[jewelrybabie]

Hello,
I was wondering if anyone here has purchased any thing from Pearl Oasis.com. I have found an item that I really like on their website but don't know anything about the company or the quality of their product. I have purchased items from some of the companies that belong to this forum and have been quite happy, but know nothing about Pearl Oasis.com. I would be appreciate any info about them, good or bad. Thanks.

[jshepherd]

I do not think they have ever been discussed on this forum before. I can honestly say I have never heard one way or the other about Pearl Oasis - which is strange, actually, as I know the Site has been around for a while...

[Kevin Canning]

I know the company has been around for a long time, but I haven't heard a lot of good things or bad things about them, like Jeremy said, that does seem strange.

I think they do deal in decent goods, but their comparison to Mikimoto pearls are a bit of a stretch and their appraisal "proofs" are from 2002, that's a lifetime in the recent cultured pearl industry, there has been a lot of changes since then.

Ideally you would order from multiple dealers though, and simply keep the strand you like. I know this is not an option for all customers, but for some it is a great way to ensure the best quality.

If you think they might have good quality goods, please order from them and give us a report. Ideally you could order from them and a dealer from pearl-guide.com and just keep the strand you prefer:

PearlsOfJoy.com
PurePearls.com
PearlParadise.com
AngelaCarolpearls.com
ThePearlOutlet.com

To name a few of the better names, please share what direction you end up going.

[Pearls_by_Angela_Carol]

I have not heard much about them either but after taking a quick look at the website I could not in good conscience tell you to purchase from them. There are two things that immediately stand out. One is their grading scale. They grade up to AAA+. Although this AAA+ grade is the one they say ships with a certification from the European Gemological Laboratory (EGL), I think that grading to AAA+ is misleading the customer.

This in itself may not be so bad, but they also state they sell "Japanese Akoya" and use the JPEA Blue Tag to promote that. First, you can not guarantee that your Akoya are Japanese and second, the JPEA tag does not guarantee top quality pearls and it certainly does not guarantee origin (see http://www.pearl-guide.com/jpea-blue-tag.shtml).

[boo]

My husband purchased an Akoya necklace for me from PearlOasis about 3 or 4 years ago. I was going to post a picture of them for ladykemma's "Show me your Akoyas" topic, but I had a really hard time photographing them and decided against it. I tried again and came up with one that might help you judge the quality (I'd be interested in hearing people's opinions about them.) If I recall correctly, they were sold as AAA 7.5 mm Akoyas (21"). Interestingly enough, I don't think they had a "AAA+" designation at the time we bought the necklace (AAA was the highest grade pearl they offered, at least in the size we were looking at). I don't know enough to rate the quality of the pearls, but we had no problems with the transaction itself (our credit card info remained secure, we received the item we had ordered and in a timely fashion, etc.). I have no reason to recommend against them, however, I doubt I will ever order from them again just because I am so favorably disposed to the vendors who are active on this Forum.

[jshepherd]

I have not seen that piece on any other Websites. A few years ago, yes. I carried something similar, as a matter of fact. The tin cup style was all the rage at one time. I am pretty sure Terry (*thePearlOutlet.com) still makes it will Tahitian round pearls and Amanda (*PurePearls.com) with baroques. But I do not know about Akoya.
Although you do still see the style in China at the markets, I would suggest just going with the Pearl Oasis piece. If the piece were more expensive I would recommend looking around, but the price does not seem outrageous at all - it appears to be quite fair. Just be careful to check around the drill holes when you receive it to make the the nacre is not cracking or wearing against the gold. If it is, send it back, as the piece will not last. Akoya does not always fair well in the tin cup style for that very reason.

[Pearls_by_Angela_Carol]

Amanda also has one made with either AA+ or AAA grade Freshwater pearls that are 7-8mm. I know that the one she has on the site is made with White Freshwater but I do not know if she offers it in other colors. Because of what Jeremy mentioned, the Freshwater pearls would fair better with that type of necklace since they are solid nacre.

[Pearls_by_Angela_Carol]

Originally Posted by jewelrybabie

...My complaint was with their honesty... they misrepresented their product. I have been a little leery since then.

Just to clarify, that is the reason for my above post about Japanese Akoya. I am not saying that they do not have a quality product - I just do not like the fact that they list them as Japanese Akoya.

[pattye]

Hi Everyone,

I am really interested in the silver gray

Jewelrybabie asks

This is a question I have also, there seems to be a lack of availability of the light gray color pearls, which I know are in most cases dyed, but in the quest for a necklace in every color, is a necessity! Could someone please explain why more in this color aren't available?
Pattye

[jshepherd]

It is available in Tahitian. I have seen a lot in the dyed freshwater, but never purchased them.
The color in Akoya is called the "natural color" in the trade. I tested studs once from a factory in Kobe. It took several months to sell a half dozen cards so I decided not to carry them as a regular product. I think most conusmers just do not accept Akoya in any colors other than white and black. Also, in Japan the gray pearls cost about the same as the whites - not so in China.

[pattye]

Hi Jeremy,
Thanks for your reply. I was thinkin more dyed freshwater, to get some size. (I am not an akoya fan.) I think if black-peacock can be nicely done in cfwp, then a nice (silver) dove grey could be also. Just one more option in building a pearl wardrobe! I'll keep watching for them in the Tahitian, too.
Pattye

[jerin]

Originally Posted by jewelrybabie

Hello,
I was wondering if anyone here has purchased any thing from Pearl Oasis.com. I have found an item that I really like on their website but don't know anything about the company or the quality of their product. I have purchased items from some of the companies that belong to this forum and have been quite happy, but know nothing about Pearl Oasis.com. I would be appreciate any info about them, good or bad. Thanks.

Jewelrybabie,

I have purchased two very fine pendants from Pearl Oasis from their American Freshwater Line. You can see one of the pendants under " Show us Your Pearls". It has very fine orient, mirror and water, as Zeide would say and I am very happy with it and the other pendant that has some small diamonds as well. Besides that I ordered a blue Mabe pendant, also very fine. Transaction was very smooth and I can recommend the company as such, even though I haven´t ordered Akoyas and since I found our other vendors, I order from them, the cost for pearl strands are favorably cheaper and Pearl Oasis do not carry the high quality freshwater pearls I want, at least they did not last year. As far as I know, the company never had Akoyas in AAA+ but AAA as their highest grading and they also mention China as country of origin, at least for the smaller Akoyas.

You mentioned Oriental Pearl.com but that is an altogether different company.

[jshepherd]

I would trust Inge's recommendation. She has purchased a lot of pearls online - I can vouch for that. It sounds like a safe bet.

[skyflyer3]

Originally Posted by pattye

Hi Jeremy,
Thanks for your reply. I was thinkin more dyed freshwater, to get some size. (I am not an akoya fan.) I think if black-peacock can be nicely done in cfwp, then a nice (silver) dove grey could be also. Just one more option in building a pearl wardrobe! I'll keep watching for them in the Tahitian, too.
Pattye

I'm also looking for silver/dove gray freshwater pearls. Hopefully popular fashion will swing that way.

[Caitlin]

Hi Jeremy et al
I checked out Pearl oasis after reading this thread. I was especially attracted to their All American pearl collection with pearls from American Pearl Company in Tennessee. We all already know that it is a highly reputable comppay founded by John Latendresse and that his daughter Gina has posted here a couple of times.
Anyway, Jeremy, I think this line is a great idea. Although the web pages on the all American collection are not that easily navigated, here is a link to a drop pearl I like.
They have blister pearl pendents as Inge has and blister pearl earrings as well as this drop shaped pearl. I was happy to see this line and I think it is a great idea, if you ever want to include Americam pearls in your collection.

DO NOT CONFUSE THE ABOVE AMERICAN PEARL COMPANY IN TENNESSEE WITH THE OTHER COMPANY THAT DOESN'T HAVE "COMPANY" AT THE END OF ITS NAME AND IS IN NYC!( I think it is reprehensible that the owners of the one in NYC used that name, but we already know they will trade on any little advantage; I notice they come up second, when you are googling the one that specialiazes in AMERICAN pearls. The one in NYC does not carry American pearls