New to pearls...what should I get for $1000

[Staceyjan]

During a mtg today, I became a pearl watcher and looked at the pearls other women were wearing. Some looked like they were plastic beads, one woman had a nice sized pair of earrings but no luster to them and the another had a beautiful, classic strand. So, maybe I should save a little more for higher quality akoya pearls that are bright white w silver undertone...

It was amazing that a nicer quality really stood out. I'm still too much of a newbie to tell if they were a high quality freshwater or salt waters pearls.

 

[pearlsngems]

Luster is everything in pearls! I don't see the point in buying pearls that lack luster. Luster will make them stand out.

You don't have to buy akoyas to get great luster, but the luster of akoyas generally is higher than that of freshwaters generally.

Two things I have learned about pearl buying:
1. Get what you really want from the start, or you will end up buying it later anyway and neglect the not-really-wanted strand. If that means waiting and saving up, so be it. There will always be more discount codes and more pearls to buy.
2. Don't be surprised if you find that one strand only whets your appetite for more pearls. So plan your pearl budget for the long run!

 

[Staceyjan]

Yes, so true about the luster and I think I needed to see it today to really comprehend it.

A little update...when we were at GOG this weekend (I had my ER reset) one of my DDs and I tried on estate pearl earrings. DH surprised us and bought them for us. So, I am glad the white color seems to be consensus that will look best with my skin color. All I know is that they are 8mm and not freshwater. They have white 14 K posts. One earring had minor small scratches/dents near the post but had to look closely to see them. I also see the glue marks where the earring is attached to the backing. But, they look pretty good, and are smooth. And, the price was extremely reasonable since it was only $166.

DD's earrings had a pinkish creamy tint to them and are freshwater sized 4.5-5 mm. The price was also right at $82.

So, this def helps me decide to stay in the "white" family since I have a starter pair of earrings. This is also a good gauge to see how I like the size for earrings.

One pic also reflects pink, I have a hot pink shirt on (lol).

I wish I knew what kind mine are does anyone have an idea?

 

[Siameseroo]

They look lovely on you. How sweet of your husband!

 

[cmd2014]

If they are 8mm and GOG was selling them as saltwater pearls, they would be Akoya (which is what they look like in your pictures). They are very nice, and very pretty on you too! And so you go down the rabbit hole of pearl ownership!

 

[Staceyjan]

If they are 8mm and GOG was selling them as saltwater pearls, they would be Akoya (which is what they look like in your pictures). They are very nice, and very pretty on you too! And so you go down the rabbit hole of pearl ownership!

Thanks, I appreciate your opinion and confirmation that he did good. I think it is going to be a long, long hole that I am falling into. I am now even more motivated to get a necklace.

 

[ennui]

Did you look in the PP Mother's Day Gift guide? There are a few strands of white freshwaters and Akoyas that fit your budget.

I love a sale.

 

[Staceyjan]

Did you look in the PP Mother's Day Gift guide? There are a few strands of white freshwaters and Akoyas that fit your budget.

I love a sale.

I must have read this thread 20 times and w the sale, I'm even more tempted to buy a strand soon. I think these may be the winner: http://www.pearlparadise.com/p-145-90-95-mm-white-freshadama-freshwater-pearl-necklace.aspx

I hope the size is large enough for me. I think I would prefer high quality fresh water compared to a lower Quality Akoyas. Almost ready to take the plunge.

 

[Arialle]

Hello~
Have you tried on south sea white necklace? South sea may not have the sharp luster as akoya but its silky luster when wore against skin just beyond words. If the shape of the pearls don't have to be round, I highly recommend checking out some baroque south sea strands (price from $600+) before making final decision...

 

[pearlsngems]

I think you will be happy with that 9-9.5mm Freshadama.

My advice: call PP and ask them to email you a photo of 3 or 4 strands of this type. Be specific about the qualities that are most important to you in a strand, so they can select suitable strands for you to choose between. Then pick the one you like best.

 

[Staceyjan]

Thanks again, I will check out the south sea ones before going forward even though I thought I was leaning towards the freshwater ones. Maybe I will be somewhere this weekend to see pearls in person and try them on.

 

[Staceyjan]

I think you will be happy with that 9-9.5mm Freshadama.

My advice: call PP and ask them to email you a photo of 3 or 4 strands of this type. Be specific about the qualities that are most important to you in a strand, so they can select suitable strands for you to choose between. Then pick the one you like best.

In order, what qualities do you suggest? I am thinking but could be wrong:
1. luster
2. color (bright white w silver undertone)
3. symmetrical in size

 

[pearlsngems]

This is really dependent on what you value most.

For me it would be luster, color, roundness but for some people roundness is higher on the list.

 

[ennui]

I apologize, but I wouldn't spend $1000 on freshwater pearls. I'd buy Akoya.

 

[pearlsngems]

But you can't get a good sized akoya necklace of AAA quality for $1000 or anywhere near it....

 

[Staceyjan]

Thanks! I like pearl earrings to be larger than the largest pearl in the strand. I just think it looks better and gets away from that matchy-matchy boxed set look when the earring pearls are the same size as the strand pearls. When the earring pearls are smaller than the strand pearls, I don't know, it just doesn't look good to me. However, I don't really care if the shades of white match between the strand and the earrings. It seems to me too much distance to really be noticed, and big pearl earrings can be expensive so it's also nice to be able to buy them at different times and not worry about a perfect match. Of course some people will feel differently about that. Here is my latest crime heh heh, a 10-11 mm freshwater strand (from Lei Family Jewelery-2 in China (on ebay). And 14-15mm south sea pearl earrings (from the Pearl Society, also on ebay) with the diamond wires from Pearl Paradise. If you can see from the pics, the freshwaters are more creamy colored and the south sea are more blue-ish but I don't care:

I keep going back to this strand because I love your modeling shot but not in love with how they look on the POJ website. The graduated size is perfect but having reservations about the ripples. I may need to check out that eBay site, too.

 

[Staceyjan]

Here's another idea for a larger, high luster akoya strand that is well within your budget-- this 9.0-9.5mm baroque akoya strand from PP:

http://www.pearlparadise.com/p-5684-90-95-mm-white-akoya-baroque-pearl-necklace.aspx

I have these akoyas (in the 9.5-10.0 size that was offered earlier) and can tell you they are amazing! The nacre is thick and the luster is high. Although they are baroque, they are overall rather round in appearance. With your savings (using the discount code) you can buy earrings.

Here are mine:

After reading each post again and again, I put these in my cart. But, I hope they are big enough for me. I'm also going to call tomorrow to see if there is anything avail that is not listed online. I need to decide soon to get the discount.

 

[Staceyjan]

Stacyjan: Come back and show us what you end up getting! New pearls are always so exciting!

Pearlsngems: I love your baroque akoya strand! Wow! Look at that luster and the overtones!!! Just gorgeous!

Nacrelover: Wow, I always enjoy 4RG's collection so much. I love her WSS strand.

Now I'm going to have to go look at my own collection to convince myself that I do not *need* more pearls.

Cmd2014: I spent hours looking through the threads and love your collection! You also have great advice. I do have the following items in my cart and really need to make a decision soon:
8.0-8.5 mm White Akoya Pearl Necklace
Gift Wrap
Show information
$1,334.00
$933.00
Update Delete
$933.00

9.0-9.5 mm White Akoya Baroque Pearl Necklace
Gift Wrap
Show information
$585.00
Update Delete
$585.00

18-inch 8.2-10.7 mm AAA Tahitian Drop Pearl Necklace
Gift Wrap
Show information
$900.00

I am thinking you would suggest the Tahitian based on m skin color but sounds like I should wait until August. Then, the first Akoya's sound lovely but may be a little small. Lastly, the baroque ones are a great price point and I don't think I would mind the baroque look. What would you select?

 

[cmd2014]

It's a tough call, and completely depends on what you personally like and don't. Since you were originally looking for a classic white strand, I'd suggest holding off on the Tahitians. The August sale is the best time for them anyway.

Between the other two...it depends on whether you want big or classic and top quality. Akoya pearls are smaller than other pearls, so 7-7.5mm and 7.5-8mm are considered the "classic" sizes. 8-8.5mm is quite substantial in an Akoya, and if you get AAA quality, will be gorgeous. The luster will also make them strand out. They will look expensive even to a non-pearl person eye (people will recognize them as real pearls and fine jewelry).

I don't have a strand of the baroque Akoyas, but I hear that they have thick nacre and high luster. They are also huge as Akoya pearls go (and a great price). But they are baroque (off round, with some bumpiness to the surface) so you'll have to think about how shape sensitive you are. Baroque pearls always look a bit more casual (and less like classic fine jewelry) than round. Sometimes this is what you want (I wear my baroque Tahitians almost every day to work; they go well with my suits and look dressy but not overly formal). Sometimes not. So I'd suggest maybe thinking about how you want to wear them. Casual and fun, go baroque. Classic and elegant, go round. I'd maybe start with classic first. The fun stuff is easy to add in later, on less of a budget. But if you spend your budget on smaller ticket items, it takes that much longer to save up for the bigger ones.

The other thing is that if you buy one and decide to exchange it for something else after you've seen it and had a chance to try it on, PP will likely honor the discount on the exchange if you ask. They always have for me.

 

[Staceyjan]

It's a tough call, and completely depends on what you personally like and don't. Since you were originally looking for a classic white strand, I'd suggest holding off on the Tahitians. The August sale is the best time for them anyway.

Between the other two...it depends on whether you want big or classic and top quality. Akoya pearls are smaller than other pearls, so 7-7.5mm and 7.5-8mm are considered the "classic" sizes. 8-8.5mm is quite substantial in an Akoya, and if you get AAA quality, will be gorgeous. The luster will also make them strand out. They will look expensive even to a non-pearl person eye (people will recognize them as real pearls and fine jewelry).

I don't have a strand of the baroque Akoyas, but I hear that they have thick nacre and high luster. They are also huge as Akoya pearls go (and a great price). But they are baroque (off round, with some bumpiness to the surface) so you'll have to think about how shape sensitive you are. Baroque pearls always look a bit more casual (and less like classic fine jewelry) than round. Sometimes this is what you want (I wear my baroque Tahitians almost every day to work; they go well with my suits and look dressy but not overly formal). Sometimes not. So I'd suggest maybe thinking about how you want to wear them. Casual and fun, go baroque. Classic and elegant, go round. I'd maybe start with classic first. The fun stuff is easy to add in later, on less of a budget. But if you spend your budget on smaller ticket items, it takes that much longer to save up for the bigger ones.

The other thing is that if you buy one and decide to exchange it for something else after you've seen it and had a chance to try it on, PP will likely honor the discount on the exchange if you ask. They always have for me.

THANK YOU!!! You really did help me with this process. Your collection is truly amazing!
I knew you going to say hold of on the Tahitians. I am glad I did not order them.

I would wear them with suits and looking for a more formal look and did hesitate with the baroque ones.

I went with this FW set just because I love the graduated beads and because of how inexpensive it was:
https://www.pearlparadise.com/p-5862-90-110-mm-white-freshwater-bead-nucleated-pearl-necklace.aspx

But, could always order the Akoyas and then decide when they arrive.

I may now look at rings and pearls for my DD's communion next year. I will be waiting to go top of the line with the T's in August.

Thank you again, for all the advice, it is truly appreciated!

 

[cmd2014]

But, could always order the Akoyas and then decide when they arrive.

I may now look at rings and pearls for my DD's communion next year. I will be waiting to go top of the line with the T's in August.

Thank you again, for all the advice, it is truly appreciated!

You know, if you are in the US, since it's free shipping both ways, I'd say order both and then decide what you like the best. There's really no substitute for trying something on and seeing whether or not it suits you. It's just too hard to judge scale and colour from a picture, and it's only through trial and error that you'll figure out what works best for you in terms of colour, size, length, and type of pearl. Try them on with the outfits you're going to wear them with too. You'd be surprised what a difference that can make.

And you are very welcome. Soon you'll be giving advice too!

 

[Staceyjan]

I spoke to Jeremy and decided to go with a total 3 strands! We added the baroque akoyas and a freshwater set. I also decided to get the rope ring. Cannot wait to receive everything and post all three for opinions between the strands.

I will be going with metallic freshwater for DD's communion in the future but he said we def have time and another sale in the future.

What great personalized customer service! Thank you again, everyone for all the replies, this was a very enlightening experience.

 

[rcglider]

I wold love for some advice on what these pearls are and price etc.
they look real and very heavy, these were a gift from a friend.
any help would be appreciated.

 

[pearlsngems]

Those are cultured freshwater pearls from China. The colors are natural.
They are solid nacre-- no bead inside to make them round-- so they will be durable!

These are inexpensive pearls but the fact that they are a gift from a friend is what gives them value.

It looks like they would benefit from a bath (in warm soapy water-- don't use jewelry cleaner or detergents).

 

[rcglider]

thank you

 

[katbran]

Agree, cultured Freshwater , inexpensive but fun to wear !

 

[rcglider]

how does one define cultured from none cultured ?

 

[pearlsngems]

Cultured means farmed. This accounts for virtually all pearls on the current market.

Non-cultured pearls are wild pearls that were created in nature with no involvement of humans. These are now rare and very costly.

Both cultured and wild pearls are real pearls.

 

[rcglider]

how does one tell the difference from cultured to real?

 

[pearlsngems]

Bottom line-- you'd need lots of experience with pearls and equipment to test them with. For the rest of us, there are some common sense guidelines:

• There are very few natural pearls-- the era of diving for pearls is long past-- so the odds are very high that any given strand will be cultured.

• Eggy shapes are extremely common among cultured freshwater pearls-- like yours.

• Nature doesn't tend to make truly round pearls-- so round pearls are extremely likely to be cultured pearls-- e.g. akoya, South Sea, Tahitian and bead-nucleated freshwaters.

• Natural pearls are very costly. Not that one can't find a rare bargain, e.g. from an unwitting seller, but it's not likely!

If one has good reason to believe that one has a natural pearl or strand, one can ship it to the GIA to have it X-rayed and evaluated. There is a fee for this service. (I am not encouraging you to send yours, though-- they are clearly cultured fwp).

Have a look at some natural pearls on these two websites:
Kari pearls: https://www.karipearls.com
The Pearl Collector: http://www.thepearlcollector.com