Petals for St. Pat's, and more pretty pearls

Spring bumps my love of pearls to the next level, obsession. New offerings come to the market after the winter round of gem shows puts new material into designers' hands.

Designer Sara Canizzaro at
Kojima Pearl (based in Oakland, CA) offers unusual varieties. You can (theoretically) spend tens of thousands, but here's the ocean's allure and luster for far less.
Above,
Petal Pearl Strand: Chinese freshwater pearls (CFWP), a lavish 13x10mm per petal, $150 for the full strand. (Prices in $US.)

Left: Keishi Stacked Flat necklace: again, CFWPs in cream, rose, light pink, with a high lustre, just $60. Offhandedly elegant paired with a tee or in the collar of a shirt.


CFW "Pondslime" Pearl strand. Natural colours in an head-swiveling 11-12mm size, $359. Just gorgeous. Cool. I waaaant them.

Would you prefer to wear your pearls as earrings? These 18k gypsy hoops, left, set with small akoyas and faceted diamond beads are graceful yet hip; $395.

And finally, Happy St. Patrick's Day!


Here's how I'd like to wear my green: A lavish 15.8mm Kojima Tahitian pearl surrounded by natural colour green tourmalines, set in silver, $435.

I always try to recruit a GF for a drink in late afternoon, and this year's sidekick is my unemployed and authentically Irish friend J. We become the O'Malley Sisters, because what decent bar is going to turn away two middle aged sisters pining for their pint?

Sláinte Mhaith!

Comments

Anonymous said…
I choose necklace number 3 and what a great price - well in your dollars not mine damnit! My friend wished an Irish aquaintance Happy St Pats day today and the man asked her what she was talking about - classic.
Anonymous said…
I choose necklace number 1!!!!

Today I will wear my vintage glass shamrock screw on earrings! I will make corned beef and cabbage for the kids, who will slather mustard all over, and I will probably end up drinking white wine!

I'm a full quarter Irish!!!
Duchesse said…
cybill: oh, yeah. Some Irish ignore it, as they view it as a "made-up American thing". My dad used to say that, but eventually mellowed. My favourite sight at the parade here (on Sunday) were many groups of young Asian girls fully decked in shamrock flashing deelie-bobbers and big green hats- totally into it.

Karen: My mom used to make corned beef and cabbage but we liked it best when she tinted the mashed potatoes green!
Anonymous said…
Not corned beef here, Irish lamb stew simmered with a bottle of dark beer. One can use Guiness, of course, but I prefer our local St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout. (Though I'm not a beer-drinker either, except perhaps once a year in summertime - will also no doubt go for a bit of white wine).

It is also my cat Renzo's 13th birthday - this is significant as Renzo went missing for 5 weeks late in the autumn, including some freezing temps, and we never thought we'd see him again.

I vote for the earrings - they are divine. I've never been one for pearls, but Duchesse has shown me how varied and intriguing they can be.

Enjoy your pints!
materfamilias said…
Like Cybill, I love necklace #3 and prefer calling it that than referring to it as Pondslime!
love the ring as well, and I'm not even a ring-wearer.
I'll be drinking a Guinness when I get home from work today, and perhaps even singing a few of the Irish songs I used to sing with my dad -- if I have two Guinness, I'll even get a bit maudlin remembering his beautiful tenor voice and thinking about my Grandmother, originally a Haughey, so I do have a claim to the green . . . May the O'Malley Sisters have a great time today!
Duchesse said…
lagatta: I'm so glad Renzo found his way back- five weeks is forever!

materfamilias: My father used to play Danny Boy and everyone would cry. Have fun!
Frugal Scholar said…
I pick #3 too. I always think I have my material desires under control till I look at your blog. Thanks for giving me something to dream about.
sallymandy said…
Those pearls are lovely, and really so reasonable. Thanks for posting these!
lady jicky said…
Lovely pearls!

Just a note to those who have the real ones - be careful when you spray your perfume - the two do not mix. Scent can harm your pearls so spray it away from them.
I love that green pearl ring!!
Anjela's Day said…
I had never eaten corned beef and cabbage until I came to the States 25 years ago- Growing up in Ireland we always had this amazing bacon breaded on top with cabbage- and at boarding school it was always just a very tame religious holiday- No partying- no celebration. Our uniforms were green down to even the underwear had to be green- so since I left that school I have never worn green.
Now they have street parades in most towns and I guess lots of celebrating but most Irish born and raised people I know locally stay inside on St Patricks Day.... we usually get together and have a dinner and talk about Americans who turn their rivers green and their beer green and want to be Irish. Lol
I would love to know if anyone could tell me why we don't cook the bacon here but use corned beef instead?
Hope you had a great day Duchesse.
Duchesse said…
anjela: According to Wikipedia,"it was originally used as a substitute for bacon by Irish American immigrants in the late 1800s. [2] Irish immigrants living in New York City's Lower East Side sought an equivalent in taste and texture to their traditional Irish bacon, and learned about this cheaper alternative to bacon from their Jewish neighbors."

The O'Malley sisters had a grand time.

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