Trusted Vendors Sticky?

[seaurchin]

Hi Jen. I don't think what you linked to belongs on the "trusted pearl vendor" list because it doesn't appear they specialize in pearls. Also, the ring you linked to, with a freshwater mabe pearl and not precious metal, seems closer to costume/craft jewelry than fine pearl jewelry.

However, both the ring and the shop/s look adorable so that certainly doesn't mean you shouldn't get it or wouldn't enjoy it. Maybe you could google the company name and see if it's listed (for good or for bad) on any review sites. And/or if there's anything less expensive that you want, try buying that first to limit your loss if you're unsure about them. Good luck with it and please post a picture if you get it!

 

[NacreLover]

Perlas del Mar de Cortez
Sea of Cortez pearl farm in Guaymas, Mexico

 

[pregcurious]

My second experience with Jac at thePearlHouse Etsy wasn't so good.
Originally I felt comfortable enough to purchase because of some beautiful examples consistently posted by other forum members. I had my share of jewelry purchase problems before so I am more careful nowadays, but I was always happy to give smaller Etsy vendors a go, this may change now as I've been burned a few times and there's no recourse with some of the smaller vendors.

1. I was encouraged to purchase off Etsy for my own benefit (there was none but vendor don't have to pay Etsy fees so may be that's why I was given that option), I actually paid an extra 5% that I didn't have to, to make things easier for the vendor I didn't ask him to recreate a listing on Etsy, I realised this was a mistake and I should have kept the transaction above board despite good reviews from others. If I could post my review on Etsy I will give 2.5 to 3 stars out of 5.
2. Stringing wasn't done because I didn't purchase a clasp (I paid for stringing), I wasn't told I need to purchase one from him and his associate.
3. I was told the pearls will be similar in price (went up by 30%), hey I thought the pearls will be the same quality as last time so I wasn't too unhappy, but I was wrong, quality not as good and I bought from the same listing.
4. Pearls are more monotone (grey) and less lustrous than photos on Etsy, and the previous pearls I purchased from him.
5. Too few pearls chosen so the strand is too short (14 inches only), despite paying extra for matching and stringing fee.
5. In the end implied I need to purchase bulk like other forum members and do my own matching, I think it got too hard for the vendor in the end. My original request was choose enough pearls for a 17 inches strand, with 10mm to 12 mm pearls, or 11mm to 13mm pearls. 5 extra pearls, 2 x 10mm for my existing bracelet, 2 x 11 mm for earrings, 1 x 11mm for a ring.
6. Given excuses (eg jet setting to LA) when I asked for a tracking number a week after it was originally promised.

Since there's a no return policy for drilled pearls and credit and exchange only policy only for undrilled pearls, inconsistent information given and diminishing customer service, I won't be purchasing from Jac again. Weighing everything up against the price I paid with this purchase and other vendors with better return policies and customer service, I am willing to pay a bit more and buy from more reputable vendors, I am a quality vs quantity person.

I'm glad another member got a full refund with the help of the forum, despite that thread was removed due to forum rules.

Thanks for the review. You saved me money.

 

[babs23r]

I had a wonderful experience with The Pearl Source. I purchased freshwater pearl necklaces for the bridesmaids at my daughters wedding. The pearls had a great luster, were perfectly matched, and came in a beautiful box. They were also reasonably priced.

 

[collier]

has anyone had experience with gem-585gold on eBay?

 

[collier]

Thanks for your honest reply, I've been watching a pair of drop shaped undrilled tahitians, but was concerned about the vendor.

 

[kikoko]

Here are some vendors in my folder. Can anyone help me verified them?

Looking for Professional Jewelry? Pearls are the Eco Chic Woman's Tie!

Shop some of the best one of a kind pearl jewelry. We have fine quality cultured pearl jewelry designs for professional women, brides, & anniversary gifts. Our real pearl earrings, necklaces & bracelet designs are made in Chicago. Classy & romantic jewelry gifts for everyday work & play.

www.bourdagepearls.com

The Pearl Vogue | All Necklaces | High Quality

Our jewelry style is unique and exquisite！We have various types of pearls.

www.pearlvogue.com

World's Finest Real Pearl Jewelry: 1/5th the price of retail

Takaramonobr's beautiful pearl jewelry uses the highest quality, gem-grade pearls and always uses 18K gold because our jewelry is built to last a lifetime. Browse our selection to find South Sea pearl pendants, Akoya pearl strands, and so much more. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, we...

takaramonobr.com

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I'm prefer pearlvogue.com & takaramonobr.com, but I found pearlvogue price too high
But I do love her pearls.

 

[pearlsngems]

I'd like to add ROLAY on Etsy. https://www.etsy.com/shop/ROLAY?ref=ss_profile ?ref=ss_items

I've been really happy with the items I've bought from this company. "Bob" is very responsive to questions, and items are shipped promptly.
Note: This is the same vendor as Pearl Society on eBay, who is already on the trusted vendors list, but their Etsy shop is only a few months old.

 

[amoline]

I've had great experiences with Kathleen Branson from pearlzaustralia, so I wanted to add her here.

She finds beautiful pearls and is also very knowledgeable and willing to share information. Her reviews from other people speak for themselves, but I think Kathleen is great to work with. Definitely consider her for pearls you may be searching out.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Li Pearls on Etsy.

Lipearls - Etsy

Shop items by Lipearls.

www.etsy.com

A new seller on Etsy who has extremely low prices and very high quality pearls. Great communication and she had my pearls from China to the US delivered in 4 days. Her low prices do not indicate low quality.

Northwest Pearl Design Etsy.

NorthwestPearlDesign - Etsy

Shop Tahitian, Freshwater, South sea pearls, Opals by NorthwestPearlDesign located in Utah, United States. Smooth shipping! Has a history of shipping on time with tracking. Speedy replies! Has a history of replying to messages quickly. Rave reviews! Average review rating is 4.8 or higher

www.etsy.com

Great pearls, fast shipping, very low prices. Just like Li Pearls you get suspicious on the low prices and worry that the quality is low. All the pearls she sent me were high quality and much more expensive for the same quality if I had bought from other vendors.

 

[Snowdrop13]

I’ve recently been impressed by Wen Pearls on Etsy. I’d seen the name once or twice on the forum and took a look. They have an extensive inventory of all types and qualities of pearls, including even tiny seed pearls suitable for repairing old jewellery that I’ve never seen for sale anywhere else. I was in the market for a reasonably inexpensive Tahitian strand of light coloured pearls in order for me to practice stringing. The pearls arrived from China within 2 weeks and were exactly as pictured in the photo, a feat in itself! I’m sure I will be back for more.

 

[ginie]

Fantastic experience with Pearl Source.

The Pearl Source Premium Pearls at 75% Off Retail Prices

The ultimate source for pearls online. Over 50,000 happy customers. More than 20 years in business and over 12,000 reviews. FREE shipping on all products!

www.thepearlsource.com

 

[LHethrington]

Thanks, Fly girl, big help!

http://kamokapearls.com/

http://stores.ebay.com/AGUSTUS-Collection

http://www.catherinecardellinipearls.com

http://www.kojimapearl.com

http://www.pearlsofjoy.com

http://www.pearlparadise.com

http://www.tahitianpearls.biz

http://stores.ebay.com/Ehret-Design-Gallery

http://www.purepearls.com

http://stores.ebay.com/pearllunapearlsonly/

Everyone feel free to add vendors you have direct experience with. Someone could add pearl findings suppliers, stringers, what have you, as well.

Anyone from the UK who does bespoke that can be recommended please?

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I’ve now had 2 great purchases from Takahashi pearls. They are whole sales from japan so they do not accept returns and only accept bank wire at this time, buy with careful consideration!

https://instagram.com/akoyapearlofficial_takahashi?igshid=13zjtwcnt67c7

 

[eloisegirl]

I have bought a mixed freshwater strand, a Tahitian strand, and a pair of earrings from SimplyAdorned4U.etsy.com recently. She has great taste and I am in the process of having a custom piece made from my blue SuperChonk souffle freshwater pearls and blue baroque Japanese Akoyas; she has added moonstone and white topaz beads. If you are Canadian, she is based in the East Coast and you avoid high shipping and exchange rates (as well as the little game I call "Customs Duty Fee Surprise!").

During Covid, I have been going a little crazy on the Etsy LOL. Another vendor I like who sells beading supplies is JNBGems on Etsy - also Canadian. Found some very nice loose Tahitian pearls and silver findings. I trust both vendors. They ship internationally. Hope this helps!

 

[elizat]

Adding feedback for Pearls of Joy. I didn't keep the purchase but they provided a no hassle return with zero issues.

Ocean Rhyme on Etsy is another vendor I have purchased a few pairs of earrings from in the past. She has pretty reasonable pricing and tends to focus on baroque, non gem quality. Very easy to work with and good communication.

 

[Ann]

I'm not sure if I can post this question in this thread. I'm fairly new to pearls. Like anyone, I want to feel confident I'm making the right choices regarding vendor(s). I'm looking at Champagne South Sea pearls for a bracelet. And I've looked at some with one of the vendors I see some of you have purchased from. But I've also seen similar pearls for much less $ on other sites. How do I know I'm not paying a premium price for pearls that might be widely available elsewhere.

 

[pearlsngems]

Shop around, read reviews, scrutinize photos. Usually if the price is abnormally low there is a reason-- more blemishes, etc.

 

[NathanS]

Hi, new member here, just wanting to avoid any pitfalls as much as possible with online buying. I'm looking at a Tahitian pendant AAA rated via pearlsonly.com.au (they seem to be a franchise group globally). Has anyone bought pearls via this group online? Just inquiring about quality and potentially service, they have a 90 day return policy. Thanks {edit} looking at the prices on PearlsofJoy, pearlparadise and Tahitianpearls.biz, These pendants are dearer in terms of Australian dollars, link: https://www.pearlsonly.com.au/tahitian-pendant/collection/

 

[RileyMao]

Here are some vendors in my folder. Can anyone help me verified them?

Looking for Professional Jewelry? Pearls are the Eco Chic Woman's Tie!

Shop some of the best one of a kind pearl jewelry. We have fine quality cultured pearl jewelry designs for professional women, brides, & anniversary gifts. Our real pearl earrings, necklaces & bracelet designs are made in Chicago. Classy & romantic jewelry gifts for everyday work & play.

www.bourdagepearls.com

The Pearl Vogue | All Necklaces | High Quality

Our jewelry style is unique and exquisite！We have various types of pearls.

www.pearlvogue.com

World's Finest Real Pearl Jewelry: 1/5th the price of retail

Takaramonobr's beautiful pearl jewelry uses the highest quality, gem-grade pearls and always uses 18K gold because our jewelry is built to last a lifetime. Browse our selection to find South Sea pearl pendants, Akoya pearl strands, and so much more. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, we...

takaramonobr.com

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I'm prefer pearlvogue.com & takaramonobr.com, but I found pearlvogue price too high
But I do love her pearls.

Hi there, I have ordered a pair of freshwater studs and a pair of akoya studs from Takaramonobr.

9.0-10.0 mm Lavender Freshadama Freshwater Pearl Stud Earrings — SALE PRICE$88

My thoughts:
- Positive points: The lustre is good and there is good matching in terms of colour and size, these are also perfect rounds. The setting is not bad, and they use 18k gold (compared to many US online retailers who use 14k gold which is significantly cheaper).
- Negative points: One side (right side in the image below) had at least 2 indents (larger than pin pricks) and a fairly visible scratch (not able to capture the scratch on photo). Did not expect this for something labelled as Freshadama. Also, shipping was by China Post - took 3 weeks from order date to reach me.
- In terms of lustre, this is definitely not the best quality for a freshwater. In the second picture below, I compare it side by side with a smaller (but much higher lustre) coloured freshwater from another vendor. The smaller and higher lustre pair costs about US$140 in comparison.

 

[Snowdrop13]

@RileyMao as far as I’m aware “Freshadama” is the top end freshwater pearl range from Pearl Paradise and this company should not be using the name.

 

[RileyMao]

This is the blue akoya studs I got from Takaramonobr

8.0-8.5 mm AAA Silver-Blue Akoya Round Pearl Stud Earrings Mounted on Solid 18-Karat White Gold — SALE PRICE$199

My thoughts:

- Positive points: True to what is mentioned on the website's description, the surface is nearly flawless. The setting is not bad (it sits straight and flat in the setting), and they use 18k white gold (compared to many US online retailers who use 14k gold which is significantly cheaper). They are pretty and it is difficult to find perfect round blue akoya on US sites (most of them only carry baroque studs).

- Negative points: Shipping was painfully slow. The website says that this product ships by DHL express within 2-3 business days but it was only shipped after 10 business days. The most disappointing thing for me was the lustre. It is not certainly not lousy quality, but the website describes it as "mirror bright" and i would not consider this to be "mirror bright". Again, I compare it side by side with a smaller coloured freshwater from another vendor. You will see that the coloured freshwater has a better lustre than the blue akoya (reflections are a lot sharper) - and this is even more visible in person!

- For the sale price of US$199 that I paid, i suppose the quality is acceptable and reasonable for what I paid. But this pair is definitely not worth the original price of US$399! At the original price, I would be able to get a top quality blue akoya from my local vendor.

- All in all, I think the products i received from Takaramonobr are true-to-picture and faily true-to-description. If you examine the pictures and description closely (for what it does AND does not say), you should get a good idea of the quality of the pearls.

 

[Ann]

This is the blue akoya studs I got from Takaramonobr

8.0-8.5 mm AAA Silver-Blue Akoya Round Pearl Stud Earrings Mounted on Solid 18-Karat White Gold — SALE PRICE$199

My thoughts:

- Positive points: True to what is mentioned on the website's description, the surface is nearly flawless. The setting is not bad (it sits straight and flat in the setting), and they use 18k white gold (compared to many US online retailers who use 14k gold which is significantly cheaper). They are pretty and it is difficult to find perfect round blue akoya on US sites (most of them only carry baroque studs).

- Negative points: Shipping was painfully slow. The website says that this product ships by DHL express within 2-3 business days but it was only shipped after 10 business days. The most disappointing thing for me was the lustre. It is not certainly not lousy quality, but the website describes it as "mirror bright" and i would not consider this to be "mirror bright". Again, I compare it side by side with a smaller coloured freshwater from another vendor. You will see that the coloured freshwater has a better lustre than the blue akoya (reflections are a lot sharper) - and this is even more visible in person!

- For the sale price of US$199 that I paid, i suppose the quality is acceptable and reasonable for what I paid. But this pair is definitely not worth the original price of US$399! At the original price, I would be able to get a top quality blue akoya from my local vendor.

- All in all, I think the products i received from Takaramonobr are true-to-picture and faily true-to-description. If you examine the pictures and description closely (for what it does AND does not say), you should get a good idea of the quality of the pearls.

Thank you for your honest review. It helps so much.

 

[adlgel]

Re: Takahashi and only accepting payment by wire - I recently purchased a pair of 8.5-9mm Akoya studs and was able to pay via PayPal. The studs are beautiful and I chose the slowest shipping option but they still arrived in 4 days.

 

[pearlsngems]

I stopped recommending Pearlescence (and stopped buying from them) after receiving this from them a few years ago. Granted it was an inexpensive pair of earrings, but in addition to both ear wires being badly warped, the wire ends had not been smoothed down-- they were quite sharp and would have injured my ears had I tried to insert them. It was not worth sending them back so I just asked my machinist husband to grind down the wire, and used a pair of pliers to straighten them as best I could. But that was the last time I ordered from them.

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

**removed by moderator to comply with Pricescope rules for trade members**

@Tourmaline did PS delete your thread?! What is going on?!

 

[icy_jade]

**removed by moderator to comply with Pricescope rules for trade members**

Seconded. Pearlescence is no longer a recommended PS vendor. Very disappointed to read about what happened and the actions she took to remove the original thread. The actions taken when things goes wrong speaks a lot about the integrity of the vendor and for an internet purchase, pretty much destroys the consumer trust to purchase and be reasonably assured of getting what was described or to be refunded.

 

[yssie]

I will thritto the recommendation to stay away from @Pearlescence and her store - pearlescence.co.uk.

Tourmaline’s experience, both product and customer service, was indisputably negative, and I’ve heard similar reviews from friends who chose not to publicize their experiences on PS.

We always say that all vendors make mistakes, and that how vendors handle their mistakes is what speaks most loudly to their values and their professional ethic. Pearlescence has now proven numerous times that her values and professional ethic are unworthy of PS attention and affection.

 

[dk168]

I have not made any purchase from Pearlescence's store perlescence.co.uk and never will, and have never recommended her store on PS, based on my own experience behind the scene in another message board long before I joined PS.

In light of what has happened recently with another PSer with her substantial purchase from this vendor, and subsequent events that followed; in addition to what I already know about this vendor through the years; they all confirm my sentiments that she lacks integrity both professionally and personally.

Avoid at all cost.

DK

 

[lovedogs]

Haven't actually recieved the pearls yet, but wanted to shout out the customer service of CMN pearls. They were super helpful, picked pearls for me by hand based on specific ones I liked in pre made bracelets, and then honored a special for xmas even though I was a few days late. Obviously if the pearls arent nice IRL I'll amend this, but I am really impressed w them so far. They also provided a bunch of pics and videos to help me choose.

Edit. Here are the pearls I got, since it felt like a tease post to not include any pics haha . Video was sent privately so its not here. https://cmwpearls.com/products/16pcs-top-quality-semi-baroque-tahitian-pearl