#etsy is just expensive Ali Express

[mbrainspaz]

More red flags than I can count. Y'all, I'm so done. I just wanted a costume for the ren faire. Anyway, you can go report these f*cking ai scammers too if you want.

[kosomolski-dolls]

How to spot a Recast store.

First of all, what is a recast?

A recast is an unlicensed copy of a BJD, a knockoff, a fake. Usually the dolls are bought from a legit company (sometimes not even from the recast company itself, but from supporters), a mold is made (either making a physical mold or a 3D scan) and then the dolls can be mass produced. Usually made in China, but there are exceptions to this.

I'm not going into detail here on why they are a big problem, there are tons of posts about this on the internet. They are bad, they destroy the dollmakers and artists that I love, if you're fine with that, this blog isn't for you.

This blog is for those, that want to buy legit BJDs and don't want to accidentally buy a recast, which is getting harder and harder.

I'll put this under a cut, because this is gonna get a bit lengthy.

What not to do: Google "buy BJD", you'll literally get a ton of Ali Express listings of knockoff BJDs.

You will have to do some research up front, you need to know what company you want to buy. For that, you can go to the BJD hashtag, here, on instagram, sometimes even Twitter, and see if there is something you like. Usually people also tag the company and sculpt, and if not, asking usually gets the reply.

You can also go to one of the many official dealer pages and just click through their dolls to see if you find something that you like.

Stay away from Ali Express and Amazon. Both of these pages are riddled with knockoffs. Idk if there are actually any legit sellers on Ali, if there are, they are few. I think Dollzone sells on Amazon, but seriously, most of the dolls there are fakes.

Ebay and Etsy are also full of recasts, but you can find some legit dolls there.

So, how do you spot a recast store? Let me show you some hints, that are usually a dead giveaway.

A lot of different styles.

This is the header of an etsy shop. While the two on the left might be from the same maker, the other two are very different. (The one on the right is a doll from Fairyland, one of the, if not the most recasted company out there).

Different styles only make sense, if the seller is a distributor/dealer. If it's not a dealer, back out.

Which brings us to the next point:

Generic names.

If a shop were a dealer, they would give you the names of the companies and sculpts.

Example from an official dealer:

See how you can choose the company, size, and then the sculpts? Recast shops don't give you that (there's one exception, that I'll mention later).

They give you "1/4 BJD Doll MSD", "Girl BJD 1/6" or if they wanna go all out "1/3 BJD Doll 60.5CM Full Set BJD Doll With Clothes Resin Toys Best Gift for Girls Hand Made Doll Custom Dolls OOAK Art Doll diy Dolls".

They want to stay as generic as possible, so the newbies that google for "buy bjd" will be redirected to their pages.

If you find generic names, back the hell out of there. I don't know a single company or dealer, that do not tell you what doll exactly you're buying!

Short production time

BJDs take time to make. They are not mass produced dolls, they are casted, sanded, strung and packed by small companies. Even the big names in this hobby usually are just a hand full of people. So it takes time.

Usually between 2-6 months. I don't know any company that actually gives you an estimate below 60 days. Sometimes they ship faster (maybe it's a popular sculpt and they have actually made some for stock, maybe they didn't have a lot of orders during that time, etc), but they don't usually give you a shorter timeline.

If your listing claims the doll will be shipped in 1-2 weeks? Bad news for you, that's usually a recast store.

Price

I hate to say it, but this is an expensive hobby. Dolls usually cost at least $200, oftentimes more. There are some companies that have cheaper prices, but if it goes below $150, I would definitely have a closer look.

Now, the price is usually the last thing that I mention, because before the price tag, you should check for all the things mentioned above. Only if you have a consistent style, specific names, and a timeline that makes sense, then you should check for the price.

I say that, because I know of one Recast store, that tries so hard to look legit, they actually put effort in it.

And that is the BJD Shop.

Look at that. You have company names, you have sculpt names, it looks like a legit dealer (if you ignore that their production time is 1-4 weeks).

But now look at the prices.

Not taking into account that this specific sculpt isn't even available from Fairyland anymore, the price? Is not even $100 (for blank doll).

Now let's look at the actual price by FL:

Rule of thumb: If a price is too good to be true, it very likely is.

So I recommend actually looking for the doll company, if you find a dealer you're not sure is legit, and compare the prices.

A good page for information is Den Of Angels. It's a forum, but a lot of things are easily available without account through Google. For example their dealer list. Is it complete? I don't know, maybe not, but it's a good start.

I hope this is helpful for anyone who isn't sure about a shop they want to buy from.

[shop-korea]

JANE - LONDONER - MAYBE - NOW IN

MISSOURI - WHAT - A - WONDER - SHE

MESSAGED - ME - AT - FACEBOOK AND

ALSO - FOLLOWS - ME

TIK TOK - AND - IT's - 715 VIEWS - ONLY

HAS - 3 FOLLOWERS

WENT - FR - 2 FOLLOWERS - THEN - 7

THEN - 9 - NOW - 11 FOLLOWERS JUST

LIKE - THAT - AND - ALL - BUSINESS 2

THEN - THIS - ASIAN - GIRL - JUST

RIGHT - NOW - KEPT - ON - GIVING

ME - ? ?

SO - I - CHECKED - AND - DELETED

CONVERSATION - I - CAN - DO THAT

THEY - JUST - DISAPPEAR - AFTER

SO - JANE - PALISMADE - MISSOURI

SELL - SWEATSHIRTS

SHE - ALSO - WENT - 2 - ENGLAND

UNIVERSITY - OF - OXFORD

IN - OXFORD - SHE's - ENGLISH

SHE - DID - FACEBOOK - ADS &

ONLY - GOT - VISIBILITY - LIKE

TIK TOK - AND - NO - SALES - 2

SHE - SPARED - ME - MONEY $$

WELL - SHE - SAID - WHAT - SHE

HAS - GAVE - HER - THOUSANDS

OF - DOLLARS - INSTEAD

HER - ETSY - STORE - GENERATED

61,467 - SWEATSHIRTS - SOLD TOO

RIGHT - AWAY

SHE - NEVER - MADE - MONEY - FR

FACEBOOK - ADS

INSTEAD - AN - ETSY - EXPERT - FR

ETSY - COMMUNITY - AND - FIVERR

SHE - ASKED - IF - I - HAVE

INSTAGRAM

MY - REPLY - 'YES'

GAVE - HER - shop_cailey

SOON - JACK - MESSAGED - ME - I

HEARD SOUND FR MY SAMSUNG

AND - SHE - ACTUALLY - WAITED

UNTIL - I GOT BACK - 2 - FACEBOOK

WHAT - A - DARLING

WHO - DOES - THAT

SO - SHE - SAID - WHAT - I - NEEDED

BEYOND - SEO

WE - NEED - MY - FOLLOWERS

(AOPSO) stands for Advanced and

Organic Product Sales Optimization.

It is a methodical research process

conducted for each product in a store

to find the most popular and less

competitive keywords. These keywords

are specially tailored to improve visibility,

increase website visits, and generate

higher quality sales as a result.

SUMMARY

WE - NEED - (AOPSO) - THAT's

ADVANCED - AND - ORGANIC

PRODUCT - SALES

OPTIMIZATION

ONLINE - KEYWORDS PLACED

SO - PEOPLE - CAN - FIND OUR

PRODUCTS - THEY - ALL - HAVE

2 B - OPTIMIZED - 4 - PRODUCT

2 - SELL - THEY - CAN'T - BUY IT

IF - THEY - DON'T - KNOW - YOU

HAVE - THAT - MERCHANDISE

JACK - CHARGES

$10 - PER - ITEM - LISTED - AT

MY - ETSY - STORE

NOW - 18 PRODUCTS - $180

AS - TOTAL - STRANGER THAT

IS - A - BIT - MUCH

10:38P EDT - JACK - IS - MY 1ST

FOLLOWER - AT - INSTAGRAM

HOW - COOL - WOW - I - HEARD

A - NICE - SOUND - PROMPT

COOLEST - INSTAGRAM - NOW

I - HAVE - 1 FOLLOWER

AN - ETSY - EXPERT

JACK - SAID - AFTER - MY ITEM

IS - LISTED - SALES - WILL - BE

AT - ONCE - MORE - THAN ONE

SALE - PER ITEM - RIGHT AWAY

$10 - PER - ITEM 4 - 3 MONTHS

NEW - KEYWORDS - 2 REPLACE

THEM - SO - I - BARGAINED

CAN - WE - START - WITH

10 ITEMS - $100

3 MONTHS

AS - SOON - AS - I - MAKE

MONEY - THEN - I'LL PAY

FOR - THE - OTHERS

JANE's - ETSY - STORE

MADE - HER - MORE THAN

$125,000 - ALREADY - FOR

HER - SWEATSHIRTS - ARE

NOT - CHEAP - AT - ALL

MY - FAVORITE - SO FAR

I LOVE - THIS - CAT - CANVA - PRO

MY - TUMBLER's - FIRST - PRINT

715 VIEWS - AT - TIK TOK

JACK - SAID - AFTER - HE - DOES

THE - OPTIMIZATION - OF - MY 10

ITEMS - I - SHOULD - GET - SALES

PER - EACH - ITEM - RIGHT - AWAY

SUPER - FAST - HE's - AN - EXPERT

OF - ETSY - ALSO - DOES - FIVERR

HE - SAID - SEO - DOESN'T - WORK

BECAUSE - U - NEED - AN - EXPERT

2 - DO - THE - WORK - 4 U

FACEBOOK - ADS - IS - JUST - YOU

BEING - VISIBLE

U - DON'T - ALWAYS - GET - SALES

THEN - WASTING - YOUR - MONEY

I - PAY - BY - PAYPAL

HE - GAVE - ME - EMAIL - ADDRESS

2 - SEND - MONEY

CHOOSE - FAMILY - & - FRIENDS

MUCH - BETTER - COPY - AND SEND

PAYMENT - PROOF - AT - INSTAGRAM

I - CAN'T - WAIT - 2 - MAKE - MONEY

LIKE - JANE - THE - ENGLISH - GIRL

SHE - SAID - 'THOUSANDS'

SHE - HAS - 61,468 SOLD - FR - HER

EXPENSIVE - SWEATSHIRTS

SOON - I'LL - BE - MAKING - MONEY

FINALLY - ONLINE - WHICH - I'VE US

NEVER - BEEN - ABLE - 2 - AND YES

WITH - SHOPIFY - ALI EXPRESS - XO

ALL - THEIR - SELLERS - EVER - DID

WAS - CHANGE - THEIR - PRICES

DAILY - EXHAUSTING - ME - AND

MY - FINGERS - NO - THANKS AND

THE - MONTHLY - EXPENSES TOO

NOW - I - JOIN - YOUTUBE - IN

FINALLY - MAKING MONEY WITH

PRINTIFY - PRINT - ON - DEMAND

PINTEREST - 88 CLICKS - ON THE

'BLOSSOMS - OF - LOVE' - SEOUL

ANIMATION - FLIKA - GIRL - VOICE

I'M - SO - EXCITED

MAY - 2024 - FINALLY - I - WILL FL

HAVE - MONEY - I'M - STAYING - AT

THE - HOMEWOOD - SUITES

BY - HILTON - HUB - LOCKER

KITCHEN - WITH - OVEN

SUITES - SMALL - POOL

FITNESS - CENTER

WASHERS - DRYER

HAPPY - 60TH - BIRTHDAY

2 ME - HAPPY HAPPY DAY

JESUS - IS - LORD

DEAR - DR JERRY SAVELLE

I - WILL - BUY YOUR BOOKS

I - WILL - LEARN - ALL YOU

TAUGHT - WITH - KENNETH

COPELAND - MINISTRIES 4

OVER - 55 YEARS - INSTEAD

JESUS - IS - LORD

REST - IN - PEACE

DR JERRY SAVELLE - AGE 76

CROWLEY - TEXAS

UNITED STATES TX

'ADVENTURES - IN - FAITH'

OUR - FAITH - SHALL - YES

OVERCOME - THE - WORLD

WE - HAVE - THE - FAVOUR

OF - GOD - WE'RE BLESSED

[mrdevorak]

A Tom Marvolo Riddle Cosplay “Master Post.”

(( This post is for teenage Voldemort, in his more human-like form. ))

Greetings and salutations, my name is Ivan. I’m a cosplayer of 4+ years and a Harry Potter fan of loosely 12 years. Since my first time reading the series at the age of 5, I was always a fan of Snape and the Malfoy’s. I had to re-read eventually, so I could properly grasp the situations as I got older. 

I used to think I was a Ravenclaw, but I was sorted into Slytherin. My interests moved to Death Eaters and Dark Marks, Dark Magic, and the Dark Lord. So, combining my interests, I wanted to make a master post for how I made my Tom Riddle cosplay, on a somewhat low budget (I made this in the course of two months). Remember, my main source is Ebay and Amazon, but don’t be afraid to explore your options to other trustworthy sites such as Etsy, Ebay, Amazon, Ali Express, Cosplay Sky, etc. (I’ve heard good and bad things about Wish). 

But with that, let’s start, I’ll being going from head to toe! 

Wig: 

With cosplaying, there are many ways to style wigs for any cosplay. Tom has a pretty basic grown-out men’s haircut, short on the edges, and a little long in the bangs to be able to make some curls. For Tom, I’ll list some ways that you can find a wig right for you (( off the top of my head )). You can challenge yourself and get a long wig base and cut and style yourself, get a short wig base with not much to do beside the curls, commission a wig from a wig stylist, or just buying a wig that looks like Tom’s like I did. Here’s a reference image:

For me, I was recommended a wig from Arda Wigs. I’ve used them for awhile now, and they have great prices for their wigs and other products. Their wigs hold their shape and color really well, feels like and looks like real hair, and are easy to style. For Tom, I bought “Benny Classic” in the shade “Cool Dark Brown.” It was about $30 and $36 with shipping. Remember when buying a wig for Tom, he doesn’t have pure black hair. It’s more of a brown-black. So if you by “Benny,” I recommend the color “Deep Brown” or “Dark Brown” at the lightest if you don’t like the “Cool Dark Brown” color. The wig required some styling, but not a lot. Here’s the wig on me:

I know that’s not the best picture, but it just requires some grooming on the back and sides, and the curls need some management, and to get it so the part is where it should be, you need to tilt it to the side on your head just a bit. 

Shirt, Vest And Tie:

For the shirt, most Hogwarts kids (to my knowledge), wear the same shirts/blouses under their vests. Here’s a link to a basic men’s white button up, long sleeve shirt. This one goes from about $9-$20 depending on your size, I find mine for about $15 or lower at Walmart or Goodwill (I have hundreds due to getting fake blood on half of them), here’s an image of Tom’s to get a see at what I mean, if you have something that looks like this, don’t worry too much if it’s not exact, the vest goes over the button-up. 

Now, originally I bought an already made Slytherin Robe off Ebay (I no longer have the link) that came with a tie, that was around $30 I believe. Here’s an image of Tom’s tie and then mine:

It’s basically the same thing, here’s a link to one. They normally run from $10-$15 or less, the one I listed is only $6. They’re super simple to make/find. And never the last, the vest. You can use any gray sweater-vest, you can get a plain one and use it, or you can get a plain one and paint the design that is on the neck and trim, or just buy one! The Hogwarts kid’s have them, but the color in the design belongs to their respective houses. I just got lucky and snagged this from Goodwill, but the tag is from the clothing brand George. I looked it up and found these links x and x, if they’re sold by the time you see this, just look up “George Gray Sweater Vest” and they should come up (they look to be about $10) And here’s one similar, just more expensive. But here’s the vest: 

It doesn’t look like I took a picture of the vest I bought, but here’s a link, they run small, so get a size bigger than what you’d normally wear. This one is around $20, and I’m sure they run cheaper. They also have long sleeve ones that I’m sure wouldn’t make a difference, they’re just a bit more pricey! Here’s a picture of Tom’s so you can get an idea. 

Robes:

Okay, so here’s a think about the Robes. My first Harry Potter cosplay was Draco Malfoy, so I bought an already made Slytherin Robe (patch and all). I no longer have the exact link, but it’s one of these, which are normally $30+, haven’t seen one for $20 or less yet. You can buy one of these and get it over with, but I try to pinpoint for complete accuracy. Here’s where I get a little out of place. This is the interior of my Robe’s hood and sleeve v.s. the interior of Tom’s:

The interior doesn’t appear to be green like the one I own. I’m also a Star Wars cosplayer, and my Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader) cosplay came with a plain, long black robe. Feel free to use the previous-linked robe, but I bought a new plain black robe that was used for an Anakin Skywalker cosplay because the inside is plain black like Tom’s, and is the same length, here’s a link for the one I bought, basically $23. And, Tom does NOT have a Slytherin patch on his robe, as pictured, he has a Hogwarts patch. 

This is not a traditional Hogwarts patch that you find when you simply look up “Hogwarts iron on patch,” however. Here’s a better idea of what I mean.

This is a basic Hogwarts patch that is one of the first results that you’ll find:

This is not the correct patch, Tom was born in 1926, and though Hogwarts looks like they like to stay old-fashioned, the patch has changed. Tom has a more classic patch, that looks like this: 

This looks like an exact match to me, or you can go with something that looks just as old-looking like this one!

Suit and Shoes:

You’ll notice that Tom has something gray sticking out from under his robes when you look at full body images, or if you pay really close attention to the movie, and I’m not sure if J.K. mentions his complete attire in the books. But, unlike most students who just wear the basic shirt, tie, vest and robes, Tom wears a gray suit jacket and gray pants to match it. At first, my stupid ass had no idea and had to ask a bunch of fellow cosplayers what the hell they thought the gray fabric under his robes were, until I found this picture and figured it out:

This picture shows just about everything under the robe! Here’s a link to the Slytherin patch that perfectly matches up with the one Tom’s wearing. Or, here’s a picture of the patch to help you in case you want to look for one that’s cheaper than that: 

And as for the suit, I’m actually still trying to find one at that perfect color, that’s the only thing I don’t own for Tom as of current, is the suit jacket and the pants. But something like JCPenny’s should have something like it, or maybe Ebay, but I honestly wouldn’t get my hopes up for something under $40, making this probably the most expensive part of the cosplay, beside the shoes, which are $40 alone without knowing shipping prices or maybe they’re cheaper at a Payless Shoe Store near you. Tom basically has regular black dress shoes, here’s a link to the exact shoes I bought from Payless about a year or so ago. 

And Now, The Small Details:

During his time at Hogwarts, Tom was a Prefect student. A Prefect is an actual word that I thought was made up until right now, when I looked up Prefect for a definition and expected Harry Potter Wiki but got an actual definition. It’s a British term for “in some schools, a senior student authorized to enforce discipline.” So, basically what Percy Weasley was, well, all the Weasley kids except Fred and George, as well as a few other main characters. Okay, so, I’m a fucking moron sometimes. So, when I saw this detail on Tom’s Robe, I send a picture to a prop commission artist because I had no idea what it was. All I could make out was the shape, and I had no idea what the inside said because it was so blurry. Since Tom was born in 1926, I thought this was a Prefect badge but in different style. Because most of the Prefect badges look like this: 

This is the picture I meant:

So, I went to a convention. I’m a Midwest cosplayer, and every year I go to the same place for different cons. Every year, these awesome guys, Literary Alterations on Main are there. They sell a shit ton of fandom merchandise, especially Harry Potter. I bought a Snape’s and Voldemort’s wands, a prefect badge, and a “Head Boy” badge, both for Slytherin. Head Boy was also an award Tom got apparently, because after staring at this fucking badge for three days, I realized:

I OWNED THE FUCKING BADGE ALREADY AND DIDN’T HAVE TO PAY $65 FOR SOMEONE TO MAKE IT FOR ME. Again, these guys were the ones who sold it to me. The only links I found for this badge anywhere else were like, $20, so I recommend buying it from the guys I mentioned twice now, they have their own physical store, too! And finally!!!

THE FUCKING WAND:

Which I also bought from Literary Alterations on Main at their booth. These wands are directly from Universal Studios from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and are just $20 as of current from them, so this wand is just as canon as I can get it!

WELL KIDDOS, THAT WRAPS IT UP, I REALLY HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS MASTERPOST, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DM ME OR ASK ME QUESTIONS (ANON OR NOT), I’D BE HAPPY TO HELP. AND DON’T FEEL SHY IF YOU’RE SEEING THIS A LOT LATER FROM THE POSTING DATE, I’LL STILL BE HAPPY TO HELP! 

[thepearlsourceposts]

It is just about the worst thing ever when you buy a new piece of jewelry and it falls apart. Even the most expensive gold and diamond jewelry can break because cheap, bad quality clasps are used. Take a look at each of the following types of jewelry clasps to identify what your jewelry uses and what could be a better alternative.

8 Jewelry Clasps & Closures Designed By Experts

1. Spring Ring Jewelry Clasps

Spring Ring Jewelry Clasp in Gold

Like its name says, this clasp uses a spring mechanism to keep your jewelry safe. When you move the small lever back, you are essentially compressing the spring to allow the tab to move into the ring. As soon as you remove your fingers from the lever it will spring back into place to secure your jewelry.

2. Fishhook Jewelry Clasps

Antique Silver Fishhook Clasps for Jewelry. Image Source: Ali Express

Even though the fishhook clasp is not one of the most popular clasps it is incredibly glamorous. One end of the clasp is a typical metal hook while the other is a decorative oval. The hook goes into the oval shape just as a hook would go into a fish. It is very secure but difficult to use with one hand.

3. Lobster Jewelry Clasps

Lobster Clasp

This is probably the most used jewelry clasp ever. It is called this because it literally looks like a lobster claw. When you push the lever down the claw will open, allowing the tab to enter the claw. When you release the lever the claw will become whole again, securing the jewelry tap in place. This is a great clasp for everyday jewelry up to medium weight.

4. Barrel Jewelry Clasps

Vinyl Necklace with Barrel Jewelry Clasp. Image Source: Etsy

Barrel Clasp- Barrel clasps are a little more difficult to use than other clasps. If you aren’t great with your hands you may need another person to help you put on a barrel clasp bracelet. The clasp consists of two small metal cylindrical pieces. One piece is like a screw and goes into the other piece by turning it in a clockwise direction. These clasps are often used in higher end jewelry.

5. Toggle Jewelry Clasps

Stainless Steel Heart Charm Cable Chain Necklace with Toggle Clasp. Image Source: Amazon

A toggle clasp is often a part of the jewelry look. It is a large, obvious clasp which contains an open shape, ‘o’ and a bar or ‘t’ shape. The idea is to slide the bar or t shape into the circle and turn it so that the bar is locked on the other side of the open shape. These are not the best clasps for heavy or expensive jewelry as they cannot handle a great deal of weight.

6. S Hook Jewelry Clasps

S Hook Jewelry Clasp

If you look through your mother or grandmother’s jewelry box you are guaranteed to see a few pieces with s hook clasps. Jewelry with this type of clasp has two parts- an open end in the form of a circle and another end with an s shape that hooks into the circular part. These basic clasps are not only effective for high weight jewelry but also pretty cute.

7. Slide Lock Jewelry Clasps

Slide Lock Clasps for Jewelry. Image Source: Fire Mountain Gems

This clasp is almost exclusively used for necklaces with multiple strings. All the strings of both ends of the bracelet or necklace are attached to two thin tubes. One tube is able to slide into the other one to lock and secure the jewelry. These clasps are especially useful for people with limited dexterity.

8. Magnetic Jewelry Clasps

Just like its name, these clasps are just magnets. The two ends of the jewelry with have two magnets are attracted to each other. These clasps come in a variety of shapes, styles, colors and strength. Not only are they incredibly easy to work with but they are easy to use, making them ideal for older women.

The Pearl Source offers a wide variety of magnetic clasps for pearl necklaces, pearl bracelets and other pearl jewelry.  These clasps have been massively successful, transforming into a new jewelry trend for 2018.

Not only do they keep your jewelry safely in place, but they make putting necklaces, bracelets and other jewelry on and taking them off much easier. Just place the magnets next to each other, and they clasps automatically snap in place.

Show Pearl Jewelry Now

The post 8 Types of Jewelry Clasps to Keep Your Gems Safe & Secure appeared first on Pearls of Wisdom by The Pearl Source.

#PearlsOfWisdom #Jewelry #Fashion #Style #Luxury #Trends

[thepearlsourceposts]

Scholarship Pearl Essay Winner: Reinventing Grandma’s Pearls

Here at The Pearl Source, we understand the value of education. Getting a quality education is never free. There are many costs that come with higher education, from tuition to books, from supplies to living expenses. A scholarship helps with these costs.

This is definitely NOT your grandmother’s pearl necklace. Look how trendy it is! Image Source: Etsy Static

2017 Pearl Essay Scholarship Winner

In an effort to help with the costs of going to college, we award scholarships annually. These $1,000 college scholarship awards may be used at any higher learning institution. For 2017, we asked applicants the following:

Pearls are classified as an old fashioned jewelry item. How would you market or brand pearls to make them trendy again?

After careful consideration, and we had some amazing submissions, we finally chose our 2017 The Pearl Source Scholarship Winner:

Larsen Hodges

These pearl earrings look very trendy thanks to the black and gold Joker Butterfly pattern. Image Source: Dress We

The World is My Oyster

Reinvent grandma’s pearls. Give them new life. Take them clubbing. Think outside the oyster.

A classic, hand-knotted strand of graduated pearls is not typically the go-to piece in a twentysomething’s jewelry box, but modern sophistication does not have to exclude the bounty of the sea.

No matter how much I love my grandmothers, looking like them at age 17 or being perceived as an octogenarian is not on my bucket list. While I love my own pearls as well and wear them, I am admittedly in a minority. The difference is, however, I don’t dress, act, or look like my grandmothers. The world is my oyster and I want to live life to its fullest!

What a cute bracelet with its single white pearl and pretty blue trinkets. Image Source: Etsy

Thinking Outside the Oyster

Pearls have a reputation for being staid and old-fashioned–or at least that is what a plain strand of white pearls blending with its neutral background on a barren website says to today’s younger generation. It represents Grandma’s pearls, lifeless in a box. No matter how young at heart Grandma may be, that is not what a woman aspires to be when she is young.

Pearls have the stigma of Grandma’s perceived lifestyle, and unfortunately, that also means: lifeless, lackluster, zapped, tired. Pearls–beautiful, shiny, colorful, lustrous pearls–have lost their appeal to the younger generation, but that appeal can be rebranded and reborn. One has to think outside the oyster.

The Pearl Source creates personalized pearl rings just for you. Image Source: Pinterest

Pearls for the Hip 20s & 30s

In order to appeal to twenty-and thirty-somethings, an iconic look and face must represent the true natural beauty of pearls. The fresh face of the new pearl.

Pearls must be reexamined and given new life, and that is best accomplished by giving them a younger, hipper, more spontaneous look. We want to take them out for a night on the town.

Put pearls with denim. Why not?

Let The Pearl Source design your custom-created pearl earrings. Image Source: May Kool

Pearls & a Zest for Life

Women want to be energized and appear eternally youthful. A dull and boring advertisement or website portrayal is anything but inspiring. A young woman does not want to put on a necklace that screams “dull” as she stands at a bar surrounded by a hip crowd.

She wants her accessories to reflect that she is fun, in-the-know, trendy, and lives in the moment. Pearls, in any form, need to be portrayed with wild abandon, throwing caution to the wind, and giving the air of youthful confidence and zest for life!

Picture a close-up of a twenty-something young woman. Wispy hair, with a floppy hat partially covering one side of her forehead. She wears skinny jeans. A luxurious sweater. A long strand of pearls is casually tied around her neck, gently cradled in cashmere.

This is a very trend belt made of yellow gold and white pearls. Image Source: Etsy

The light is diffused, softly ebbing to the edge of the image. She is blowing a pile of pearls of all shapes and colors like glitter off her hand, eyes closed. Dream-like. Passionate. The pearls seem to float and disperse like they were weightless. They float like glitter.

She becomes the standard for excellence, beauty, and success. Our modern age sophisticate is playful and spontaneous, yet classic. Her success is marked by her pearls. My generation wants it all.

The Iconic Faces of the New Pearl Generation

This is our generation’s, Audrey Hepburn. Our Elizabeth Taylor. Which iconic face appeals to our generation? Emma Watson? Natalie Portman?

The savvy young woman, smart, job offers in hand, out of college. She is on top of the world, and her pearls mark her brilliance, sass, and success. Think hip. Spontaneous. Fun.

Don’t the gold and crystal studs bring make these pearl earrings look amazing? Image Source: Ali Express

A website and marketing campaign must be aligned with the desired audience. Pearls, no matter Tahitian, cultured, or natural, must shine against their backgrounds. White pearls on a white background are like white bread.

Pearls must swim off the page and off the screen, bathed in youthful spontaneity and glee. A youthful campaign with a current face will represent success and beauty to a new generation.

Pearls can and should be showcased in their full glory and are deserving of a colorful rebirth.

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