Summer Noon

Hello, this is Flower Jem.
Thank you again for taking the time to view one of my pearl necklaces.

This necklace features the familiar All-knot technique and is composed of baroque-shaped Akoya pearls measuring approximately 7.5mm to 8.0mm. While some pearls have slightly irregular shapes, the real charm and strength of this necklace lies in its luster. The shine is comparable to the finest Hanadama pearls.

I’ve named this piece “Summer Noon”—because I made it during the hot midday hours of summer.
The temperature in Kobe has been exceeding 36°C recently, and the air conditioner in my weekend workshop (my home) has been broken for some time.

About six years ago, sparrows built a nest on top of the outdoor unit of my air conditioner. That’s when I decided to stop using it for a while. For the next three or four years, they returned every season—building nests, raising families, and flying off again. Recently, the sparrows have stopped appearing, and I finally thought it was time to start using the air conditioner again. But it had quietly broken in the meantime.

So yes, this necklace was made in a hot room, drenched in sweat. That’s how it earned the name “Summer Noon.”

Repairing the air conditioner requires me to be home during weekday daytime hours—but I work another job unrelated to pearls on weekdays, so that’s not possible.

I actually love summer, so it doesn’t feel like too much of a hardship… but it is undeniably hot.

Also, I’ve decided to start naming my pearl pieces for the first time—simply because it sounds fun.

As someone who sells jewelry, I’ve grown tired of plain, impersonal product names that feel like mechanical spec sheets. Those kinds of names just aren’t exciting. But by giving each piece a unique name, I can preserve the memory of when and how it was made—just by seeing the name.

I wonder how customers will feel about this.
If you’re the type of person who finds a bit of joy in knowing, “Ah, this was made on a sweltering day,” then you might be a perfect match for Flower Jem.

By the way, this product description is being used across multiple platforms: as the listing text on Etsy, as subtitles for a YouTube video documenting the necklace’s creation, and as an article on Flower Jem’s website.

Ideally, I’d like to write unique descriptions for each platform. But that takes a lot of time. So I’m making it official here: I will be openly reusing this article in several places.

Also, I’m not particularly good at writing product descriptions.
I struggle to write lines like “This necklace is absolutely stunning!”
Instead, I share long, mostly unedited videos of the making process.
Through those videos, I hope you’ll get a clear sense of the quality for yourself.

Now, onto a more personal note.

Yesterday, I had dinner with an old classmate from elementary school—for the first time in 30 years.
Even after all this time, we slipped into conversation just like we used to.
I think many people have had that kind of experience.

I returned to my childhood home yesterday just to meet that friend.

Actually, I also bought this necklace’s pearls yesterday.
In the morning, I visited two pearl wholesalers. The first visit was specifically to buy pearls for this necklace. I had a purpose.

Through past sales experience, I’ve found that the most popular price range for necklaces is around 678 USD.
But I’ve never actually designed or priced jewelry with that range in mind. I usually just create pieces from pearls I love, without worrying about market data. I’ll keep doing that—but at the same time, I’m trying something new: offering jewelry in the price range that’s most in demand.

This necklace is listed on Etsy for $967.05.
However, if you subscribe to my newsletter on Flower Jem’s website, you’ll receive a 30% discount coupon, which brings the price down to roughly $678.

I’d like to grow Flower Jem’s independent website further.
Selling through Etsy is wonderful—it’s allowed me to meet customers from all over the world—but Etsy takes a significant commission.
If you purchase directly through Flower Jem’s website, I can save over 20% in fees and pass those savings on to you.

If you feel hesitant about buying from an independent website, Etsy remains a safe and trustworthy option—but it will be slightly more expensive.
If you’re open to direct purchases, you can subscribe and receive a 30% discount coupon. The newsletter is delivered only occasionally, and usually features very long posts when you least expect it.

I admit I’m a little nervous about what Etsy’s administrators would think if they read this, but I want to be transparent with my audience—so I’m saying it here.

So that’s how I ended up at the pearl wholesalers yesterday.

Oh, and one more thing: I mentioned during the visit that I didn’t own a pearl sieving tool (called a “furui” in Japanese, used to sort pearls by size).
The wholesaler kindly gave me an old one they no longer use.
That made me very happy.

I visited the second wholesaler because an Akoya pearl farmer I know had asked me to help sell some of his pearls.
That deal went smoothly.

By 11:00 a.m., I was done. I returned home briefly, got ready, and then rode my motorcycle to a repair shop in Kyoto.
I left Kobe at around 11:30 a.m. and arrived in Kyoto at 1:00 p.m.

The repair was expected to take two hours, so I spent that time working on product listings at a nearby family restaurant.
I did order a curry, but apparently, the highlight of the dish was choosing your own toppings.
I didn’t notice until the plain-looking curry arrived and the server gave me a suspicious look.
I had been so absorbed in my work that I didn’t properly read the menu.

At 3:00 p.m., I picked up my bike and headed to my parents’ home.
Even riding on the highway didn’t feel refreshing—it was like being blasted with warm air from a hairdryer.

I arrived around 5:00 p.m. and was warmly greeted by Lulu, my dog who lives with my parents.

At 5:30 p.m., my old friend picked me up.
His partner actually inherited many of the clients my father had when he was still working.
My father was an electrical engineer, and he and my friend are still very close.

My father hardly ever talks to me, so it was rare and nice to see him smile again.
But it’s always been that way, so I don’t take it personally.

The four of us (myself and three old friends) talked until about 11 p.m.

I talked a lot—but I didn’t get to share any stories about pearls or motorcycles.
I’ll need more time for that next time.

Our second stop was a restaurant run by a woman who used to be the “toughest” girl in our junior high.
She greeted us with a beautiful smile I’d never seen from her before.

When I told her that, she covered her face with both hands, blushing deeply.

It turned into a truly memorable night.

What surprised me most was learning that, back in school, a teacher once told her, “You can’t come on the school trip.”
We never knew about that. She had been treated like a villain by the school.

She also told me why she became a delinquent:
“I was severely bullied in elementary school. After that, everyone looked like an enemy to me.”

I was also bullied in junior high—by members of my tennis club.
In my case, I got my revenge before graduation.
So I felt I could understand her feelings, even if just a little.

I returned to my parents’ home around 11:30 p.m., and today, I came back to Kobe.
And that’s when I made this necklace.

That’s the story behind this piece.

To those watching this on YouTube:
You’ll notice that I struggled a lot with threading the final pearl.
I should have enlarged the holes of the last three pearls, but they were a little too tight.
This might be the most trouble I’ve ever had with that step.

It’s a very long video, but if you’re curious, please check out the ending.

To those reading this on Etsy:
Please consider visiting Flower Jem’s website.

There are many articles there—some with insights about Akoya pearl cultivation that even industry insiders don’t know.
Recently, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) reached out to me with questions, and I provided them with information.
I was deeply honored and proud.
I don’t have many things I can brag about, so please allow me to share this one.

To all my newsletter subscribers:
Thank you for subscribing.
If you see something on Etsy that’s not listed on Flower Jem and you’re interested, just let me know.
I’ll make sure you can apply your discount coupon.

Lastly, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this long post.

Additional Note:
All items are shipped via EMS (Express Mail Service), and shipping is handled on weekends. If you place your order between Friday and Sunday afternoon (Japan time), your item will be shipped either the same day or the following day.