[jshepherd]

For daily wear (and 10 years of it) she will be much better off with the freshadama. If she is set on Akoya, however, the Hanadama would definitely last (unless they were not properly cared for). I would expect, however, to see a bit less luster after a decade, and a possible bit of discoloration if touched by chemicals such as perfume. I would not, however, expect any peeling of the pearls.

[jshepherd]

Also, I should clarify that .4 is the minimum in order to qualify to be possibly graded as Hanadama. I personally have never receveived a certificate for a strand this thin.

[youngster]

Jeremy,
How thick is the nacre of the strands you are presently offering on your website? .5? .6?

youngster

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Slraep,

Another factor to consider is how the pearls were treated and what size they are. If she bought a 9mm hanadama strand that was heavily treated to attain this status and wore it daily for 10 years, she will meet the nucleus on most pearls before the time is up. If the pearls were already of light color at the hamaage stage and thus only minimally bleached, a 7mm hanadama strand will only wear off the luster enhancements and maybe half its nacre in 10 years of daily wear. It will not be particularly pretty or a handama strand anymore after about 5 or 6 years. In larger pearls this will happen faster.

Zeide

[jshepherd]

Each cert varies. I know I have one 7.5-8 that is about .45mm.

[Slraep]

Originally Posted by jshepherd

Each cert varies. I know I have one 7.5-8 that is about .45mm.

Jeremy,

A top akoya necklace like this would go for how much on average?

Are the admittedly very lovely and longer lasting Freshadamas more expensive?

Slraep

[jshepherd]

For a Hanadama strand in the 8mm range you are looking at around $2000+. In the 9mm range it will go upwards of $4000.
The freshadama are less expensive, with the 7-8mm ranging in the $300's. We are introducing 10-11mm next week which will be the most expensive, near that of a 7.5-8mm Hanadama.

[Slraep]

Jeremy,

Would the freshadamas look much like the hanadamas. I mean if you were looking at someone wearing them, could a regular joe tell they were not akoyas.

Slraep

[youngster]

Hi Slraep,
I sent you a PM but then thought others might be interested in my own side by side comparision experience.

I have an 18" freshadama strand that I bought from Jeremy. (I had arranged a private sale prior to them being made available on the web.) I wore it and went to a jeweler where I knew they carried a reasonably good selection of what is considered upper end strands. They happened to have a strand in with hanadama certification that they had special ordered for a client who ended up not purchasing it. I tried it on, next to my freshadamas. My husband was with me and, from 5 feet away, he couldn't tell the difference, and he has a good eye for details. Looking at myself in a mirror, from a distance, I could hardly tell the difference, and I have a very good eye for details. (Mostly I noticed the slight difference in size and overtone between the two.) Right up close, side by side, the hanadama strand had a harder, more metallic shine to it. (Mirror, I think, and Zeide would probably say that comes from the extra processing the akoya go through.) The only other way to tell the strands apart was by that slight difference in overtone and by the clasps.

[youngster]

Oh, and they let me step outside into natural light as well for a few moments so we made the comparison not just in jewelry store lighting.

[Zeide Erskine]

Dear Youngster,

Now that is exactly the kind of comparison shopping that should be done more often. Now that you compared the look, how about the price? What was that store charging for their Hanadama strand?

Zeide

[youngster]

Hi Zeide,
Well, they were rather coy about it, since it was a special order for a client, who I think they were hoping might still want it. The store was super busy that day so I didn't press the matter. I do know that, like most brick and mortar jewelers who don't specialize in pearls, they were asking astronomically high prices, for quality that any of the on-line merchants who frequent this site could beat in a moment. Lower end Mikimoto strands, 7.5 - 8 mm, for thousands and thousands. I didn't even bother to remember any of the prices in detail, since it was so outrageous and so out of line with what I've seen at Amanda's and Jeremy's and other sites. Once your eyes have been opened, there is no going back!

youngster

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Youngster,

That is my usual impression, too. Every once in a blue moon, I like to go to jewelers' stores wearing some of my more spectacular pieces and almosts infallibly some customers ask me where I got that and why the outrageously expensive store has nothing like it.

Zeide

[youngster]

Yes, I think they got a look at what I had on (though I didn't share what it was or what it cost) and were afraid if they told me, I would collapse on to their floor in a fit of laughter.

[jshepherd]

I am going to guess that the price was around $25,000 for the Hanadama strand at a retail store. This is assuming the most common Hanadama size, 8-8.5mm. This would be in line with Mikimoto as the quality would be the same as their top line.