Started what I’m calling a “labor of lust” project yesterday and I’m really pumped for this one. When I was attending the GJX Jewelry Show in Tucson last February came across the Pearl Exporting Company booth that featured pearls and pearl jewelry that really blew me away. They specialize in pearls from the Japanese Akoya culturing process and one of their specialities is the Keshi Pearl which is Japanese for “poppy seed”. These are tiny seed size pearls which are unbelievably beautiful and very expensive. One particular necklace they featured in the booth caught my eye, and of course, as fellow jewelry fanatics will understand, I couldn’t get it out of my head. It featured these tiny Keshi pearls in multi strands (I mean like 24-30 strands!) interspersed with rainbow colored sapphire faceted briolette stones. I spent the rest of the show sourcing affordable tiny seed pearls and I’m using 32 carats of tiny rainbow tourmaline briolette stones. I’ve purchased all my other materials: silk thread, cast sterling silver calla lily cones, and a beautiful sterling and pearl clasp. It’s tedious work stringing these tiny pearls, so I figure at one strand per day it’ll take me about a month the complete the project. I’ll keep you posted. It’s going to be fabulous!