Tahitian pearls - Vendor vs. IRL pictures

[Pirard]

I was tempted, but the vendor photo made the pearls look if they had an almost chocolate tinge to them...but it appears from your IRL shots there is no brown to them...just glorious ripe cherry!

 

[cmd2014]

I keep coming back to look at them. I love how different they are from your blue-green strand! I'm curious how you find them on and in different lights. I have one very strong cherry Tahitian and sometimes it can look a little brown in certain lights. Other times it lights up red as can be.

 

[mtsapphirelovingannie]

Beautiful cherry pearls!

 

[Siameseroo]

This is such a useful thread! Hoping it can be stickied.

Here are my silver oval Tahitian babies from PP.

Vendor photo:



Outdoors in a shady spot:





Neck shot:



I'd say that PP's photo is accurate. The pearls are very silver with subtle but noticeable overtones of various colours - blue, green, teal, cherry etc but on the neck they appear a uniform bright silver with a slight blue cast.

 

[Siameseroo]

A couple of additional photos.

Vendor photos:





Neck shots:

 

[Siameseroo]

Blue and aubergine Kamoka pendants.

Vendor photos:





My photos:





I'd say the Kamoka photos are very accurate. IRL the various colours in the aubergine pearl are not as distinct/separate as the vendor photo but it is definitely a very bright and flashy aubergine pearl - I see more purple in person.

 

[Siameseroo]

More Kamokas - these are the 'extreme green' studs. Described as incredibly bright and flashy green peacock with gold and red bronze at their depths.

Vendor photos:





Indoor photo:



Outdoors:

 

[mtsapphirelovingannie]

Siameseroo, thank you for posting! This is a very helpful thread.

Your pearls are beautiful!

 

[Victoria10]

This is a really helpful thread and I can't wait to add my own strand. Hopefully soon!

 

[mtsapphirelovingannie]

I bought a pearl ring from Kamoka Pearl. I think the vendor's pictures were pretty spot on.

 

[Siameseroo]

Victoria, we'd love to see your pieces.

Annie - your Kamoka is gorgeous. Even more beautiful in your photo.

 

[katbran]

All those Kamoka pearls look gorgeous ! Beautiful colours and so glad that you all were happy with them irl ! Not always the case with Tahitians !

 

[cmd2014]

Wow, those Kamokas (all of them) are spectacular!

I have a new rope! ETA: from the Pearl Paradise Tahitian sale.

I forgot to save the website picture (sorry!). But here are the light box vs IRL photos:





Under fluorescent lights (in my office):

I

On my neck under fluorescent lights:

 

[cmd2014]

And neck shots in different light:



. (You can see how pink my bathroom lights make my skin look)

Long (with the bracelet added in):

 

[Siameseroo]

Just gorgeous cmd!

 

[mtsapphirelovingannie]

cmd and Siameseroo, your pearls are lovely! I especially like the blue pendant.

I bought a ring and bracelet during Kamoka Pearl's Black Friday sale. I am pleased with them.

 

[MMtwo]

Siameseroo, that blue pendant is lovely inky gloss. What a pearl.

mtsapphirelovingannie...that's a beautiful bracelet. The colors really hold their own in your photography.

I just succumbed to a multicolor light tahitian on PP today. Will post when it arrives.

This thread is one of my favorites and it should be much, much longer.

 

[Siameseroo]

Thank you moneymeister!

Annie! Your Kamokas are stunning! So much colour.

 

[mtsapphirelovingannie]

Thank you moneymeister and Siameseroo for your kind words. The bracelet is fabulous and holds is color the best of any of my Tahitian pearls. Their pictures are very accurate. Kamoka Pearl's boxes are also so nice compared to the black boxes I normally get things in.

I just ordered a pair of Kamoka earrings. I'll post when I receive them.

 

[MMtwo]

From PP: This unique Tahitian strand features light multicolor pearls with iridescent overtones. The pearls have classic baroque shapes with circles, very high luster, and slightly graduate in size from 9.0 to 11.5 mm. I added 2 pearls to make the necklace 19".
Glamour shots:



My "real" pics
Indirect indoor light

Direct under desk light

Neck shot


I love the pearls. many colorful and unique colors in this strand. Quirky

 

[mtsapphirelovingannie]

Moneymeister your pearls are beautiful. I love the colors!

I think that PP may be using their glamour picture to cover different strands. I bought a strand with the same description earlier this year. I had four inches added which unfortunately is very noticeable with the four green pearls all lumped together in the front.

I posted my strand in a different thread this fall. For the great education this thread offers, I thought I'd post pictures here.

 

[MMtwo]

mtsapphirelovingannie,
Thank you so much for sharing that! I think that is important to know for anyone who is admiring one of the baroque Tahitian strands at PP. Your strand is very similar to mine. I can see how the glamour shot is representative of the strand type.

We move on wiser.

I love your strand too.

 

[mtsapphirelovingannie]

Kamoka pearl stud earrings arrived today. They were described as a bright peacock. Once again I think the website's pictures match reality.

 

[Snowdrop13]

mtsapphirelovingannie,
Thank you so much for sharing that! I think that is important to know for anyone who is admiring one of the baroque Tahitian strands at PP. Your strand is very similar to mine. I can see how the glamour shot is representative of the strand type.

We move on wiser.

I love your strand too.

This IS very useful to know! Just last week I was admiring a strand on PP in the sale which was described with exactly the same words, although the picture was different. I'm always attracted to Tahitians but as I have very fair colouring I'm never sure if the darker, greener colours will suit me. It is extremely interesting to see real life shots of these supposedly lighter strands, they still look fairly dark to me.

 

[Siameseroo]

Moneymeister & Annie - interesting that the glamour shots are the same! Luckily both strands are gorgeous and so colourful!

Annie your new studs are gorgeous! You have a wonderful collection of colourful Kamokas! I'm very jealous!

 

[pearlsngems]

Normally PP Tahitian strands are OOAK and the description states explicitly that the strand in the photo is the very one you will receive. Then there is no quantity option in the listing for buying more than one. (This is also true for WSS and GSS strands-- each one is photographed individually. Akoya and freshwater strands, on the other hand, usually have representative photos.)

Last year (or maybe the year before?) PP listed a 9-11mm round multicolor strand on special for $1900, but it was not OOAK. There was no wording that the strand in the photo was the one you would receive, and there was the option of buying more than one. That was also the case with the silver colored Tahitians in the Black Friday sale; multiple people were buying them. In fact, just looking on the website now, I see the 8-10mm silver Tahitians are still on sale.

Also, if a buyer returns a strand, the strand will go up on the website for sale again. It's the same strand, so of course the same photo and description will be used. I recall in particular one blue-bodied Rikitea strand that reappeared for sale several times.

mtsapphirelovingannie, I see what you mean about the greenish pearls all there in the front. Do you know how to restring? If so you could re-knot the strand and move 2 (or 3) of the greenish pearls a bit further up the strand, leaving the largest pearl as the center pearl. Personally that is what I would do-- move 2, possibly omit one, and keep the 3rd for the center.

Or...did you return your strand? If so and if PP removed the 4 greenish pearls and re-knotted it, that could be the same strand that moneymeister bought.

 

[Siameseroo]

Adding my new strand from Pearl Paradise - 8-12mm circled peacock Ts.

Description:
This iridescent Tahitian strand features dark pearls with rich_green and peacock overtones. The pearls have classic baroque shapes with light circles, the sharpest luster, and have very light blemishes. The finished strand will be approximately 18 inches in length, knotted on color-matching silk and finished with your choice of 14-karat clasp. The strand in the photo is the strand you will receive.

Vendor photos:







Additional photos taken by Erin @pp:

 

[Siameseroo]

My photos taken in a range of lighting conditions

 

[Austina]

They're gorgeous

 

[Siameseroo]

Thank you Austina!

PP 8-10mm AA+ silver oval Tahitians. NOTE: my strand is not the one pictured in the vendor photo. After purchasing I found out this was not an OOAK piece and PP had 7 strands under this listing.

Vendor shots:



My photos of the strand received:


The outer strand in the following photos:

My strand is less perfectly oval and more baroque/drop shaped than the strand pictured. My strand is also a brighter, lighter silver than the one pictured. There were a handful of pearls which were very blemished, which I have since removed. The luster is nice but not quite as sharp as my other AA+ Ts from PP. But for the price ($350) it was an absolute bargain and I'm happy with the purchase!

The lesson here is unless the description specifically states this is the strand you'll receive, assume there are multiple strands. As I'm overseas and returns are expensive I'll always ask to see photos of my actual strand before shipping.