Pearl Education (Warning: Somewhat of a Rant)
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my boyfriend gave me a pair of mikimoto pearl earrings and I love them because they make me feel special..not because they cost more... 
There are several complaints with this company in general (you can easily do a search on the Pearl Guide for lots of threads about some of their shady tactics). Here's some of the basic reasons why American Pearl IS NOT a good company to buy from:
1) Stock Photos: Often, they don't upload specific photos of each strand (this is hugely important, especially if you're buying something unique like a strand of tahitian baroques). This often leads to people feeling like what they received was not the same quality as what was pictured. linkers
2) Misinformation: THIS is a very misleading photograph. It makes their "collection" look MUCH better quality than Hanadama (the creme de la creme of pearls) pearls. I'm not sure if they fixed this, but at one point in time they apparently said that AAA akoyas were the same as Hanadamas, or better than them, or that their pearls were better than Hanadama. It's a bit confusing to piece together, but they, imo, basically misrepresented pearl qualities to benefit themselves.
3) Adword Poaching: They tried to piggback off of Pearl Paradise's name. You can read the Jeremy Sheperd (president of PP) rant here!
This is just the tip of the iceburg, a LOT of people on TPG have had bead experiences with them. I'm sure you could have a fine transaction with them and be happy with whatever pearls, but I personally wouldn't take the risk, especially when there are other (and imo better) options.
thanks for the great info Callire...I know next to nothing about pearls and it's good to know some in depth information on this topic...I didn't even know that South Sea and Freshwater were referring to size differences and lusters...i just assumed it was a type of pearl
Sorry! They are different types of pearls grown in different areas, but I was trying to say what each type would mean to the consumer. Like, what's the difference between getting akoyas or freshwaters? Why are South Sea more expensive?
If I want a white pearl strand, which one should I choose?.... "Well, if you want mirrorlike luster, you should get akoyas, if you want orient, get freshwaters, and if you want anything above 9-10mm you're going to have to get South Seas."
Check out more of my pearl photos in the reference forum HERE
What I mean by "ORIENT:" This is a WHITE pearl, but with a strong PINK/ROSE undertone. Taken in sunlight. Bought from druzydesigns (on ebay) for about $110. 10-13mm drop freshwater pearl.
AA(ish, on the low side) quality pearls:(I should've taken photos side by side when I still had these, but I gave them away. Notice the off-round shape and the dimpled surface area. These have decent luster, but it's very "shallow") You can also see that they look a little "chalky" when worn. 8-9mm, 20" strand, bought off e-bay from Apexpearl for about $45.
"Freshadama" 7-8mm strands, Pink & White:
Taken in indirect sunlight. Note: Most "freshadama" strands are graduated slightly, so some of my photos were to highlight the size difference.
Another photo of my everyday pink freshadamas:
What I mean by "ORIENT:" This is a WHITE pearl, but with a strong PINK/ROSE undertone. Taken in sunlight. Bought from druzydesigns (on ebay) for about $110. 10-13mm drop freshwater pearl.
AA(ish, on the low side) quality pearls:(I should've taken photos side by side when I still had these, but I gave them away. Notice the off-round shape and the dimpled surface area. These have decent luster, but it's very "shallow") You can also see that they look a little "chalky" when worn. 8-9mm, 20" strand, bought off e-bay from Apexpearl for about $45.
"Freshadama" 7-8mm strands, Pink & White:
Taken in indirect sunlight. Note: Most "freshadama" strands are graduated slightly, so some of my photos were to highlight the size difference.
Another photo of my everyday pink freshadamas:
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(all of this is in my humble opinion)
IMO: My two beefs are thus: QUALITY & PRICE
They say that: "High Quality - Specializing in the top few percent of the harvest." but they don't say what that means. Are these GEM QUALITY, AAA, AA+, etc? What are their quality standards? IMHO: Therefore, almost everything is grossly overpriced. They also don't say tcw for any of the diamonds in the designs.
THIS is way way way overpriced. This is worth like (maybe) $200, at the most.
14k 5mm 14": OMFG! Seriously, I have no idea why anyone would want pearls as small as 5mm (that's super duper tiny). I could only see them asking $190 if they were gem quality, but even then... that's not too great.
7MM necklace: Again, $465 is too much even for gem.
Freshwater pendant for $4100. One, they don't tell you the tcw of the diamonds, and secondly, that's A LOT for a single freshwater pearl. NOT WORH IT IMO! You could get a 12mm freshwater pendant for under $200, so you can see why asking 4k is excessive.
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Totally agree. Same thing for Tiffany round brilliant cut diamonds. People may be surprised to hear that not all Tiffany round diamonds are ideal cut i.e not all Tiffany round diamonds could achieve a AGS 0 in terms of cut if it were sent to AGS for grading. Tiffany only issue its own in house certificate and they are not even a laboratory to begin with. It makes more sense to pay 40% less for a non-branded AGS 0 cut diamond than one that cost 40% more with no guarantee that it is even an ideal cut. Alternatively, use the same budget and get a bigger non-branded ideal cut round diamond. You pay for the blue box when you buy a Tiffany round brilliant cut diamond.
Same thing for Mikimoto pearls. The source of the pearls is from the pearl farm, full stop. If mikimoto can have access to top quality AAA pearls, so do other vendors. Just do your homework and you can save the difference in cash and put it into something else.
The beauty of a round diamond lies in the 4Cs, branding isn't one of them. The beauty of a pearl (for the same type of pearl) lies in their nacre thickness, lustre, size, again branding isn't one of them. Gemstones are from nature, whether it is Tiffany or Mikimoto or any other trustworthy and reliable vendor, they are still from the same source -- nature.
Okay, few quick tips for pearl shopping (especially on 'bay):
- Know your pearl sizes/overtones. For example, South Sea pearls generally start at 8mm, but 99.9% of the time, pearl strands less than 9-10mm are going to be freshwater or akoya, not South Sea. Unless it's from a trusted dealer, an ebay listing with a 7-8mm, 9-10mm strand is not South Sea. Most of the time, people will mislabel them to make them more valuable than they actually are. There are exceptions, of course, but the hard and fast rule is to be very skeptical of "Baby South Seas" (complete and total BS!). This goes for Golden South Seas, as well, because both akoyas and freshwater pearls can be dyed (or sometimes be golden naturally).
- Dyed freshwater vs. Tahitian. Sometimes it's hard to tell between dyed black pearls (usually freshwater or akoya) and tahitians. Look at the overtones or run a check on The Pearl Guide. I've tried to post a few pics of dyed freshwaters so you can see how they look in real life. Unfortunately, black pearls do nothing for me, so I don't have many photos.
- Be wary of vintage strands. Often, pearls dry out or lose luster with age. Look for cracks, chips, and a "chalky" appearance. (You can tell some of the surface blemishes on the lesser quality strand that I posted). HOWEVER: sometimes it can be beneficial to buy a vintage strand for the clasp (as you can poach the diamond/sapphire/whatever clasp and get them restrung with new pearls!). ALSO: Look at the spaces in between the pearls and the knots. They shouldn't be stretched with age (sign of abuse) or dirty (stained, tinted, etc). Dirty knots = old, used strand. Plus, you should really re-string your pearls as soon as they start to get dirty.
Also: Vintage and estate auctions are a great place to pick up pearl pieces. A lot of people know nothing about pearls, so you can get a GREAT deal if you're educated and know you're stuff!! I've found some amazing pieces.
Also: Akoya vs. freshwater on 'bay: Honestly, it's hard to tell the difference from craptacular photos, so I just assume they're all freshwater (helps to resist temptations). "Natural" pearls are also super rare... be very careful if that's what you're looking for.
- Know your pearl sizes/overtones. For example, South Sea pearls generally start at 8mm, but 99.9% of the time, pearl strands less than 9-10mm are going to be freshwater or akoya, not South Sea. Unless it's from a trusted dealer, an ebay listing with a 7-8mm, 9-10mm strand is not South Sea. Most of the time, people will mislabel them to make them more valuable than they actually are. There are exceptions, of course, but the hard and fast rule is to be very skeptical of "Baby South Seas" (complete and total BS!). This goes for Golden South Seas, as well, because both akoyas and freshwater pearls can be dyed (or sometimes be golden naturally).
- Dyed freshwater vs. Tahitian. Sometimes it's hard to tell between dyed black pearls (usually freshwater or akoya) and tahitians. Look at the overtones or run a check on The Pearl Guide. I've tried to post a few pics of dyed freshwaters so you can see how they look in real life. Unfortunately, black pearls do nothing for me, so I don't have many photos.
- Be wary of vintage strands. Often, pearls dry out or lose luster with age. Look for cracks, chips, and a "chalky" appearance. (You can tell some of the surface blemishes on the lesser quality strand that I posted). HOWEVER: sometimes it can be beneficial to buy a vintage strand for the clasp (as you can poach the diamond/sapphire/whatever clasp and get them restrung with new pearls!). ALSO: Look at the spaces in between the pearls and the knots. They shouldn't be stretched with age (sign of abuse) or dirty (stained, tinted, etc). Dirty knots = old, used strand. Plus, you should really re-string your pearls as soon as they start to get dirty.
Also: Vintage and estate auctions are a great place to pick up pearl pieces. A lot of people know nothing about pearls, so you can get a GREAT deal if you're educated and know you're stuff!! I've found some amazing pieces.
Also: Akoya vs. freshwater on 'bay: Honestly, it's hard to tell the difference from craptacular photos, so I just assume they're all freshwater (helps to resist temptations). "Natural" pearls are also super rare... be very careful if that's what you're looking for.
Callire~
I have enjoyed reading this thread and learned a lot! Some of the other ladies here on TPF recommended you as our resident pearl expert!
I'm in the process of picking out a strand and maybe earrings for my daughter. She is graduating in May with a masters degree, so we want to give her something memorable. I looked at diamond earrings~but pearls are just calling me for some reason as the right gift for the occasion.
So far I have looked at PearlParadise.come and PearlsOnly.com and have pluses and minuses in my head for both. What I am looking for is an white Akoya strand about 8mm and as good quality as we can afford~around 2K. I'm writing to you just to get any extra advice or tips you may have.
Thanks in advance! And btw your photos are amazing!!
I have enjoyed reading this thread and learned a lot! Some of the other ladies here on TPF recommended you as our resident pearl expert!
I'm in the process of picking out a strand and maybe earrings for my daughter. She is graduating in May with a masters degree, so we want to give her something memorable. I looked at diamond earrings~but pearls are just calling me for some reason as the right gift for the occasion.
So far I have looked at PearlParadise.come and PearlsOnly.com and have pluses and minuses in my head for both. What I am looking for is an white Akoya strand about 8mm and as good quality as we can afford~around 2K. I'm writing to you just to get any extra advice or tips you may have.
Thanks in advance! And btw your photos are amazing!!
With that price range, I would go for either a Hanadama 7-7.5mm from Pearl paradise or the Mikimoto gift set, which includes a strand and a pair of earrings.
Hanadama: http://www.pearlparadise.com/detail.aspx?ID=2253
Mikimoto: http://www.mikimotoamerica.com/mm5/...Product_Code=U7018G_PES701VSG&Category_Code=S
I was in the Las Vegas Miki store last week looking at the gift set. They were gorgeous, and a beautiful gift for 2K.
Hanadama: http://www.pearlparadise.com/detail.aspx?ID=2253
Mikimoto: http://www.mikimotoamerica.com/mm5/...Product_Code=U7018G_PES701VSG&Category_Code=S
I was in the Las Vegas Miki store last week looking at the gift set. They were gorgeous, and a beautiful gift for 2K.
What do you think of these?
Akoya:http://www.pearlparadise.com/detail.aspx?ID=116 At that price, I could get her the earrings and bracelet as well. BUT...what about the quality?
Hanadama: http://www.pearlparadise.com/detail.aspx?ID=743 They don't have prices listed for 16"??? But, they say there is no problem to make a strand in choker length snd have it priced accordingly. Now with this one, it might only be earrings (if that) to go with the necklace. I'm only hoping she appreciates the value and the special things about this strand.
I haven't looked at Mikimoto yet, but did look at Pearlsonly.com, which seems very similar in feel and in inventory.
I get a bit more confused the deeper I go on this journey!! It's so hard online~but I know it will save us so much money!
Akoya:http://www.pearlparadise.com/detail.aspx?ID=116 At that price, I could get her the earrings and bracelet as well. BUT...what about the quality?
Hanadama: http://www.pearlparadise.com/detail.aspx?ID=743 They don't have prices listed for 16"??? But, they say there is no problem to make a strand in choker length snd have it priced accordingly. Now with this one, it might only be earrings (if that) to go with the necklace. I'm only hoping she appreciates the value and the special things about this strand.
I haven't looked at Mikimoto yet, but did look at Pearlsonly.com, which seems very similar in feel and in inventory.
I get a bit more confused the deeper I go on this journey!! It's so hard online~but I know it will save us so much money!
AAA quality from PP will be beautiful.
I love the Hanadamas, but would seriously consider keeping the strand at 18". Hanadama certificates are for 18" strands only. If she ever lost any pearls that are removed when shortening to 16", the certificate will no longer be valid.
I love the Hanadamas, but would seriously consider keeping the strand at 18". Hanadama certificates are for 18" strands only. If she ever lost any pearls that are removed when shortening to 16", the certificate will no longer be valid.
Are these all directed at me?
QueenCatherine: Keep in mind that you must be very careful about getting mikimoto pearls restrung (something you're going to have to do eventually for almost all pearl necklaces unless you almost never wear them), because Mikimoto cannot guarantee that whatever pearls are from them. They can only tell from the clasp. Whenever you have them restrung, unless by mikimoto, you run the risk of the necklace losing some of its brand value because, arguably (and some people actually do this) you could've bought similar quality akoyas and just strung them with a mikimoto clasp. Just a warning because it has happened to a few people on the Pearl Guide.
If your budget is about $2,000 here's my humble opinion:
If you're looking at Akoya AAA quality or Hanadama, they will look absolutely beautiful. No matter what. The good new is that there really isn't a wrong choice here
It really just depends on what you're looking for gift wise. Since it's a special occasion and she's not a pearl expert, the mikimoto set could be a timeless gift. It really, honestly just depends on whether you want that brand name attached to the gift. (I'd be super happy with Mikimoto any day, but I'd probably go for Hanadama personally) Or, with the Hanadama, you could upgrade the clasp to something with a little more WOW factor.
(Keep in mind that 6-7mm is a bit small for pearls... Personally, I prefer at least 7-8mm or 8-9mm. Also, the difference between 16-18" isn't really a lot. I don't think it'll really matter too much. It also depends on how your neck/shoulders are, because on me, for example, my 18" strands hang like 16.5" strands because I have broader shoulders)
My suggestion if you choose Hanadama:
Instead of buying your Hanadama from Pearl Paradise, buy it from The Pearl Outlet, Hanadama at TPO since there's a 10% off coupon code.
So, you can either get 7.5mm 18" Hanadama for $1,368 (and personally, I'd upgrade the clasp +$420, plus they have more clasps to choose from if you want something less expensive or you want yellow gold or something) and then get a AAA akoya bracelet (+$150ish) and either AAA akoya or AAA freshwater/freshadama earrings (+ $54 for freshadama) for a grand total of $1933. (and I'd get the bracelet + earrings from Pearl Paradise, there's another coupon code for $10 off each item so $-20)
-OR- You could use the TPO coupon code to upgrade to a 8mm necklace.
QueenCatherine: Keep in mind that you must be very careful about getting mikimoto pearls restrung (something you're going to have to do eventually for almost all pearl necklaces unless you almost never wear them), because Mikimoto cannot guarantee that whatever pearls are from them. They can only tell from the clasp. Whenever you have them restrung, unless by mikimoto, you run the risk of the necklace losing some of its brand value because, arguably (and some people actually do this) you could've bought similar quality akoyas and just strung them with a mikimoto clasp. Just a warning because it has happened to a few people on the Pearl Guide.
If your budget is about $2,000 here's my humble opinion:
If you're looking at Akoya AAA quality or Hanadama, they will look absolutely beautiful. No matter what. The good new is that there really isn't a wrong choice here
It really just depends on what you're looking for gift wise. Since it's a special occasion and she's not a pearl expert, the mikimoto set could be a timeless gift. It really, honestly just depends on whether you want that brand name attached to the gift. (I'd be super happy with Mikimoto any day, but I'd probably go for Hanadama personally) Or, with the Hanadama, you could upgrade the clasp to something with a little more WOW factor.
(Keep in mind that 6-7mm is a bit small for pearls... Personally, I prefer at least 7-8mm or 8-9mm. Also, the difference between 16-18" isn't really a lot. I don't think it'll really matter too much. It also depends on how your neck/shoulders are, because on me, for example, my 18" strands hang like 16.5" strands because I have broader shoulders)
My suggestion if you choose Hanadama:
Instead of buying your Hanadama from Pearl Paradise, buy it from The Pearl Outlet, Hanadama at TPO since there's a 10% off coupon code.
So, you can either get 7.5mm 18" Hanadama for $1,368 (and personally, I'd upgrade the clasp +$420, plus they have more clasps to choose from if you want something less expensive or you want yellow gold or something) and then get a AAA akoya bracelet (+$150ish) and either AAA akoya or AAA freshwater/freshadama earrings (+ $54 for freshadama) for a grand total of $1933. (and I'd get the bracelet + earrings from Pearl Paradise, there's another coupon code for $10 off each item so $-20)
-OR- You could use the TPO coupon code to upgrade to a 8mm necklace.
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