Jewelry by Rhonda - South Sea Shell Pearl Jewelry


$18.95 - $186.95
What Are South Sea Shell Pearls?
South Sea Shell Pearls are imitation or simulated pearls. South Sea Shell Pearls are not made of wax, plastic, glass, fish scales, or other inexpensive materials commonly used to make imitation pearls. They are made from actual crushed shell - the same shells expensive South Sea pearls come from.

How Are South Sea Shell Pearls Made?
1. South Sea Shell Pearls are made in a laboratory from South Sea oyster shells - the same mollusks expensive South Sea pearls come from.
2. The shells are cut and pulverized into powder.
3. High powered sprayers and ovens are used to coat a mother-of-pearl nucleus (remember - this nucleus can be glass, stone, plastic or shell on lesser quality shell pearls).
4. Mother-of-Pearl nucleus, modern technology, and strict quality control come together to create a beautiful shell pearl product.

Why Are South Sea Shell Pearls Made?
If you have ever priced a 10mm - 16mm South Sea pearl necklace, you know it can cost multiple thousands of dollars. Most consumers cannot afford this luxury. I know I can't afford a strand, even at my wholesale cost!
In addition to cost, pearls are organic gems. The size and quality is controlled by the oyster or mollusk. South Sea Shell pearls offer an alternative to the consumer looking for a bold strand of pearls. They are nearly flawless, big, round, beautiful, and lustrous at an affordable price.

Are There Different "Grades" of South Sea Shell Pearls?
Absolutely! Make sure you know what type of bead nucleus was used for your strand of South Sea Shell Pearls. Your preference is the mother-of-pearl (shell) bead. The mother-of-pearl bead nucleus adds value, weight and durability to your strand of South Sea Shell Pearls. A manufacturer who starts with a mother-of-pearl bead for the nucleus will have a high-quality finished pearl.
We will only purchase gem-grade South Sea Shell Pearls that have mother-of-pearl nuclei. Our South Sea Shell Pearls also have the highest amount of coating available - up to 20x. This means the mother-of-pearl nucleus is coated up to approx. 20 times (some colors require more coatings and some colors require less). The industry standard is 2x - 7x. Our South Sea Shell Pearls should not fade, peel or crack when properly cared for.
We look for a smooth surface, strong luster, size consistency, center drill holes and beautiful color when purchasing South Sea Shell Pearls. We want only the best to offer our customers.

Can You Tell the Difference Between South Sea Shell Pearls and South Sea Pearls?
Actually, it is very hard to tell the difference. A Japanese marketing firm reported that South Sea Shell Pearls were inserted into a lot of South Sea pearls as a marketing experiment and buyers could not tell the difference.
The give-a-way is the lack of a gritty texture. South Sea Shell Pearls are more smooth than South Sea pearls. This is because they are created in a lab so the environment is cleaner than a lake or ocean.

What Colors and Sizes Do South Sea Shell Pearls Come In?
Shell pearls are available in 8mm - 16mm smooth round pearls. Click here to go to the shell pearl color chart.

Are South Sea Shell Pearls Popular?
Yes, you will see famous women wearing them on television, the movie screen, national news broadcasts, magazines, Congress, and more! And why not? These pearls are big, bold, beautiful and very affordable. This is the natural alternative to expensive South Sea pearl we have been waiting for!
South Sea Shell Pearls will be more than just a passing en-vogue fashion statement. They will become more popular and more expensive in the years to follow. Genuine cultured pearls will always be a must for the well-dressed woman, but with water pollution and changing environmental conditions, cultured pearls will become more expensive and hard to come by.

What About the Price of South Sea Shell Pearls?
South Sea Shell Pearls sometimes sell in retail shops and boutiques for $500 and more. This may sound expensive, but just remember how much South Sea pearls sell for (thousands!).
Our South Sea Shell Pearl pieces are not cheap, but they are much less expensive than the retail shops. They are even less expensive than "discounters" who sell just the necklace strands for a couple hundred dollars each.
Each necklace and bracelet strand is hand-strung on pure heavy silk thread and hand-knotted. We use a beautiful sterling silver filigree clasp (lots of other clasp styles available upon special request - just email me) to finish each strand. We also have sterling silver stud dangle earrings (you may want to select optional Leverback earrings or Frenchwires instead). Our standard necklace length is 16"-18" (longer lengths available for a small additional charge per inch). Our standard bracelet length is approx. 7" (custom lengths available).
This is an example of one of our "standard" sterling silver clasps, but a lot of our strands are made with customer special request clasps. This sterling silver clasp is a round open-work security close clasp and is available (filigree pattern may be different or it may be a solid clasp for the necklace. Clasps are matched to the pearl sizes and are all safety-locking clasps.

How Do You Care For South Sea Shell Pearls?
As a rule of thumb - follow the same care and cleaning guidelines for Cultured Pearls.

Shell Pearl Color Chart...
Black	Bronze	Chocolate Brown

Dark Gray (looks like "gunmetal" or pewter)	Golden Shades... "Light" golden "Bright" golden color (deeper color)	Golden Champagne

Golden Green (olive)	Landi Pink - named after my best friend who died with breast cancer in 2008 Psalm 103 "The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration, but its donation."...Corrie Ten Boom	Midnight Black (deeper black color)

Midnight Blue (peacock teal)	Peach (delicate peach color) This color has been discontinued, but I have 12mm and 16mm pearls still in-stock	Pink (pastel pink)

Rose (also called Mauve or Lavender)	Silver (has a hint of blue in the color)	White

We also have Teardrop Shell Pearl Jewelry.

Are you looking for a special pearl color? Check out our Swarovski™ Crystal Pearl Color Chart.
If you still do not see what you are looking for, email me - I may be able to find it for you.

Email Us or Call our Toll-Free 24-Hour Answering Service 1-210-858-9561
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