Diane is a “Pearl Girl.” As a June baby, it’s her birthstone, and she still treasures the much-battered single pearl ring that was her first piece of ‘real jewelry.’
We are delighted to offer
Diane’s ‘Everyday Pearls”
& special Bridal Designs.
YES, they ARE high-quality, genuine pearls.
These lovely freshwater pearls are:
- hand-strung and individually knotted here
- available in your choice of pearl size, color, length and clasp
- priced by the inch
- available in standard lengths, or are custom strung at no extra cost
In addition to ‘Classic Strands’ of pearls, we offer matching bracelets and Diane’s classic pearl earring designs. We also feature beautiful, 18K White or Yellow gold-clad magnetic clasps.
For the Bride:
We special order a number of beautiful Bridal designs, and also offer a special “Bride’s Bonus:” With a purchase of 3 or more pearl necklaces, the Bride will receive FREE earrings and a bracelet!
The Story behind …
Diane and husband Raymond took a family trip to China in 2010 (Raymond’s parents are originally from Canton, China). While there, they visited two freshwater pearl farms, and Diane brought home ‘everyday pearls,’ which she truly wears everyday. She loves them, and wants to ‘share the joy!’
Of course, she did manage to break them … and then she learned how to restring and knot them properly … and then she realized she could make a direct pearl farm connection and get great quality pearls at amazing prices. So, she did!
Raymond has since taken over the pearl-stringing, and (as a retired Math teacher) he takes great pleasure in stringing & knotting them with mathematical precision!
Pearl Custom Orders:
Round pearls are available in 4 sizes (6-7mm, 7-8mm, 8-9mm, 9-10mm),
and 4 natural colors (White, Pink, Mauve and Black (Peacock)).
Dyed Chocolate pearls are available in 7-8mm.
Classic strands can be made as single, double or triple strands.
Other pearl sizes, shapes and colors are available by special order.
Pearls – Know what you are buying
Many people are familiar with the 4 ‘C’s’ of Diamond buying, but Pearl information is not as well-defined, because there are no clear standards.
According to the GIA (Gemological Institute of America)
there are 6 things to consider when buying pearls:
1. Size is the single largest factor in price. Pearls sizes are usually stated in a range of millimeters (mm), such as 7-8mm.
2. Shape is the second largest factor, with ‘perfectly round’ being most rare. Watch for terms such as ‘mostly round,’ ‘more round,’ and ‘very round.’
Other shapes include ‘potato,’ ‘button,’ ‘drop,’ ‘coin or pancake,’ ‘rice,’ and ‘keishi.’
3. Surface refers to the unblemished surface of the pearl. Rather than accepting a non-standard rating system of AAAA, AAA, AA+, AA-, etc., you should ask what percentage of the pearl surface is ‘clean’ or ‘clear’ or ‘free from blemish.’ High-end pearls should be 95% or higher ‘clear.’ What we call ‘Everyday’ pearls are typically 90% or higher clear.
Anything below 85% should be very inexpensive.
4. Lustre is the deep radiant glow, shine or sheen of the pearl. It may be referred to as the ‘orient’ (mystery) of the pearl. This is subjective, but obvious when you look at strings of pearls of different quality.
5. Color is determined by the species of the mollusc, the pond water temperatures and the diet of the molluscs. Natural colors include White, Pink, Mauve, Lavender and Black. Black Pearls with a high degree of colorful iridescence may also be called ‘Peacock’ pearls. White pearls can be bleached without harm, and this common practice is no cause for concern. Other colors may be achieved by dying.
6. Match is how similar the pearls on a strand are, based on the above criteria. In a classic strand, you generally want the pearls’ size, shape, surface, lustre and color to be harmonious from end-to-end. That said, in some cases, striking variations may be included as an intentional part of the design, and should called out in the description of the piece.
A few words about ‘cultured pearls’ and ‘nacre.’
Nacre is the substance produced by oysters (salt-water) or mussels (fresh-water) which becomes the pearl. Pearls are naturally created when a foreign object becomes imbedded in the mussel’s tissue, causing irritation. Nacre is produced to encapsulate the object, with layers building up over time, increasing the size of the pearl much like the layers of an onion.
A cultured pearl (or ‘seed’ pearl) is one in which a specific object is placed in a mollusc to initiate (seed) pearl creation.
Salt water pearls have typically been seeded with small glass balls, and a question to ask about any saltwater cultured pearl should be ‘How thick is the nacre?’ since a pearl with a larger glass seed and thinner nacre will break down and peel much more rapidly.
Fresh water pearls are different. The Chinese have developed mussel species and techniques which enable them to use a tiny piece of mussel tissue to seed pearl creation. Nacre is produced to encapsulate the tissue, and form the pearl core as the tissue dissolves, creating pearls that are essentially 100% nacre, These pearls hold up to wear much more effectively.
The Chinese have also developed new techniques to improve the roundness of their freshwater pearls, and to allow them to create other shapes — such as ‘coin’ or ‘pancake’ shapes reliably.
According to several jewelry resources, although the Japanese pioneered freshwater pearls in Lake Biwa, over the past 40 years the Chinese have equaled and are now exceeding Japanese pearls in quality, at a fraction of the price.
