The PEARL Lovers Thread!

TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others

#4,096
Sonic Peaches said:
You should NOT pay that much for Tahitian pearls- especially the quality she is selling. I saw Elle Florence's website and she sells an "image" for sure, but the quality is the same as many sellers on Etsy. Please support them as I know that many get their pearls from the exact same source but charge in the $100s at the most...and not $700s (red flag there - this is a very steep markup for the same stuff). Look at some of the Hawaii-based sellers on Etsy. I can't show specifics but a simple search should help. I know this lady has a business to run, but the prices she charges over what the wholesale price is for Tahitian pearls from the same sources is bat-sh*t crazy. Anyone can go on vacation to Tahiti, take photos, and claim all their pearls are "authentic" but I know you will be safe to get high quality designs from other sellers who don't charge that crazy markup!! Yes, the high end (think Mikimoto) get atmospheric in prices, but for your everyday wear pearls like she is selling you could get a much better deal.
Side note, I saw more red flags on this seller when I did a Google search and although a popular gossip site came up, there is a lot of shadiness going on. Buyer beware. Good luck on your search.
Click to expand...

Interesting -- I would not expect to get genuine Tahitian pearls at all for $700 for a strand of round pearls... that seems extremely cheap to me? And generally I've found that you get what you pay for. A lot of people like Pearl Paradise for good prices on the internet. TBH I think I would choose to buy online rather than at most retailers these days. You just have to know where to look.
 
  • Like
Reactions: piperdog and Sonic Peaches
#4,100
Litigatrix said:
I have quite a few loose pearls in my collection and spend way too much time looking at them and thinking about them and evaluating which ones should go together in a piece . I really love this plump little pair of white south sea pearls, which I finally bit the bullet and turned into a pair of earrings this weekend! View attachment 4646372 View attachment 4646374
Click to expand...

Lovely!!! You are so talented :D
 
  • Like
Reactions: cdtracing
#4,101
Litigatrix said:
I have quite a few loose pearls in my collection and spend way too much time looking at them and thinking about them and evaluating which ones should go together in a piece . I really love this plump little pair of white south sea pearls, which I finally bit the bullet and turned into a pair of earrings this weekend! View attachment 4646372 View attachment 4646374
Click to expand...
That’s so cool! How did you do it?
 
#4,103
Litigatrix said:
I love this necklace of natural blue south sea pearls from the remote island of Tanimbarkei. I have made a few necklaces now with this design for customers as well (although not with the blue pearls, which are very rare — I had to collect these from my supplier over a period of several months).
Click to expand...

Beautiful design! It’s so modern, yet classic. The different sizes really make it interesting! Thanks for posting. Headed to your shop to take a look around!
 
  • Like
Reactions: cdtracing
#4,105
Today I wore my south sea keshi pearl rope, which was the first project I set out to do. I also included lots of little 14k tiny beads that give it tons of sparkle. I love the versatility of this rope — I can wear it as one long strand, double it for a choker and princess length, tie a knot in it to bunch them all up on my check, or twist it into a choker like a did today :)

7EC13DA2-81C7-4A04-A315-B32B31740E21.jpeg FD7C2E75-B4B1-40AA-BDFC-68E16ED4A6ED.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: hotgalaxy, cdtracing, piosavsfan and 3 others
#4,106
Junkenpo said:
Aloha ladies!

I've lurked more than posted in this thread, but I wanted to share my latest acquisition... these earrings. They are 2nd hand and were sold to me as "tahitians" but I'm not familiar enough with pearls to say if that is correct. The settings are stamped "18k" with a © and what looks like an M or W with a slash through it. I can't really tell. If anyone recognizes the maker's mark, let me know. I'm adoring the size and the color more than I thought I would. I'm usually in yellow gold, but these are awesome.

WLsZohH.jpg


qNfClrR.jpg
Click to expand...

I'm quoting myself because I think I finally uncovered the who the hallmark represents. Turns out it was right in my backyard. I got a better deal than I realized if I'm correct. Looks like the hallmark might be Maui Divers. They've been in business a long time. I've always walked past the store without going in, now next time I'm near a boutique, I'll check it out and see if I can get it verified.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cdtracing
#4,107
Question - do these pearls look like Mikimotos to you?
I spied these on a secondhand site and have decided that I am not going to bid on them, so this is just an exercise in curiosity for me. They seem to have the correct clasp. I know next to nothing about pearls. Do they look scratched or blemished to you? They are listed as 5mm, but 7mm wide in the listing so it's a bit confusing, too.

Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to hear from a pearl expert on this. I am not bidding on them. I have decided I do not need a pearl necklace now and the listing is too ambiguous for me.
https://www.shopgoodwill.com/Item/85310870
 
#4,108
KBecks said:
Question - do these pearls look like Mikimotos to you?
I spied these on a secondhand site and have decided that I am not going to bid on them, so this is just an exercise in curiosity for me. They seem to have the correct clasp. I know next to nothing about pearls. Do they look scratched or blemished to you? They are listed as 5mm, but 7mm wide in the listing so it's a bit confusing, too.

Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to hear from a pearl expert on this. I am not bidding on them. I have decided I do not need a pearl necklace now and the listing is too ambiguous for me.
https://www.shopgoodwill.com/Item/85310870
Click to expand...
The M in the clamshell is definitely the Mikimoto maker's mark. Usually Mikimoto pearls have a pink overtone, whereas these look more yellow to me, but maybe it's just the lighting? It's possible it could be a genuine Mikimoto clasp that has been restrung with non-Mikimoto pearls, although I'm not sure why someone would do that (other than to pass off lower quality pearls as genuine Mikimoto).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top