Pearl Necklace Strand Cultured Multi-Color Chinese Freshwater

$4,550

About

This is a dramatically spectacular and insanely, luxuriously long (over 7 foot) strand of naturally-colored cultured freshwater pearls from China. The 270 brilliantly luminous, gorgeous pearls present a spectrum of the amazing colors Chinese freshwater pearls have become known and adored for: lavender, apricot, cream, gold, platinum, aubergine, white. They range in shape from round to near-round all the way to baroque. The pearls range in size from approximately 4mm to approximately 12mm. The necklace is 86" in length and is finished with a simple silver clasp. I love pearls. I have collected natural, uncultured pearls all my life. But when I began my gemology studies I gained an appreciation for cultured pearls, a process perfected by the Japanese genius known as Mikimoto Kōkichi. The company he founded —Mikimoto— remains the gold standard for cultured pearl jewelry. Or do they? You see, two significant things have happened in the world of cultured pearls that reframes how we define the "gold standard." First, today's buyer of pearls not only appreciates but actively seeks out the less-than-perfectly spherical and blemish-free pearls Mikimoto stove and succeeded to create. Today, people are drawn more to organic shapes. People want naturally-colored pearls, not those that have been bleached and "pinked." And we care less about surface imperfections because who among us possesses none? The second dynamic is the emergence of China's peerless pearl farming industry. While it's true that China has been culturing pearls for a very long time (blister pearls), it was only in the late 1960s that the nation began to culture freshwater round pearls. And by and large, these pearls were considered inferior to the fresh and saltwater cultured pearls coming out of Japan. However today, China is displaying explosive brilliance and technique. And the result is that Chinese freshwater pearls are very swiftly becoming the new "gold standard" for cultured pearls. All you need to do is allow this rope of pearls to slide through your fingers and you will see why. Pearl after pearl, foot after foot, these brilliantly luminous pearls are so individually beautiful that a strand of such enormous abundance is literally overwhelming. You can wear this necklace as a singles strand. I'm 6'2" tall and it hangs down to my knees. Double it, though, and you have a two-strand necklace of opera length. Wrap it around your neck five times and it will wear something like a 15" choker. This is such a perfect necklace for the way we work today: at home, on Zoom. Looped around your neck a few times it's a colorful, bold, modern look that is definitely not your granny's strand of pearls. But when it's just you at home curled up with a book, wear the necklace at its full length and you will feel regal. This is an extraordinarily heavy —176 gram— necklace and when it is draped full-length around your neck you cannot help but feel you have been awarded something. You stand up straighter. Pearl necklaces are simply not seven feet long. But this one is and it is the very definition of magnificent. An everyday luxury that needs no audience besides you.

Details

Metal
Silver
Stone
Pearl
Stone Cut
Bead
Weight
176 g
Dimensions
Length: 86 in. (2184.4 mm)
Style
Artisan
Place of Origin
Unknown
Period
2010-
Date of Manufacture
circa 2000s
Condition
Seller Location
Southbury, CT
Reference Number
1stDibs: LU1589110578862
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Shipping & Returns

Shipping
Free Standard Shipping
to anywhere in the world, arrives in 8-10 days, excluding production time. We recommend this shipping type based on item size, type and fragility.
Ships From: Southbury, CT
Return Policy
A return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.