Small Pleasures: Fall for petite pearls

 Hello! I hope you had a marvellous summer! Its pleasures linger; the last peaches with their characteristic September 'redheads' hint at one last tart. Montréalers grab the last slice of outdoor ease, crowding restaurant terrasses despite pesky wasps.

And today is our traditional re-opening pearl post!

I wore pearls day and night, especially a "pearl chain", light and cool on our 30C days. The one below was made from Kojima Pearl Company vintage akoyas, strung by SophieStringsPearls. Sophie recently moved to Montréal; a skilled stringer and designer nearby—I'm delighted.

Vintage akoyas, Kojima Pearl Company

To open the Passage, windows brimming with small pearls to extend a pearl collection year-round.

In the first window, a necklace by Ten Thousand Things (at TwistOnline); price, $US 346. The clusters of 3mm-6mm freshwaters pinned onto an oxidized silver chain, the black/white scattered but balanced design, and the modern hook-and-eye clasp: these details make small pearls sing. The only drawback is that the chain is only 15in./38cm long, which will be too short for some necks.

A similar piece, an inch longer, is on Ten Thousand Things' site.

Another designer to know is Wwake, whose approach to freshwater seed pearls and small rounds is exceptionally elegant. This necklace might inspire you to DIY, because you wouldn't have to knot except for a few pearls at the ends. 

Here, it's worn with a flat gold chain, but has enough presence to hold its own. Price, $US 800 for the 18-20in. size, with 14k recycled gold extender chain. Also made in a shorter length.

The pearls I wore most all summer? A rope of Kojima's grey Tahitian keshi:

Below, glowy little 2mm Kasumi keshi on grey thread are, at 23 inches, perfect for a pendant, or on their own. From Kojima Pearl; price, $US 702—but there's a 20% off sale on now till Sept. 18! The gold vermeil clasp could be worn to the side, too.

  

Thrifty treat

Small pearls elevate casual-wear earrings. Many women in the Passage prefer silver; the open hoops (about an inch long) by Montréal's Annie Lespérance, are made in both 14k gold fill or sterling; price, $CDN 43. 

They are reversible; you can wear the pearl section (3mm freshwaters) to the front or back— 

and what a good gift idea! (Annie Lespérance also makes these earrings in gemstones.) I like to keep a pair like this in my travel toiletries bag, so I'm never stuck for earrings when away from home. 

Finale: Two under $200

In this window, there's usually a luxury showstopper, but today, I'm showing two pairs of earrings that deliver distinct design at excellent value. 

Small silver studs

An Etsy find from Cirer, a Berlin-based jeweller: stud earrings with a tiny 3mm white freshwater pearl floating on a 10mm silver circle. Price, about $CDN 175, with free shipping. 

Subtle details make the difference: One pearl is set on the outside of the circle, the other on the inside—and the outside is matte, the inside polished. (You can also request each earring's pearl set the same way, the "symmetrical" choice in the menu.) 

Available in silver, gold plate or 14k gold; also in blackened silver with black (dyed) akoya pearls. (Black akoya and freshwaters are always dyed or irradiated to get that colour; the only natural blacks are Tahitians.)  If these are s/o, contact Carme Cirer to request a notice when they are available.  

Chic keshi 

For those wishing for more pearl, playful drop earrings (Amy Powney for Monica Vinader) with 7.5mm keshi and gold vermeil 'petals' in a reversed setting. Price, $CDN 180. Prices on the site include customs duty but not local taxes if applicable.

Though bigger than the Cirer pair, they are not too much for everyday; click the link to see them worn. 

Monica Vinader offers one of the best return/refund policies out there: returns within 100 days receive a full refund and no charge for return shipping from US and UK; conditions apply. 

The Passage is pearl-powered! This new season is dedicated to discovering standouts, made by local artisans but available worldwide. If you find these treasures on your wanderings, please let us know.  

Some things remain the same—ad and AI free, no sponsored posts or paid promotions—and some will change. I saw myself described recently as "an older Canadian blogger". It's true—and the older I grow, the pickier, so I'm always grateful for your contributions. 

Let's amble through the Passage together.

(Several days ago, I enabled comments from anyone, and was immediately flooded with spam. I had to change comment permission to persons with Google accounts. Sorry to do that, but life it too short to eat spam every day.)