My set up is just base metal, a temporary home for a monster I recently purchased in the Philippines, but you can find such things in precious metals. The nice thing about this sort of set up is the interchangeability - you could go for a simple gold ring, something with texture, different sizes, etc…mine in the photo just happens to be in the form of an ouroboros.

 

[SteveM]

I LOVE that tassel! You might consider removing the clasp and replacing it with an opening ring from which the tassel could be suspended. This would work as a clasp and allow the tassel to be worn with other strands of pearls, a chain, etc. of any desired length. A little hard to explain, but this photo may give you an idea – I have an opening ring from which I have suspended the cage. My set up is just base metal, a temporary home for a monster I recently purchased in the Philippines, but you can find such things in precious metals. The nice thing about this sort of set up is the interchangeability - you could go for a simple gold ring, something with texture, different sizes, etc…mine in the photo just happens to be in the form of an ouroboros.

Fantastic that you jumped in here! That contrasts with the two push-clasp idea but achieves the same end. Keep in mind at 17 inches the strand needs lengthening, at least to be worn pearls forward. The clasps would allow for a short chain. I've also gone a bit off the deep end thinking of alternate centers to your ring, such as a medallion (using leftover pipis from this project), a two-sided piece of imperial ammolite that's been gathering dust, etc., ad infinitum…What seems certain is that the tassel bale intended for center strand is not going to be practical, or as elegant.

 

[la_corsetiere]

Hey, Steve - your tassel project just popped into my mind again this morning, and thinking of your desire to lengthen the necklace, thought I’d throw out this idea…

Something like this could function like the traditional “w” clasps you find on Thai gold chains, fully interchangeable if you just have rings on the end of the multi pipi strand. Could be any shape, of course, as long as the large bail of the tassel could fit over it, could be flat or dimensional, pierced or textured or even set with small stones or pearls. The size of the tassel bail gives you a great deal of flexibility. But the main point is that something like this would function to lengthen the necklace by several inches! Anyway, something that might fuel some ideas…

Cheers!

Sheri

 

[SteveM]

Hey, Steve - your tassel project just popped into my mind again this morning, and thinking of your desire to lengthen the necklace, thought I’d throw out this idea…

Something like this could function like the traditional “w” clasps you find on Thai gold chains, fully interchangeable if you just have rings on the end of the multi pipi strand. Could be any shape, of course, as long as the large bail of the tassel could fit over it, could be flat or dimensional, pierced or textured or even set with small stones or pearls. The size of the tassel bail gives you a great deal of flexibility. But the main point is that something like this would function to lengthen the necklace by several inches! Anyway, something that might fuel some ideas…

Cheers!

Sheri

Shari,

That is very attractive. Design is so fascinating! The strand is proving to be a good base to build upon. Hoping to provide a progress report here soon, we're currently visiting vineyards in Italy's Piemonte region (pic!) and will return to the jeweler with some fresh ideas upon return later this month.

 

[la_corsetiere]

Shari,

That is very attractive. Design is so fascinating! The strand is proving to be a good base to build upon. Hoping to provide a progress report here soon, we're currently visiting vineyards in Italy's Piemonte region (pic!) and will return to the jeweler with some fresh ideas upon return later this month.

View attachment 472675

Happy travels!

 

[SteveM]

Here a conclusion of sorts. While traveling, an order of 18k findings was delivered and has been worked by our jeweler. Per above, the concept of a bail for attaching the tassel directly to the strand was discarded upon receipt, and the idea of hanging the tassel from the clasp came to mind. So the wheels started turning.

Two swivel push clasps replace the original lobster clasp and eye ring, the eye ring now worked as a center ring to which the clasps and the tassel attach. This also lengthens the strand by the 21cm of the second clasp. For an extender (at 17 inches it was too short), 10 7mm jump rings and a 7mm ring clasp were joined. While the extender is intended to display more of the strand in front, a pendant could also be attached to the ring clasp, which is positioned at the center, not the end.

Deserving of far better photography, I feel fortunate just to have managed the findings with my large hands (although a quick dusting of the bust would have been well within my capabilities!).

 

[SteveM]

Here a conclusion of sorts.

Promise this is the final one, or risk turning this into a gold findings thread. Here a 13.5mm hinged connector ring becomes the new center for the extender, opening the range of possibilities to pendants without hinged bails. A golden extravaganza!

 

[Marianne]

This is perfection!!!

Promise this is the final one, or risk turning this into a gold findings thread. Here a 13.5mm hinged connector ring becomes the new center for the extender, opening the range of possibilities to pendants without hinged bails. A golden extravaganza!




View attachment 473626

Absolute perfection!!!

 

[pattye]

So lovely, Steve, wanting to reach into the screen and touch ~

 

[SteveM]

So lovely, Steve, wanting to reach into the screen and touch ~

Thanks so much Marianne and Pattye! The necessity of adapting the too-short strand to our needs inspired out-of-the-box thinking, a creative process nearly matching the strand itself (although timing could have been better from a gold-price standpoint). The various clips and hinges result in a number of length and usage options, and I'm already thinking of what future projects might hang between those two clips.

Another, if not final, note on the 110 carats of Poe Pipi obtained from Alex Collins and Pearl Paradise 15 months ago: 70 carats were selected for the tassel and platinum necklace projects, The sorted unused pearls are shown here, awaiting ideas…