[Slraep]

Hi Youngster,

Thank you for the comparison. My neighbour, who is actually Japanese,
had a hard time at first, listening to reason. She had her heart set on the akoyas. I've presented her with the facts because she asked me to. Now she is free to choose whatever she wishes.

I only know what I would buy.


Slraep

[youngster]

Hi Slraep,
You've provided your neighbor with a lot of information and helped her to make an informed decision. If her heart is set on the akoyas, then good for her. It might not be the decision you or I would make. But, if she is happy, then, great.

[Joan A]

After reading about these and seeing them on the internet, I'm seriously considering selling my 7.5-8 mm A 24" stand. I've always wanted to upgrade them, but can't afford the Miki $$.

Would this be crazy?

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Joan,

If your existing strand is a Miki, you have two options a) the sensible economist: Sell Miki for top dollar and buy two freshadama strands, one in 8-9mm and one in 10-11mm; or b) the satirist: sell only your Miki akoyas, keep the Mystiquery trimmings and have Pearl Paradise string an 8-9mm opera freshadama on your Miki clasp. That would be the first time in over a hundred years that there were any actual pearls on a Miki clasp.

Zeide

[jshepherd]

Although jet-lagged, stressed with a mile-high pile of papers on my desk, 1000 emails in my inbox, and two employees calling in sick today...you still make me laugh, Zeide

[pearlseeker]

Hello all,

I want to make sure I understand. If it is Hanadama then it is from Japan and not China. Am I correct?

Also, someone mentioned the only way to be sure the Akoyas were from Japan and not China was to purchase 8 mm or bigger. Is that true or does it being Hanadama guarantee origin regardless of size?

Thanks in advance for your input.

[jshepherd]

Hanadama does not guarantee origin, it only guarantees quality. In fact, if a strand of Chinese passed hanadama grading, they would likely be better than any Japanese because the nacre would likely be thicker.

The only way to truly guarantee Japanese is to buy 8mm and larger. Anything smaller and you are at the mercy of the processors in Japan who tell their customers that they are selling them Japanese only, yet they purchase the majority of the production from China. Where does it go... It is not really a secret.

Oh, and the JPEA blue tag has absolutely nothing to do with origin either. There is a Site online that claims that tag guarantees Japanese origin. The JPEA's Website itself proves that claim is a lie.

[pearlseeker]

Ok, thanks for your quick reply. So, should I really be worried about the origin of the pearls? I mean, are the Chinese hanadamas less valuable than their Japanese counterparts?

[jshepherd]

Origin has absolutely no bearing on the value. Quality is the only attribute that can matter because origin cannot be proven. The product is identical. Think of it in terms of a diamond or gold. 14k is 14k, no matter where it is mined. The same goes for diamonds.

Even the mollusk is identical. Some will claim that the Chinese use a hybrized mollusk. This is true. But in 1996 disease wiped out Japan pearl oyster population. To save their industry they imported shell from China. For the last 10 years now, even the mollusks are exactly the same.