Mary-Contrary
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2020
- Messages
- 51
Definitely post your creation when you finish, I can’t wait to see it
uodora?
- Thread starter J.lee
- Start date
eolian pearls
Well-known member
Hi, as someone who has collected individual pearls over the years to make a necklace I can definitely tell you that it is NOT a budget saving strategy ;-)
I mean I started to collect Tahitian pearls without thinking they would one day become a full necklace because at the beginning of my pearl obsession I had no idea my budget could stretch that far…I wanted to see different colors and shapes so I ordered pearls mostly from Druzy on Ebay, Jac from Pearl House on Etsy (unfortunately this shop doesnt exist anymore) Wen on Etsy ( 10 years ago she had quite single T pearls that were somewhat AA quality)…Over time I could see what works better with my skintone and what shapes I loved more and slowly started to put together a very mismatched necklace…and then I discovered CMW pearls and I forgot all about the budget and suddenly I had enough pearls for 2 necklaces and an ombre rope…But then of course I was missing some special color pearls and I kept looking and finding more perfect pearls for the necklaces… Which I absolutely LOVE but the pearls there will never be perfectly matched in size and shape and the drill holes are also different on different pearls so my necklaces dont really have the regular knots either.
None of this is a problem for me, just something to consider. If you are always on a lookout for the perfect pearls for your necklace you will be tempted by pieces that dont fit this project but are too beautiful to pass on etc… My family and friends definitely dont complain about all the pearl gifts they have been receiving ;-)
Also once I saw high quality high luster Tahitians my original Wen pearls have been relocated to other projects…All in all after 10 years I am very happy with the necklaces I have assembled but also when I saw a multicolor 7-9mm oval/drop shape necklace at Etsy Ocean Rhyme shop that would compliment my 9-11mm strand I immediately bought it. But at that point I already knew what I was looking for in a necklace. So my advice is to discover what works best for you and what you love best and once you have that figured out and dont find it online you can also contact the recommended seller here and ask them if they can find it for you. Good luck with your Tahitian adventure;-)
A picture of my LOVE strand - my first strand with collected pearls, it has been changing every year. When worn the difference in shapes is not noticeable but it was quite tricky to pull that off…
I mean I started to collect Tahitian pearls without thinking they would one day become a full necklace because at the beginning of my pearl obsession I had no idea my budget could stretch that far…I wanted to see different colors and shapes so I ordered pearls mostly from Druzy on Ebay, Jac from Pearl House on Etsy (unfortunately this shop doesnt exist anymore) Wen on Etsy ( 10 years ago she had quite single T pearls that were somewhat AA quality)…Over time I could see what works better with my skintone and what shapes I loved more and slowly started to put together a very mismatched necklace…and then I discovered CMW pearls and I forgot all about the budget and suddenly I had enough pearls for 2 necklaces and an ombre rope…But then of course I was missing some special color pearls and I kept looking and finding more perfect pearls for the necklaces… Which I absolutely LOVE but the pearls there will never be perfectly matched in size and shape and the drill holes are also different on different pearls so my necklaces dont really have the regular knots either.
None of this is a problem for me, just something to consider. If you are always on a lookout for the perfect pearls for your necklace you will be tempted by pieces that dont fit this project but are too beautiful to pass on etc… My family and friends definitely dont complain about all the pearl gifts they have been receiving ;-)
Also once I saw high quality high luster Tahitians my original Wen pearls have been relocated to other projects…All in all after 10 years I am very happy with the necklaces I have assembled but also when I saw a multicolor 7-9mm oval/drop shape necklace at Etsy Ocean Rhyme shop that would compliment my 9-11mm strand I immediately bought it. But at that point I already knew what I was looking for in a necklace. So my advice is to discover what works best for you and what you love best and once you have that figured out and dont find it online you can also contact the recommended seller here and ask them if they can find it for you. Good luck with your Tahitian adventure;-)
A picture of my LOVE strand - my first strand with collected pearls, it has been changing every year. When worn the difference in shapes is not noticeable but it was quite tricky to pull that off…
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Thank your for the insight. Your pearls are beautiful and I hope to own a strand with multi colors.
Off the google and Etsy! Will be looking up these sellers.
From my experience: Saltwater pearls really pick up their surroundings... I have 1 strand of Tahitians that I really hate on me... I love them to look at...so I am enjoying them that way! I also have bought from Udora...because you really do get the ones that you pick out! I have very specific looks that I want & may or may not be what some seller picks out for me. I needed the greenish & white (slime) pearls...but I had a bad experience when a seller picked them out for me... I wanted wrinkled...they sent smooth...never again! Often I buy from Udora for 1 or 2 pearls to add to a strand that is too short, has bad pearl or needs earrings. There have been several other Etsy pearl sellers that show exactly what you are getting and I have tried several for matching 1 or 2 pearls.
When I needed almost a bracelet worth...EBay was easier...But I knew what I was looking for and at... to match what I had. Buying gently used avoids the shipped from China pearls to an USA hub! (And in this case made matching vintage to vintage much easier!!!). EBay always does returns if it is in the US and I have rarely had to use the "Not as Described" return to sellers that have varied and good feedback. (But I am not good enough to always tell faux...from photos...so some I returned & paid for...some the seller was wrong, so they paid for the return.). This really was important when I needed to match my Mother-in-laws vintage Akoyas to lengthen her strand. I returned both ones that I thought were Akoya, that were faux (I paid return shipping) and the ones listed as real akoya, but were faux (they paid shipping). I got around 12 necklaces both "faux" and real.....I asked each time how the seller knew they were Faux or real... but I did get one that had been ID by an auction house & jeweler as real, but it had peeling paint coating, the seller was nice & paid the return. I only had one seller that had good feedback but was terrible, told me I should have known $30 was Faux even though he listed it as "Pearl" with no mention of imitiation or faux. So out of 12...only 1 bad experience. One big surprise...that the seller took care of (Miss-ID twice!). Several Faux's that were real Akoyas..several "real pearls" that were faux and enough that I had options. Most of the necklaces were from $20-60 with shipping, some cost me $5 to return (I checked policies before buying). The pearls ended up being around $60 with returns cost & I used only 1/2 of the necklace. Not too bad for my MIL sentimental pearls!
When I needed almost a bracelet worth...EBay was easier...But I knew what I was looking for and at... to match what I had. Buying gently used avoids the shipped from China pearls to an USA hub! (And in this case made matching vintage to vintage much easier!!!). EBay always does returns if it is in the US and I have rarely had to use the "Not as Described" return to sellers that have varied and good feedback. (But I am not good enough to always tell faux...from photos...so some I returned & paid for...some the seller was wrong, so they paid for the return.). This really was important when I needed to match my Mother-in-laws vintage Akoyas to lengthen her strand. I returned both ones that I thought were Akoya, that were faux (I paid return shipping) and the ones listed as real akoya, but were faux (they paid shipping). I got around 12 necklaces both "faux" and real.....I asked each time how the seller knew they were Faux or real... but I did get one that had been ID by an auction house & jeweler as real, but it had peeling paint coating, the seller was nice & paid the return. I only had one seller that had good feedback but was terrible, told me I should have known $30 was Faux even though he listed it as "Pearl" with no mention of imitiation or faux. So out of 12...only 1 bad experience. One big surprise...that the seller took care of (Miss-ID twice!). Several Faux's that were real Akoyas..several "real pearls" that were faux and enough that I had options. Most of the necklaces were from $20-60 with shipping, some cost me $5 to return (I checked policies before buying). The pearls ended up being around $60 with returns cost & I used only 1/2 of the necklace. Not too bad for my MIL sentimental pearls!
Pearl Dreams
Pearl Enthusiast
I absolutely loathe doing returns so I'm really picky about where I buy from.
