[Kevin Canning]

I hope you put some more thought into the idea of buying lower end Mikimotos, cause you really are wasting a lot of money on the name. There is nothing wrong with buying a middle of road quality strand, but paying several thousand dollars more then its worth isn't a good idea.

would i be better off buying the $60-$100 freshwaters from like a jcpenney kind of store or just buying a cheaper $20-$30 fake pearl strand?

Neither, those are really going to be poor quality strands. For around a $100 you can get a AAA quality freshwater strand online. Those JCpenny strands are going to be A quality or lower.

Just my 2cents and its not advertising to shop with me, plenty of other online vendors that offer good value.

[pattye]

Well Jim,

If you want to spend a small amount, I would recommend getting a 16" GENUINE pearl strand in freshwater--be brave and try one of the online sellers. choose a high quality and smaller pearl, that would be great on a smaller gal for every day or frequent wear, lots of young women wear white metal these days--I can assure you for $30 you won't even buy a pretty faux pearl necklace. If you spend $100+ with one of the online sellers you will get a necklace that would sell in a retail store for many times that amount. I have bought from several myself over the last few years and been well pleased. I have also in the 90's sold fine jewelry and pearls, including Mikimoto, and feel you can do much better spending your money than on them.

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

[Pearl_dreams]

I had never ordered pearls online until this month.

A few weeks ago, before placing my order with PearlParadise.com for a Freshadama strand, I visited a local mall and tried on every jeweler's pearls. Both akoya and freshwater, everything from Mikimoto to Sea Magic to Imperial to Ross-Simons to no-name pearls at the mall jewelers. I spent several hours.

What I saw: few high quality akoya (the best were the Imperial ones at $5400), many mediocre and off-round freshwater. The best Mikis currently available at the store were A1 grade (below A grade) and were about $2600. (The sales rep thought A1 meant a step above A.)

At another store, I saw a strand and asked if they were freshwater or akoya. The sales rep replied, "cultured." I said, "Yes, but cultured akoya or cultured freshwater?" She asked the manager the same question I had asked her-- he replied the same as she did, "Cultured." That seems to be the level of knowledge about pearls the salespeople have. Not inspiring.

I visited BJ's warehouse and looked at their pearls. Lower cost, but they didn't hang straight.

I went home and ordered the Freshadamas. I am delighted. Great luster, great price, excellent matching, and I can wear them every day and never wear them out-- there is no bead inside to ever be exposed.

If I wanted to spend less than Freshadama cost, I'd buy the AAA from PearlParadise. You could get a AAA 16" strand in the 6-7mm size for $105 + S&H.
http://www.pearlparadise.com/detail.aspx?ID=534

I'm sure there are other great sellers on this forum, but I only have experience with PearlParadise, and I was happy with what I got.
For what it's worth!

[newtopearls73]

Wow my thoughts have changed so much after reading these answers. Thanks for al the advice, ill check the site of some of the vendors on here and go from there. I never knew the mikimoto name was that unworth it uless the AA or higher. Thanks for all of your help again. Jim

[Raisondetre]

Seriously, if you are a first time buyer I highly recommend the freshadamas. This will open your eyes to the highest quality freshwaters out there. The 7-8 mm strand is only about $280. I'm sure even that will beat the lower end Mikimoto Akoyas, though the luster is slightly different. Freshwaters are submetallic but have this beautiful warm glow. If you are not convinced about commiting 2-3K to an Akoya strand (which is beautiful in its own right) then that's a better option. You will find that many of the pearl aficionados here will not go for inflated brand value. The pearls are formed in exactly the same way, and I refuse to buy into the hype and mystique of a brand. It all goes into the advertising, and it's not smart consumerism. Only when consumers show the industry what we want will it improve and protect our rights.

I've only just noticed that you do not seem to know the subtle differences between different pearl types. There are plenty of freshwater options out there that would be more suited to everyday wear, and it's only getting more popular. I think you really need to do more research as to what you want, rather than go along with a brand name. The metallic luster of Akoyas is beautiful - I've recently fallen in love with them, but I still find it difficult to coordinate with most casual clothing. And unless you're rich or you're nearing marriage, I'd find it way too much to spend a few grand on a piece of jewellery especially if you do not know much about it. While many girls are wowed by a brand name, I think the fact that you have gone into detailed research exhibits that you might be better husband material, if you are heading down that way.

[jerin]

Hi, Jim

if I were you I would order a Hanadama strand from one of our online vendors, they all offer a very good return time, your girlfriend could get the strand, wear it and compare it at any stores You have near by, and if she should like some other strand better, You still would have plenty of time to return the pearls without any questions asked!

Raisondetre has bought a lot of pearls, very often the highest grade available if I remember correctly, so You can rely on her knowledge and expertise.

The same I can say for myself, I have bought quite a lot of strands and never ever been disappointed!

Good luck and let us know what You did get and later on we all would appreciate a photo

[danachit]

I'm so glad you came to this site to ask advice! Sure, Mikimotos are pretty....but actually the correct way to say that is, sure cultured akoya pearls sold by the Mikimoto company are pretty. There is nothing magical about the pearls they sell. You're just paying for the name.
I'd rather save a ton of money and have higher quality. Some folks are so name conscious, though, they'd rather have the bragging rights, BUT, I would hope once your gal gets a little educated, she'll go for the gleam and not the name.

I've been doing pearl jewelry for seven years ...I LOVE to see a gorgeous strand of Akoya pearls. But NOTHING prepared me for the JAW-DROPPING stunning beauty of the Hanadamas. Good gosh!

Seriously....God's just trying to show off with those!!

If you can afford to buy some hanadamas, then RUN don't walk before they're all gone!

[newtopearls73]

are the pearlparadise.com hanadamas available in 16in 7-7.5 or 7.5-8?

[pattye]

Hi Newtopearls,

You are at a point now that it would be smart to call the company or companies you are thinking of buying from and discuss what is available. Whomever you purchase from will want to help you make a purchase that will truly delight you and the recipient, They can also help you choose a flattering "overtone" complimentary to the wearer and explain a bit about how the subtle colors work.

First thing Monday, please plan to pick up the phone and call!! Websites often cannot list everything available.

Buy the way, you could also consider an amazing single pearl pendant(!) of the finest quality, and later build up to the amazing strand you envision!

Best of luck!
Pattye
so many pearls so little time

[jshepherd]

Originally Posted by newtopearls73

are the pearlparadise.com hanadamas available in 16in 7-7.5 or 7.5-8?

The reason 16-inch strands are not available as standard items is because the strands are certified in Japan as temporary 18-inch strands. They can be strung to any length, but the certificates would not match if we did that as standard items.

[barbie biggs]

The issue of Freshadama over Hanadama is a very personal one. However, you can never, in my opinion, go wrong purchasing a Freshadama necklace as a special gift. The shine of the akoyas is great, but the softness and richness of the Freshadamas has completely sold me on freshwater pearls. Their luster is hard to describe. I personally cannot even drive with them on because a bracelet of Freshadama distracts me from the road so that I have to take them off to drive safely. They catch the sunlight and become luminous.
Previously, I believed that akoyas were where it was at. I only did the Freshadama because I wanted a multicolored strand and didn't like anything I had ever seen.
Also, the great thing about Pearl Paradise, is you can send them back if she is not totally in love with them in 90 days. You can always give her Hanadama's for a wedding present...
And, that would give you more time to look at them and see the real thing.
Footnote: Mikimoto got started about 100 years ago with the cultured pearls. Now they are worth a fortune. Pearl Paradise is 10 years old, and there are a couple of other great young companies out there. Once you know what you are looking at, there is a good chance you are getting in on, so to speak, the ground floor, with your purchase. In 50 years, who knows how much it will be worth with proper care?

[tanakarn1]

HI,

I own both high-quality Akoya & fresh water pearls. Each is beautiful in its own way. You could go to big jewelry stores to have a look at highest-quality pearl earrings (or pendant) and compare between Akoya vs FWP. This might tell you the differences between the two types of pearls. However, FWP is more durable than Akoya.

My AAA Akoya (How much would this Akoya worth?) look not different from Miki. I have good experience buying pearls from online venders in this forum.

Good luck!
Tanakarn

[olivia24]

Personally, I am dying to get the Freshadama set at Pearl Paradise... for $375 you get a necklace, bracelet, and earrings of the highest quality. I have an akoya necklace and earrings, but I am worried to wear akoya too much for fear of ruining them. Once I own some freshwaters, I'll be able to wear them as frequently as I like without worrying. So.... if you decide against the hanadamas or just if you want to get your girlfriend something she can wear on a regular basis and not ruin, I would get her some Freshadamas. If you still want to get her hanadamas and just something under $100 that she can wear daily, go to pearlparadise.com and look at the selection of freshwater pearl necklaces. You can find better bargains online than anywhere else, 99.99% of the time. If you want to see in person, go to a department store and browse, but buy online! When I started getting into pearls I liked akoyas better just because they were more valuable and I thought that meant something... but the more I started learning about pearls, I realized freshwaters are really your better bet.

Also, as far as necklace length goes... I am 5'1" and my akoyas are 17.5 inches. They're not overwhelming at all, but they are a smaller, graduated necklace (3.5-7mm). Not graduated, or for a more casual look, I would definitely go for 16". Along the same lines, keep in mind that a smaller mm will probably look better. 6 or 7mm will probably look best.