[Caitlin]

Hi Salem
In no way did you cause offense to me - that "fightin' words" phrase was a joke and my response was an opportunity, taken to edify the uninformed--should there still be such a being lurking on this forum anymore!

By the same token, my lecture on the perfections of faux pearls and the imperfections of cultured pearls was meant to teach as well. If they look 100%perfect, they are probably faux. Look for the imperfections such as demonstrated in above photos, for the signs of a pearl that once lived in a mollusk.

[salem]

Hi Caitlin,


I guess it was more the three responses in a row that made me feel like I had done something wrong. Just wanted to clear things up if I had. This whole thing is a wonderful process to me and I enjoy hearing everyones point of view.

But I did know the fightin words was a joke. Tried to be lighthearted in return, but I see now what I thought I typed isn't what I did type. *sigh* I am pretty pathetic at e-communication. I think I have a fear of offending from living in Japan so long(seven years in about 10 days ack!). I have a sarcastic sense of humor that got me into trouble many times here. Hope I gave you a good laugh about the dog thing. It wouldn't have been so bad if Shuji had just said it me, but to add insult to injury, when my friend Scott spit out his drink, it landed on me.

Jeremy, YES, the big nose thing. They love our faces for having depth. I have also had people cup their hands to the back of my head. Not my face, my head. They want to feel the curve of my skull. LOL I guess many Japanese people have rather flat head in the back and find Western head curves fascinating.

[perlas]

Originally Posted by salem

I have also had people cup their hands to the back of my head. Not my face, my head. They want to feel the curve of my skull. LOL I guess many Japanese people have rather flat head in the back and find Western head curves fascinating.

Careful Salem! There might be somebody in the forum with Japanese blood and who happens to have a flat head in the back!!!!!

Ok, ok. I was just kidding about being mad but not about the flat head. LOL. You don't need a pillow to feel comfortable, y'know.:

My head's flat, my b**bs' flat, my b*tt's flat, my nose's flat, my hair's flat.... that's why i love pearls soooo much... they're sooo round. LOL.

Originally Posted by salem

I think I have a fear of offending from living in Japan so long(seven years in about 10 days ack!). I have a sarcastic sense of humor that got me into trouble many times here.

Same here! I always get in trouble by having a sarcastic humor... and for being "too straight to the point".

------------------

anyways... kongetsu tokyo e ikimasu.
any suggestions if there's a shinju-ya in tokyo? i'm wayyy too cheap for mikimoto (ok, maybe at most i'd buy a teensy-weensy stud earrings for omiyage so I could be nosy in the shop). never really shopped for pearls in japan.

[salem]

Ummm...my husband IS Japanese. So i hope nobody would think I have a bias against them. I know you were kidding. But you had me going there for a minute.


Gotta run to class.
Jen

PS Interesting reason for liking pearls. heehee

[salem]

Pearls, pearls ,pearls....


Mikimoto, blech, wouldn't even bother with the earrings. The only thing I liked about Mikimoto was their museum on Pearl Island, near Ise-shima. I HATE upscale jewelery store because I hate the high pressure sales tactics of following the customer around the store.

But Mikimoto is FAR from your only option. There are lots of jewelry stores in Tokyo, especially in the Ginza district. Also, all the big department stores will sell pearls. Most of the major ones are in Shinjuku. I still think you should try Kobe though. Seems more pearl oriented. And Tokyo, Nagoya and kobe are all on the same Shinkansen(bullet train) line. No transfers. Of course, you still have to navigate the city, but all three are very foreign friendly.

[perlas]

Hi Salem,

Was actually just kidding. I'm not that *flat*, just thought it was funny... I can go to Ginza using the Marunouchi line.

Ok, I'll skip Mikimoto. I agree with the sales persons following around.

I'd love to go to Kobe but might be spending my whole time at the Shinkansen as I'm spending a night in Nagoya. It's sakura season!

Everybody's advising me to go to Iseshima!

Thanks for the tips!

[Caitlin]

My head's flat, my b**bs' flat, my b*tt's flat, my nose's flat, my hair's flat.... that's why i love pearls soooo much... they're sooo round. LOL

Very funnySam! And with an American compliment, I can't resist adding, I bet you are as cute as a button! (That is very flattering in English.)

I hope you all keep reporting on your pearl adventures! I love to read about them.

[sweetfrock]

Hi everyone,

Wow I am surprised to find this thread still alive! Very interesting comments in it, and I think it's lovely when someone compliments saying you're as cute as a button! I've never heard that being said in Singapore.

Okay okay, back to why I'm here... I saw a pair of SS pearl earrings approx 9.5-9.6 mm going for approx US$1,200 here... the owner said it was the last pair available in the store that was this price. Due to a sudden increase in demand over the past year and insufficient supply, her new shipment of looseSS pearls are approx US$1,200 EACH now.

I thought the size was perfect. But I didn't like the lustre and water of the SS... in fact I felt that they were lacking in water. Lustre-wise they were not very shiny. Can someone tell me, are most SS pearls like that? I thought they looked like PPBs.

May I get your opinion... whether to get a 9.0-10.0mm South Sea pair of ear studs or Freshadamas? I will be buying them online as the ones I saw didn't tempt me enough.

Bitten by the upsize bug,
Carol

[sweetfrock]

Originally Posted by perlas

My head's flat, my b**bs' flat, my b*tt's flat, my nose's flat, my hair's flat.... that's why i love pearls soooo much... they're sooo round. LOL.

I envy you... you're proportionate!

My boobs are flat, my butt sticks out, so my boobs look even flatter.

My head is round, so it makes my flat nose even flatter.

And I have typically flat asian hair.

Sistas!!

[Valeria101]

For laughing out loud, ladies!!! Isn't that confidential information?

Can't know what the SS pearls you have seen were like, but the description reminds me of unpleasant examples with thin skin... They are very round (after all, not much was added over the perfectly round nucleus to distort the shape!) but lack just about every other positive attribute. Such pearls made me weary of any that too round to be true, so to speak Better get some nacre there, even if that means a little bosse or two!

Don't think that all SS pearls are 'dull', only that finding relevant examples of the contrary is getting harder and harder. And all that more rewarding if you insist.

As for the claim that increased demand has driven prices up - well, it is a seller's justification of 'buy now' and higher prices. No particular reason to believe it. You may find accounts of increased demand for South Sea pearls from more believable sources, also associated with the acknowledgement that pearls of lower quality are produced as an answer... Which isn't saying that by default, all of those sold at higher prices are going to be great pearls. Same old, same old...

Price? Not sure what to say: LINK, LINK... I like to believe that somewhere a pair of 10mm-ish pearls would be times nicer than those already endearing ones, but somehow, rewriting the price label is that much easier than providing better pearls, so I am inclined to believe that the easy way is what happens most often too...

[sweetfrock]

Valeria the ones I saw today are like what you've described, perfectly round and probably thin-skinned, you're right it's the thin-skin that probably resulted in the lack of refraction and water. I compared that pair of earrings with several of her other pieces and the others really had more water and orient. To be honest that earring didn't show much orient too. Although she insisted it was pure white, it looked grey-tinged white, and sort of "blah" to me.

Let me share with you what else transpired while I was in the store. While comparing the pair of pearls with her other SS items, I commented that I couldn't see the water in the pearls. The lady owner and her shop assistant said they had never heard of the term, even though they've read a complete guide to pearls. They kept insisting that I was referring to the lustre. Now that I've read back that lustre comprises of water, orient and depth... I guess she was right, but they told me there were only two things to consider about pearls. Lustre and undertone. Really?

The loose pearls in your link are so much nicer than the ones I saw today. They are beautiful

I'm considering the SS or the freshadamas from PP.com... but would like some opinions as to which to get. I like the whiteness of the SS compared to the rainbow myriad effect of the freshadamas... but they probably wouldn't last as long as the freshadamas right? Headaches.

Sorry for ranting so much!

[pattye]

Hi Sweetfrock,

You already know more than the shop owner and her assistant. The shop owner wants you to pay her rent for next month.

As for Freshadamas, and SS earrings, it is good to have both!!! But with good care both should last a long, long time!! If you order from PP or any of the other sellers on this forum, they probably would be happy to choose a pair of earrings for you that meet your specific color preferences and have high quality thick nacre to boot! And for $1200 you could have a whole earring wardrobe!!!

You all keep me laughing!! Thanks sooooo much!

Pattye
So many pearls, So little time

[Valeria101]

Originally Posted by sweetfrock

... they told me there were only two things to consider about pearls. Lustre and undertone. Really?

That sounds wrong, but not unexpected at all: after all, why would they promote a product they do not have? It isn't usual to hear any information not precisely targeted at the one potential sale on the table in any shop.

Could be wrong, but it seems to me that the common emphasize on color/overtone, lustre and shape is really just a side-effect of nucleation itself: paired with more or less accepted treatment, these characteristics are easier delivered by nucleated pearls. Water and orient are not... there might even be some trade-off. Besides, it is easier to market very blatantly obvious characteristics that any human can identify confidently, whether they have ever seen pearls before or not: roundness, whiteness and lustre are simple sale points. For water and orient ya need a bloody book!

Of course, all these are inconsequential for what make pearls great - quality is quality and will still be judged by the good old standard as long as there are folks knowing pearls. So far, no sign that pearl connoisseurship might be in decline - that'll be a cold day in Hell. Which doesn't mean that a seller, or two or a thousand can't have their way.

Originally Posted by sweetfrock

I'm considering the SS or the freshadamas from PP.com... but would like some opinions as to which to get. I like the whiteness of the SS compared to the rainbow myriad effect of the freshadamas... but they probably wouldn't last as long as the freshadamas right? Headaches.

Just saw the new (?) pictures of the Freshadama earrings - pretty colorful. I have a mental image of pearls with rich orient, which does match the images there... but ... I can imagine how these images could be misinterpreted (someone over-estimating how colorful the pearls are, or even imagining patches of solid color where orient left its' subtle mark on the picture).

Any chance you could call in both options and make use of the return policy to decide?

[Valeria101]

BTW. There are some other pictures of Freshadama (drop) earrings on THIS thread... Dare I say more convincing than the original !?

Sometimes seeing a few different pictures helps (well, it does it for me).

[sweetfrock]

Valeria that pic helped (Thanks imanit!). I think the freshadamas are going to be it. I'll get the 9.0-10.0mm freshadamas stud, and wait a bit and get the south sea as a bigger-sized drop earring. What do you think?

Pattye I'll have my south seas one day... just one day... there're so many types on my wishlist now. Addictive...