Pearlescence - essential for pearls.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-
b5_xrWli_g&feature=channel_video_titlespan>

Already getting some nice feedback that someone has tried it and can follow the process, so that is a relief.
(I'm horrified as to how fat my fingers look though!)

June 30

Thursday 30 June, 2011

Okay, and finally for Hong Kong, here is a pic of me with Jeremy Shepherd and Hisano from PearlParadise.com, the huge american online pearl company. A great night out, much pearl talk.

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june 29

Wednesday 29 June, 2011

West to East is defo not so bad for the jet lag as I feel positively semi human less than 24 hours after I got back to the UK, while going the other way and in Hong Kong I wasn't always entirely sure of what day it was, let alone what hour.

I've spent today so far catching up with events, looking at the booty I brought back with me (and personally cleared through customs - big forms and big VAT!).

I've decided to rearrange all the silver and vermeil categories on the website, so it should be easier to find what you want. There are lots of new sorts of vermeil findings poised and ready to appear, both yellow and rose 14ct gold

Vermeil is a great choice when you want gold - so much more professional than a plate onto base metal. You are using precious metal all the way. Because I believe that great work and pearls deserve precious metals I will be allowing the stock of rolled gold/gold filled/laminated findings to run down. Get while you can from here.

Their many fans will also see that I have lots of 2mm pearls back in stock.

June 27

Monday 27 June, 2011

I'm just finishing packing before setting off on the looooooong flight home from Hong Kong. I've been at the International Jewellery Fair buying all sorts of great pearls and findings. Its a hard job but...seriously...on the first day I walked for about seven hours - the fair is huge.
But I'm coming home with a great stash of beautiful pearls.
Many different sellers had big stalls laden with hanks and hanks upon the thousands of pearls. The reason why Pearlescence pearls are top quality for you is because it is only when I am there and looking at the pearls I can select the best shaped, smoothest and most lustrous from amongst these many, which will probably all be graded the same. Then I can haggle the price too. Getting to meet and know suppliers also counts for a lot.
I was at one stand trying to decide whether I liked the seller when I noticed that at the other side of the stand another buyer was carefully checking an order. He was buying a whole carrier bag of 10mm white buttons - enough to make a pair of earrings for every woman in his country I think, and she explained he was a regular customer. Now that is a great recommendation. I've got a lot of pearls from her with a huge parcel to come in a month too.
Among the booty from Annie were some strands of bargain really pretty circle Tahitians and gold South Seas. I'll list these as strands initially and I hope that makers will be encouraged enough by the great deal I got to dip their toe into the adventure of higher end pearls. These pearls don't bite and I think the ones I've got are really pretty and a great bargain.
I spent a huge amount of time and effort (and money!) in the findings hall too. I've really stocked up on both basics and some more high end and unusual findings, as well as expanding the whole range of vermeil stock. Vermeil (a thick gold plate onto sterling silver) is a great alternative to gold, which is so horrendously expensive now and set to climb even higher with these uncertain economic times. All will be uploaded as soon as we are able.
If you are a maker who uses only plated products I ask you to consider why you are undervaluing all your hard work and design effort with cheapo findings. Please do consider upgrading to silver.
So, what was in and hot at the show. There were swathes of stalls with Tahitians and South Seas in both deep gold and shades of white and in every shape and size. I saw my first ever truely blue Tahitian - a slightly turquoise microsoft blue colour, a huge round with great lustre. One which stopped me in my tracks. There were shedloads of keishi from true poppy seed Akoya keshi of about 2mm to huge freshwater cornflake/petals of about 15mm.
The souffle (HATE that name it's silly) were there, but not selling at all and rightly so. They look like baroque bead nucleated with the same or slightly less lustre and are light in weight. (they are nucleated with organic goop) The pearls are hollow and there is no guessing really how thick is the nacre. One seller said that they had been told that these were the next big thing but they just weren't selling. Usually I like every pearl I meet but these just don't float my boat
Also saw some beautiful natural (wild, unfarmed) pearls. Oysters, scallops and from the Sea of Cortez (the latter two I thought especially lovely with delicate pastel shades) plus some Conch pearls which leave me cold.
Now it's time to start on the loooong trip home. Hong Kong is amazing (and today it is also very humid -90% so like walking about in a Turkish bath) and I wish it was a bit closer.

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