pick a pearl setting

[bigAWL]

Do you know which one's are black? Are they able to tell? Thanks.

A black pearl sounds fascinating!

--Missy

I've never seen the Disney PickaPearl vendors, so I don't know what the oysters look like there. But I saw this question and thought I'd do a little research. Here's what I found.

Tahitian Black Pearls come in a range of colors...

and they come from a specific species of oyster known as the Black-Lipped Oyster.

I don't know if this will help when it comes time to choose an oyster, but I found these comparative photos:

Black-Lipped Oyster (this is the only type that would produce a black pearl.

Silver-Gold Lipped Oyster

Akoya Oyster

 

[Rustysmom]

Those pearls are beautiful and the pearl is my DD's birthstone. It would be so cool if we got twin ones and could each wear one.

I guess I'm weird because I feel kinda bad for the oyster though.

 

[Simba's Mom]

For those who have ring settings, do the pearls get pretty banged up? I only have "shorter" rings where the setting isn't too high off my finger. I am thinking of getting a ring this year but I don't want a "fragile" setting or one that will get caught or banged around.
Minnesota

I've had my ring for 1 1/2 years, and I don't see any sign of it getting banged up. There's only one "problem", but I've gotten used to it. I think the pearl is bigger than they put in a pre-set ring at a jewelry store (not huge-around 7 1/2 mm if I remember). For quite a while, my ring felt "top heavy" and often twisted around on my finger (some of that is probably because I lost weight and my finger's a little smaller). Like I said, I've gotten used to it though and am so glad I got it.

 

[DivaOstrich]

I've never seen the Disney PickaPearl vendors, so I don't know what the oysters look like there. But I saw this question and thought I'd do a little research. Here's what I found.

Tahitian Black Pearls come in a range of colors...

and they come from a specific species of oyster known as the Black-Lipped Oyster.

I don't know if this will help when it comes time to choose an oyster, but I found these comparative photos:

Black-Lipped Oyster (this is the only type that would produce a black pearl.

Silver-Gold Lipped Oyster

Akoya Oyster

bigAWL,

Thank you so much for your research !! I am such a visual person so the pictures were awesome to include!! I want to try for a black one if they have that species. Does anyone remember seeing the black oysters??

--Missy

 

[lyzziesmom]

I have one from Japan in Epcot that is just like Minnesota's cage setting that she posted here. I love it! My DD's grandma bought it for me as a surprise on our trip a couple years ago. I felt so bad, because I was in a crabby mood that day and was tired of waiting for her, she said she was going to the bathroom and took FOREVER and I really laid into her when she got back. My #1 vacation rule is that when one person needs a restroom break, everyone tries. It cuts down on unneccessary stops. I thought she was just being stubborn because she hadn't stopped for our last 2 stops, and then we all had to wait for her. I felt so bad later that night when she gave me the little box and I saw the pearl necklace and realized what she had been up to back in Japan! It was a very sweet gesture, and is a lovely piece of jewelry. I only wish she had told me so that I could have been there to see it being chosen. I might have to do this next time so I can have a matching ring, and get to experience all the excitement.

 

[pixidust1976]

Pearl is my birthstone... and I have a little priss of a dd.... so this is going to be awesome!!!!!

 

[Tigger714]

Regarding a pearl ring setting looking banged up.....


I got my ring in 2003 and wore it to work nearly every day for a year (and then my son came along and it was in the way). Now my pearl is 9mm and it did sometimes get in the way but it never chipped or looked banged up. I never did dishes in it or manual labor. Not sure if that answers the question???

 

[theparsons]

I don't know that the picture does them justice. My daughter and I picked out each other's pearls and then she picked out the butterfly settings.

I adore butterflies, and these are just beautiful! Do you happen to remember about how much the setting was for each? Thanks!

Adding this to my ever-growing list of "do this". I may not have any time to ride anything for all the extras I want to do thanks to the DIs board!

 

[kdk1188]

I have seen someone get a black pearl and it was beautiful. I was really jealous until I got a huge white one I had it set in a ring which is not banged up at all and is ten years old.
I have also seen pink pearls...a little girl got twin pinks...lucky!! I saw a silver one too.
Three days til WDW and I can pick my own....woo hooooooo

 

[meliahz]

I LOVE Tahitian Pearls! They're pretty popular here in Hawaii. I have a little collection ~ BUT ~ I don't have any fresh water pearls. I LOVE the butterfly pendants and the "cage" pendant. I think I'm gonna have to check it out this December Maybe I can get one for me and one for my DD.

 

[Stefy]

Other than Downtown Disney where else is this place located, and what is the name of it as well?

Thanx

 

[epfootballcutie04]

Other than Downtown Disney where else is this place located, and what is the name of it as well?

Thanx

I know there's one in EPCOT at the world showcase in Japan. I was waling through the country and spotted it. It's inside one of the stores. i think there might be one in another place too, but i can't think of where it is off the top of my head.

I've done it twice and i have always gone to DTD to do it!

 

[DivaOstrich]

I have seen someone get a black pearl and it was beautiful.

Aha!! This is what I was hoping for. I really want a black pearl too! Thanks to bigAWL I think I will be able to spot one!!!!

Now I still have no idea about the setting, but I will see what inspires me when I am there.

--Missy

 

[Stefy]

I know there's one in EPCOT at the world showcase in Japan. I was waling through the country and spotted it. It's inside one of the stores. i think there might be one in another place too, but i can't think of where it is off the top of my head.

I've done it twice and i have always gone to DTD to do it!

Thanx for that.

I think I will check out the downtown disney one, whats the name of the placce again?

 

[kikiq]

Thanx for that.
I think I will check out the downtown disney one, whats the name of the placce again?

The place in DTD is called Pearl Factory. We just got back and I got a 10% discount with my AP, so ask. Thanks to you all, we decided that I would get my "anniversary jewelry" from the "pearl place". I picked what I thought was the ugliest and got a beautiful 7.5mm golden tone pearl that I had set in a maile leaf ring...pricey but beautiful.

Then later in the week I decided I wanted to get 2 pearls for my DDs. Went back, picked 2 oysters, got another golden tone pearl the same size as my ring pearl and a small white pearl...oh darn, which daughter gets the bigger pearl. What a sales person<G>, she suggested that I could put the larger pearl in the matching maile leaf necklace setting, get the pearl free and choose another oyster. So I did<G> Luckily it was another smaller white pearl which was perfect for the small sterling silver necklace settings we picked, a dolphin and a honus turtle. I have my anniversary jewelry, and my DDs have necklaces that they like and my DH has 3 happy women in his household

The pearl tank in Japan has less expensive settings, I don't know that they have the same settings. The Pearl Factory oysters have been "dead" for about a week and the Japan oysters "might" be still alive since some of them were actually attached to the rocks. The night we got DDs pearls in DTD someone got a greenish black pearl, really interesting and someone else got a 9mm white pearl. I people watched at the Japan tank and saw several smaller 6mm white pearls. I would have stayed longer but my DH was afraid I was being drawn to "the pearl" again.

It was so much fun. My DDs have decided that we need to do this as our family tradition.

 

[Stefy]

cool gosh am getting so excited now defo gonna get me a pearl

 

[kikiq]

duplicate post

 

[eacatwork]

This thread right here...THIS is why

I had no idea this existed! This is what I am going to do with the $25 in Disney Dollars that my parents gave me as part of my birthday presents. I knew I wanted to get some sort of jewelry - a charm most likely - with those Disney Dollars and this is a perfect and UNIQUE way to do that, so thanks to everyone who has posted here with their information.

Out of curiosity, I called two local jewelry stores and inquired about bringing in my own pearl to see what kind of settings they might have. I was going to go in and check out their selection before I go to Disney so I have something to compare to. WOULD YOU BELIEVE that both stores turned down my business?!? They said that they CAN put "outside" pearls in their settings, but that they prefer not to and that I'd "probably better off just doing it in Disney." The one guy was a real jack*** about it, too. Grrr!!! And to think, these weren't even the swanky, high-brow jewelry stores in town...the ones I called are allegedly the "family-run, local, neighborhood stores."

So, like I said, I'll be doing this with my birthday Disney Dollars and having the entire thing done there in Disney.

 

[csharp7]

Okay - I'm confused And I have a lot of questions. Pearl is my birthstone and I'm very excited about the potential of this activity, but since I'm on a pretty strict budget, I'd need to plan for an expense like this ahead of time.

So. It seems that there are three locations for this in the world: Japan pavilion at Epcot, somewhere in AK (?) and DTD. Are they all run by Mikimoto, or just the Japanese one?

It seems like the price variation is in the setting. What is the base price for opening an oyster? Is there a chance there won't be a pearl in there at all? What's the price range for settings? Obviously, I expect a huge difference between silver and gold settings.

Does anyone know what the carat weight of the gold that they use is (I'm allergic to many alloys in high concentrations.)

Is there a website where I can find this information? I tried a few basic Google searches and didn't come up with anything - maybe I'm not searching on the right words.

Any help (or links to help) would be greatly appreciated!

 

[northie]

We are going in September and I have decided after seeing all these lovely settings I want a pendant! I love my ring but I am definitely picking a pearl while we are there for a necklace!