| I agree with Kenji that there are many pearl retailers that have very little knowledge about pearl grading. Thus, it is important to educate yourself on what a high quality pearl is and then compare your purchase to several other pearl strands in person. There are honest companies that have tight standards on what constitutes as AAA pearls and are educated GIA graduates that can help give you guidance. There are also many companies whom have looser grading standards in order to hype up their reported pearl quality. Your best resource is to make sure the company has a solid refund policy that gives you enough time to do your own comparisons to other reputable, high-end companies. You will find that pearls can be affordable and high quality if shopping in the right place. By comparing your strand in person, you will have piece of mind that you have made a solid purchase.
Amanda
President |