Pearls for Monday

I am in love with pearls!  All pearls--funky, classic, white, colored, round, baroque--these natural formed beauties are as treasured in history as they are today.  In honor of "the pearl," I decided to string up an assortment from my stash.  I hand-made the clasps in 18k yellow gold, 14k white gold, and sterling silver and selected what went with each strand depending on the quality and style. 

So here they are in no particular order:

These are the South Sea pearls I picked up back in March.  They are whites and golden yellows and are knotted on white silk and finished with an 18k yellow gold 'S' clasp.

 

These are large white, freshwater potato pearls strung and knotted on white silk.  The strand is finished with sterling bead tips and a sterling flower clasp with 18k gold accent. 

 

Pinks, silvers, peaches--these are the overtones in these keshi pearls.  Keshi pearls are formed when the oyster rejects and spits out the implanted nucleus before the culturing process is complete, or the implanted mantle tissue fractures and forms separate pearl sacs without nuclei.  These pearl sacs eventually produce pearls without a nucleus.  They are known for their lustre because they are made of 100% nacre and for their funky, unstructured form.  The photos don't catch the loveliness, but you can see their funkiness.  The clasp is a sterling silver 'S' clasp.

    

Saltwater, baroque pearls are strung and knotted on gray silk and finished with a 14k white gold double hook clasp. 

 

 And to finish off the day, here's another example of keshi pearls.  These are graduated and have more silver,  blue, and peach overtones. 

I'll be back to making new reticulated jewelry and flower designs soon.  'Tis the season to keep busy!