I think my 'comfort' level is around 1k... Much lower and I'd start wondering where on Earth were those guys fishing, so to speak. Not sure 'wholesale' is truly applicable to single pearls. At least, that's my impression as a shopper. You will probably discover that there is quite some difference between 14.5 and 15.5mm - some jump, not sure why. Folks just like to cling to those numbers, methinks.
I am nowhere near NY to answer the other side of your story.
It's been a while since my last worries about buying stuff online went away. Even the shoes fit these days
If the shop doesn't have a reasonable return policy, I'm not game anyway. If they do, it's just a small leap of faith to put the time into taking a look at those things coming from the mail. At least this gives more time to consider the goods then any over the counter transaction. Good to get rid of those impulse buying mistakes... for me, at least.
Just a thought.
Hope someone comes up with the NY reference. There were a couple posted in the past, just not sure if any for golden pearls, specifically.