One of the prettiest new finds this season has got to be this beautiful multi-color strand of big freshwater drops with metallic luster and super rich body colors. One of only two in existence, the boss told me they they were able to make an 18" version and a 32" rope. If I told you how many tonnes of pearls are required to make a necklace like this you wouldn't believe me.
In the case below the multi-color strands was a stunning lilac colored version, which is not a color we come across often - just beautiful!
Even the casual readers of this blog know I'm always on the look out for large silver/blue South Sea pearls. Unfortunately these blue South Sea pearls are hit or miss, either they don't have the right shape or there's a serious blemish that makes them unusable. While I didn't find as many as I wanted I did find two giant 18mm beauties with interesting shapes and great prices.
In September we found a great batch of smaller "baby" white ripples, but struck out on anything with color(big or small). This time around my "ripple lady" had a big bag of similar baby ripples but in super colorful body colors. Ranging from golden peach to nearly black these strands are perfect for those that love the look of ripples but are overwhelmed by the larger pearls.
Just like the blue South Sea pearls, I have a weakness for natural blue Akoya pearls. Funny enough our main supplier of natural Akoyas told us someone was hunting around the show with a picture from this blog, trying to find out our source. Lucky for me he knows us well and always keeps his best strands behind the counter, knowing we'll take them all if the color and price is right.
While walking the floor we came across a glass case with pearls big enough to make anybody stop and take a look. The center piece of the display was a flawless 17-20mm white South Sea necklace with a retail price tag of nearly $1,000,000! No question the necklace was stunning but I'm willing to bet they'll be waiting a while before that one sells.
Before leaving for Hong Kong I had a request for a pair of faceted Tahitian pearl earrings and went in search of the one booth that carries them. I spoke with the owner for a while and it turns out he was an award winning gem cutter that turned his skills to pearls. He does amazing work, but I'd be lying if I wasn't a little shocked when we started talking prices. Just to give you an idea, an 18" strand of faceted 9-10mm freshwater pearls would have a retail price tag of around $3000+! I didn't have the guts to ask what he wanted for the Tahitian or South Sea versions.
It appears there's a South Sea farmer out there with a playful side and he's taken a page from the freshwater pearl farmers play book, making these cute little heart shaped golden pearls. I gotta admit, they are pretty darn cute.
