Long strand of pearls advice!

[Melora24]

Hopefully someone else will chime in here because I'm no expert on this sort of thing, but to me the TJMaxx pearls don't look like very good cultured pearls. They're heavily ridged and it looks like the nacre is thin and chipping. When you buy pearls, whether fake or cultured, what you want to look at is the lustre and color. And you want to look at the shape and whether they're evenly sized. Great pearls have a memorable glow and shimmer. I think one is better off having one exquisite pearl on a chain than a long string of bad-looking pearls.

I love the dress and I think it looks fabulous on you. I think you should be careful with the pearls because you don't want multiple strings detracting from your beauty in the dress. If it were me I would do a single strand of very good glass fakes, not too long. Or one very beautiful pearl on a long chain but only if you think you would wear it regularly in the future.

I have a long strand of fake pearls, and actually just bought (3days ago) the same kind you got at TJmaxx. I like the real thing better. I know the pearls are not even, but come on, if they were, the necklace wouldn't be at TJmaxx, and I wouldn't be able to afford it.
I'm not sure which one is best, but I think un-even pearls are trendy now, and they're a good way to:
1/ have cheaper pearls
2/ find a use for odd-shaped pearls

 

[xgianna6921x]

I have a long strand of fake pearls, and actually just bought (3days ago) the same kind you got at TJmaxx. I like the real thing better. I know the pearls are not even, but come on, if they were, the necklace wouldn't be at TJmaxx, and I wouldn't be able to afford it.
I'm not sure which one is best, but I think un-even pearls are trendy now, and they're a good way to:
1/ have cheaper pearls
2/ find a use for odd-shaped pearls

I agree!! So you bought the same one from Tj maxx did you pay $39.99? They actually are very pretty I have to say. I know they are only cultured pearls and are uneven but I kinda think like you said it's very trendy right now because I even seen at Nordstrom their pearls are uneven. If I could afford a real natural pearl believe me I would get it haha...

 

[xgianna6921x]

I have a long strand of fake pearls, and actually just bought (3days ago) the same kind you got at TJmaxx. I like the real thing better. I know the pearls are not even, but come on, if they were, the necklace wouldn't be at TJmaxx, and I wouldn't be able to afford it.
I'm not sure which one is best, but I think un-even pearls are trendy now, and they're a good way to:
1/ have cheaper pearls
2/ find a use for odd-shaped pearls

Btw the photo you posted isn't showing up. Can you repost it?

 

[Melora24]

Btw the photo you posted isn't showing up. Can you repost it?

It's strange, because I didn't try to post a picture. But I can show you anyway
The whitest is the fake from H&M I think. The other 2 come from my vacations in Hawaii. They had those kind of necklace everywhere, along with mother of pearl jewelry.

 

[xgianna6921x]

It's strange, because I didn't try to post a picture. But I can show you anyway
The whitest is the fake from H&M I think. The other 2 come from my vacations in Hawaii. They had those kind of necklace everywhere, along with mother of pearl jewelry.

That is strange but thanks for posting!! The white ones are actually very nice! The ones I got from target do not look like those more costume looking. The other 2 are gorgeous!! The ivory ones are from Tj maxx or no? They are beautiful.

 

[xgianna6921x]

That is strange but thanks for posting!! The white ones are actually very nice! The ones I got from target do not look like those more costume looking. The other 2 are gorgeous!! The ivory ones are from Tj maxx or no? They are beautiful.

And the black ones I love! I'm such a black everything kind of girl haha...but I can't do black because my dress is black but I'll be buying them next!

 

[cdtracing]

Just FYI....generally speaking, the majority of genuine pearls on the market today come from pearl farms & are cultured. Totally naturally made pearls are rare & very expensive. Salt water pearls (Akoya) are cultured in oysters. Akoya originally came from Japan but China has also entered the Akoya market. Personally, I think the Japanese Akoya are the finest.

Tahitian & South Sea pearls are cultured in the Pinctada Maxima Oyster.
The black lipped Pinctada margaritifera produces Tahitian pearls & the gold lipped or white lipped Pinctada Maxima produces the White or Golden South Seas. White and silver colored South Sea pearls tend to come from the Broome area of Australia, while golden colored ones are more prevalent in the Philippines and Indonesia. The finest South Sea pearls being produced by Paspaley in Australia.

Tahitian Pearls are the only true natural "black" pearl but they actually come in multi colors with different overtones such as silver, gray, green, blue, peacock, & aubergine. I own a strand of multi color Tahitians & they are my favorite because they can be worn with anything. Golden South Seas come in varying shades of gold from light buttercream to vivid gold. White South Seas have overtones of rose, silver, & cream or off white, much like the Japanese Akoya. Generally speaking, Tahitian & South Seas are all natural in color & not treated, bleached or dyed but I do think the trendy Chocolate Tahitians may be dyed.

Fresh water pearls are cultivated in in various species of mollusks. Most freshwater pearls on today's market come from China. Most of the colored pearls seen on today's markets are dyed freshwater pearls. They can be dyed black, pink, peach, golden (yellow), gray, blue, burgundy (wine), red, green, or just about any shade you could think of.

Pearls come in a natural baroque shape, potato shape, off round, ringed or circle, or freeform, like the Keshi Pearl. It really depends on how the oyster or mollusk reacts to the bead nucleus or piece of mantle that's inserted to cause the process of creating a pearl to begin. Most pearl farmers today use mantle tissue to create a pearl. If the oyster rejects the mantle tissue, the byproduct of that usually results in a free form Keshi style pearl. Keshi pearls are all nacre because the oyster rejected the original nucleus, hence the free form shape. My favorite of the Keshi is the petal Keshi Pearl because it resembles a flower petal. I have 4-5 Keshi necklaces & bracelets & they're trendy & fun to wear.

Sorry for the long post. Just some information for those interested.

 

[xgianna6921x]

Just FYI....generally speaking, the majority of genuine pearls on the market today come from pearl farms & are cultured. Totally naturally made pearls are rare & very expensive. Salt water pearls (Akoya) are cultured in oysters. Akoya originally came from Japan but China has also entered the Akoya market. Personally, I think the Japanese Akoya are the finest.

Tahitian & South Sea pearls are cultured in the Pinctada Maxima Oyster.
The black lipped Pinctada margaritifera produces Tahitian pearls & the gold lipped or white lipped Pinctada Maxima produces the White or Golden South Seas. White and silver colored South Sea pearls tend to come from the Broome area of Australia, while golden colored ones are more prevalent in the Philippines and Indonesia. The finest South Sea pearls being produced by Paspaley in Australia.

Tahitian Pearls are the only true natural "black" pearl but they actually come in multi colors with different overtones such as silver, gray, green, blue, peacock, & aubergine. I own a strand of multi color Tahitians & they are my favorite because they can be worn with anything. Golden South Seas come in varying shades of gold from light buttercream to vivid gold. White South Seas have overtones of rose, silver, & cream or off white, much like the Japanese Akoya. Generally speaking, Tahitian & South Seas are all natural in color & not treated, bleached or dyed but I do think the trendy Chocolate Tahitians may be dyed.

Fresh water pearls are cultivated in in various species of mollusks. Most freshwater pearls on today's market come from China. Most of the colored pearls seen on today's markets are dyed freshwater pearls. They can be dyed black, pink, peach, golden (yellow), gray, blue, burgundy (wine), red, green, or just about any shade you could think of.

Pearls come in a natural baroque shape, potato shape, off round, ringed or circle, or freeform, like the Keshi Pearl. It really depends on how the oyster or mollusk reacts to the bead nucleus or piece of mantle that's inserted to cause the process of creating a pearl to begin. Most pearl farmers today use mantle tissue to create a pearl. If the oyster rejects the mantle tissue, the byproduct of that usually results in a free form Keshi style pearl. Keshi pearls are all nacre because the oyster rejected the original nucleus, hence the free from shape. My favorite of the Keshi is the petal Keshi Pearl because it resembles a flower petal. I have 4-5 Keshi necklaces & bracelets & they're trendy & fun to wear.

Sorry for the long post. Just some information for those interested.

Oh wow you know your pearl [emoji23][emoji23] thanks so much!! Ya I guess I mean more of a nicer expensive brand/pearl. I know natural is very rare. Now I seen some akoya strands on eBay from China for like $10 why is that? Probably very fake right lol like I said in the op I'm not a pearl girl I know nothing about them. Just started being interested [emoji4]

 

[cdtracing]

Oh wow you know your pearl [emoji23][emoji23] thanks so much!! Ya I guess I mean more of a nicer expensive brand/pearl. I know natural is very rare. Now I seen some akoya strands on eBay from China for like $10 why is that? Probably very fake right lol like I said in the op I'm not a pearl girl I know nothing about them. Just started being interested [emoji4]

On Ebay, you have to be careful, especially if dealing with overseas sellers. They could be fake or they could be very poor cultured pearls. Sometimes, Chinese sellers will say the pearls are Akoya but they're really freshwater. If you're truly interested in pearls, do your research. Pearls are graded differently that diamonds & gemstones. Pearls are graded by luster, color, nacre thickness, size, shape, & surface perfection. While there is no universally accepted grading system by the Pearl industry as a whole, there are 2 grading systems that are used worldwide & are accepted by every reputable jewelers here in the States.....the A-AAA system & the A-D system (the Tahitian system). AAA quality is the highest.

Here's a link to Pearl grading that is quite informative.

Pearl is my birthstone & I have been collecting them for decades. And being from the South, Pearls are a staple of every Southern Lady's jewelry collection. My mother has some Mikimoto Pearls that are to die for. Those pearls have been worn by quite a few family members for their weddings, my sister & myself included. My father gave them to my mother after returning from Japan when he was in the Navy.

 

[BigPurseSue]

Thank you for posting the pearl information, Cdtracing! That's really interesting. Can I ask...where do Mikimoto pearls fit in all this? I've heard they're the most beautiful pearls one can buy, but they're often faked. Even otherwise respectable jewelry stores have been known to carry fakes.

And what is a good place to shop for quality pearls? I'd be hesitant to buy pearls online because one can't actually see the pearls (although I've head good things about pearlparadise.com). I have a friend who's something of pearl lover but would never shop for pearls locally--we live in the Midwest. She claims no one carries quality pearls here. She only shops for them on business trips to places like San Francisco.


By the way, my dad was also in Japan in the navy. He brought my mother not pearls but loose pieces of mother of pearl. I've always thought about having them made into a piece of jewelry, but I think they would be less interesting looking mounted than they are sitting in your palm.

 

[xgianna6921x]

On Ebay, you have to be careful, especially if dealing with overseas sellers. They could be fake or they could be very poor cultured pearls. Sometimes, Chinese sellers will say the pearls are Akoya but they're really freshwater. If you're truly interested in pearls, do your research. Pearls are graded differently that diamonds & gemstones. Pearls are graded by luster, color, nacre thickness, size, shape, & surface perfection. While there is no universally accepted grading system by the Pearl industry as a whole, there are 2 grading systems that are used worldwide & are accepted by every reputable jewelers here in the States.....the A-AAA system & the A-D system (the Tahitian system). AAA quality is the highest.

Here's a link to Pearl grading that is quite informative.

Pearl is my birthstone & I have been collecting them for decades. And being from the South, Pearls are a staple of every Southern Lady's jewelry collection. My mother has some Mikimoto Pearls that are to die for. Those pearls have been worn by quite a few family members for their weddings, my sister & myself included. My father gave them to my mother after returning from Japan when he was in the Navy.

Ok that's what I thought about the ones on eBay. I always am worried to order from there because I really don't know what I'm getting. So when you see A-AAA that means they are good? I seen a pair of endless pearls on Nordstrom rack and in the description it say AA what does that mean?

 

[cdtracing]

Ok that's what I thought about the ones on eBay. I always am worried to order from there because I really don't know what I'm getting. So when you see A-AAA that means they are good? I seen a pair of endless pearls on Nordstrom rack and in the description it say AA what does that mean?

With the A-AAA grading system, AAA is the highest quality with A being the lowest sold. Triple A pearls are expensive so most places will carry AA or AA+ pearls. There's nothing wrong with AA or AA+ pearls, they are just not quite as nice as triple A & may have a few surface blemishes & possibly a little less luster. The average person can't usually tell between triple A & AA. I consider my multi color Tahitian strand to be AA because there are some surface marks but the luster is outstanding & when worn, the surface marks are not noticeable. I do have 2 strands of triple A Akoya in the 7-7.5 mm size. They aren't Mikimoto, but still beautiful & an exceptional value.

 

[cdtracing]

Thank you for posting the pearl information, Cdtracing! That's really interesting. Can I ask...where do Mikimoto pearls fit in all this? I've heard they're the most beautiful pearls one can buy, but they're often faked. Even otherwise respectable jewelry stores have been known to carry fakes.

And what is a good place to shop for quality pearls? I'd be hesitant to buy pearls online because one can't actually see the pearls (although I've head good things about pearlparadise.com). I have a friend who's something of pearl lover but would never shop for pearls locally--we live in the Midwest. She claims no one carries quality pearls here. She only shops for them on business trips to places like San Francisco.


By the way, my dad was also in Japan in the navy. He brought my mother not pearls but loose pieces of mother of pearl. I've always thought about having them made into a piece of jewelry, but I think they would be less interesting looking mounted than they are sitting in your palm.

Thank you for your kind words. Like all popular designer items, Mikimoto pearls are faked just like VCA Alhambra & Cartier Love jewelry are faked. Mikimoto has their own website to purchase from as well as his own boutiques & some very high end jewelry store are authorized to sell the brand. With vintage Mikimoto, they should have paperwork to come with them & Mikimoto have their own way of determining if a strand of pearls are in fact one of theirs. They will not do repairs on strands if it is not one of theirs. With Ebay, you have to do your research, ask questions & make educated purchases when it comes to any jewelry.

Pearl Paradise is a reputable seller of fine pearls. I buy my pearls from local reputable jewelers or from Gem Shopping Network located here in Ga. GSN sells online from their website & on cable/satellite & stands behind what they sell & have an excellent return policy. They sell some remarkable pearls. In fact, they just got finished with doing some shows with David who one of the people who buys the pearls, South Sea, Tahitian, & Akoya, directly from the pearl farmers. He's Australian & will be back for more shows in June, the Pearl Month. I bought a pair of Tahitian drop earrings from him & they are glorious. I can see my reflection in these pearls.

Pearls can be dressed up & dressed down. I wear pearls all the time & have worn pearls with jeans long before Princess Di made it popular to do so.

When buying pearls online, you have to make sure the seller has a good return policy in case you decide you don't like them when you receive them. You would also like to check out the site's reputation & reviews.

I think your MOP pieces would make a lovely unique piece of jewelry with sentimental value! Maybe you could have them strung interspersed with pearls into a necklace, perhaps.

 

[xgianna6921x]

With the A-AAA grading system, AAA is the highest quality with A being the lowest sold. Triple A pearls are expensive so most places will carry AA or AA+ pearls. There's nothing wrong with AA or AA+ pearls, they are just not quite as nice as triple A & may have a few surface blemishes & possibly a little less luster. The average person can't usually tell between triple A & AA. I consider my multi color Tahitian strand to be AA because there are some surface marks but the luster is outstanding & when worn, the surface marks are not noticeable. I do have 2 strands of triple A Akoya in the 7-7.5 mm size. They aren't Mikimoto, but still beautiful & an exceptional value.

Thanks I get it now. So are you able to tell me is the strand I seen at Nordstrom being its a AA would it be worth it to get them? I bought a pair from Tj maxx not sure if you seen it in the thread. Not sure if I should return the Tj maxx and get the Nordstrom ones. The brand is called splendid pearl not and it comes with auth papers.

 

[cdtracing]

Thanks I get it now. So are you able to tell me is the strand I seen at Nordstrom being its a AA would it be worth it to get them? I bought a pair from Tj maxx not sure if you seen it in the thread. Not sure if I should return the Tj maxx and get the Nordstrom ones. The brand is called splendid pearl not and it comes with auth papers.

I saw the strand of circle` pearls you bought from TJMaxx. I have never been a fan of those, they look cheap to me & cheap pearls look cheap.(IMO) As far as the ones from Nordstrom, I don't know what they look like & I have no experience with Splendid Pearl. The papers that come with them, are they from a Gemological Institute?

Pearls are a personal choice & what one person likes, someone else may not. It's hard to tell with pearls from pictures, too. Personally, since the event you're going to is your son's communion, I think a single strand of classic round pearls would be a sophisticated & elegant choice to wear with your dress. There's nothing wrong with wearing a strand of quality faux pearls, either, especially if you don't know if you'll wear them again. You've been given some good names of quality faux pearl brands to check out. It really depends on what you like & what you think looks good with your dress. Have you thought about earrings? You may want to get a really nice pair of drop statement earrings & forego the necklace. You have a lot of choices & it's easy to get confused.