by Disney Magic Diva
Sometimes fate smiles on you. I’ve always wanted to participate in the Pick A Pearl experience at the Japan Pavilion in Epcot. (Read about Fancy Free Diva’s experience here). But our family has never had the chance. Just too many choices at Epcot, and not enough time. And then I discovered there was a way to have this experience AT HOME! With the help of AOS Design, you can bring this extraordinary activity right to your living room!
You don’t even need to rely on pixie dust to create this Disney magic at home. Just visit www.aosdesign.net. From their website, you can purchase everything required to create your own Pick A Pearl experience and it will be delivered right to you! I had never heard about the possibility of having an oyster shipped to me, being able to actually open it, discover a pearl, and create my own Cinderella Carriage pearl necklace. I was ecstatic when AOS Design offered to send us two sets – one for me and one for my granddaughter – to review.
Our mussel kits, necklaces and rings
The Pick A Pearl Oyster/Mussel Kit comes with the mussel sealed in a pop-top container, rubber gloves, a tool for opening the mussel, a pearl identification guide, and instructions for opening your mussel. It’s very reasonably priced at only $7! I learned that oysters are from salt water, and mussels are from freshwater. These kits are freshwater, so you will receive a mussel, but the website refers to them interchangeably as “oysters” and “mussels.”
The mussels in the pop-top container
The rubber gloves, opening tool, pearl identification guide, and instructions
You’ll also want to choose a jewelry cage to hold your pearl. We received Cinderella Carriage cages, and my granddaughter and I both loved them! She chose the Cinderella Heart Carriage. It is simple, delicate, and light; with an adorable heart inset to allow the pearl to shine through the cage. Absolutely perfect for her! Mine was the more traditional Cinderella Carriage. It is a little more ornate, with intricate detail along the bottom half of the coach. There is a crown at the top of the coach, and hearts within both the front and back wheels. If you look really closely, you’ll even see a “C” on the shield! The detail is astounding! Both came with beautiful chains. They are silver plated, and economically priced at only $9 each. If your budget is a little more flexible, you also can choose from a rose gold plated carriage or even splurge on sterling silver!
Once you have your mussel and cage, it’s relatively easy (and extremely fun!) to open the mussel and discover your pearl. You’ll want to open your mussel over a towel or sink, as there is a little bit of liquid in the container that might spill or drip. Before you open your container, put on the gloves to protect your hands from any chemicals that were used to preserve the mussel. Then pop open the lid, and take out your mussel. Using scissors, cut around the edges of the mussel to make it easier to open. Then you can use the small blue tool included with your kit to pry open the shell. (I chose to just use a table knife instead – it seemed more sturdy.) Once the shell has an opening, you can use your fingers to finishing opening it, and — there it is! Your beautiful pearl!!
Both of our pearls were round, smooth, and perfect for the Cinderella Carriage cage. My pearl was a light silver color (representing “success” according to the pearl guide), and my granddaughter’s was a gorgeous shade of blush (representing “health”). She couldn’t stop talking about how much she loved it! Once you’re done admiring it (and – this is crucial – take plenty of time to fully admire your unique pearl!), be sure to rinse it in water and pat it dry. Check out the fun we had opening our mussels in this video:
Once your pearl is rinsed and dry, you are ready to insert it into your cage. I admit, I’ve always been puzzled about how this worked. It was so reassuring to discover it is unbelievably simple. The ”loop” at the top of the carriage where the chain passes through is actually 2 loops – one on the front of the carriage and one on the back. There is a hinge at the bottom of the carriage. When you open the loop on top, the carriage opens up and you simply drop in your pearl. Then close it up, slide your chain through both parts of the loop, and the chain securely holds the carriage closed. You can watch our video for a more visual explanation.
If Cinderella isn’t your favorite princess, there are also designs inspired by Rapunzel and Aurora, as well as Mickey, Minnie, Tinker Bell, Nemo, pirates, Tiki heads, and even a castle! And if you need a (*gasp*!) non-Disney choice, there are plenty of options – butterflies, angels, animals, cheer, dance, sports – the list goes on and on! Surely, there will be something you love, and something for anyone who might like an incredible gift!
The Aurora and Snow White rings
As if this wonderful experience weren’t enough to make us feel like princesses, AOS Design generously also sent us two rings – one inspired by Aurora and one by Snow White. My granddaughter loved the Snow White one because she thought it could double as an Evie (from Descendants) inspired look! Both rings are beautiful rose gold, and would make a magical accent to any ensemble. There are also Rapunzel, Anna and Elsa, Cinderella, and crown rings available.
So if you’ve always admired those lovely pearl necklaces, but never had time to stop by and experience the fun at Disney, you can create your own AT HOME! My granddaughter and I had a fabulous time opening our mussels and discovering our pearls. I’m not sure she’s taken off her necklace yet! It would make a perfect Disney family night activity, a gift for a Disney fan, or just a fun way to show your DisneySide when you can’t make it to the parks.
And here’s the very best news! AOS Design has agreed to GIVEAWAY a Pick A Pearl Oyster Kit along with a Fairy cage and a Pirate cage for one of our lucky readers. You will need to LIKE each of the Facebook pages in the Rafflecopter link below for your entry to count. Additional entries for following on Twitter and Instagram. The winner will be contacted via email and have 48 hours to respond.
Should you happen to NOT be the lucky winner, AOS Design has offered a 10% discount code to our readers, just use the code AOSDESIGN10 at checkout.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclaimer: AOS Design provided the Pick A Pearl kits, cages and rings in exchange for a review. All opinions about the products are strictly my own.
This looks like so much fun!!! I want to do this! Thanks for posting.
This looks like soooo much fun!! I really want to do this! Thanks for posting.
These are beautiful! My daughter would love it!!