Brian Andrews
I’m not a pearl person, really. They’re just a little more … “buttoned up” than my style tends toward.I need pearls for specific concert attire, and I searched far and wide for some natural pearls that didn’t cost too much and came in 20” strand. I wanted each pearl to be of a small diameter so that the natural shape irregularity of the freshwater pearl would be less apparent. And also because the tinier stones would help me feel less like I was being strangled. LOLI had settled on a different necklace that was not a traditional strand of pearls but one with widely spaced pearls with silver beading/threading between them. It arrived first, and was perfect for my needs, so I’d already planned to return this strand when they came.But they’re so beautiful! The pearls are perfectly sized. The lustre is nice.I have seen many conflicting reports about whether or not each pearl is knotted - a knot in the cord/thread between each pearl. I can confirm the necklace I received *IS* knotted - which is preferred. Knotting keeps the pearls from rubbing against each other and cracking or scratching. Also prevents them from making noise as they bounce against each other. With high-end pearl strands, though, the space between is a just slightly larger so that the pearls don’t appear to be stacked or cause the strand to buckle as you wear it. It’s part of the reason they’re so expensive. Good knotting technique takes time and expertise.Anyway, these are not high-end but they’re perfect when you need a strand of pearls but you’re not really a pearl person who would wear them a lot. As they are not high-end, those knots are tighter and smaller (not uniform) in some areas than in others, so it’s not a perfect “flowing” strand on your neck, but it’s the next best thing. For $32, you can’t beat it. I purchased the 5.5mm-6.0mm size pearls.Presentation/packaging is very nice, as well. I mean, for a $32 strand of pearls, my expectations were not very high. I’m happy to be surprised. I’ll be keeping them.
