[pearlpunk]

hi there. i am new here, and i am new to pearls too.

my husband bought me a pair of 12 mm silver-ish white australian south sea dangle/french-wire (not sure what the correct term is) earrings, and that started it.

i like large pearls, even though i am only about 5'4'' (1.6 m) and about 110 pounds (53 kg), i seem to gravitate towards anything around 9 - 11 mm strands for necklaces. at first i looked around for south sea, akoya, then hanadama. but the prices are a bit too serious for a beginner like me. then i saw the freshadama at pearl paradise.

since pearl paradise is out of stock for the large 11 mm freshadama, i have been looking around the web for something comparable. i saw some site selling what they said to be the absolute top quality freshwater pearls in the size i am looking for. such as the "elite collection" from pure pearls. there are some other names in a few other sites, i can't remember which site or what the name was, but it was something like 'presidential' or something which suggested such an air.

can anyone tell me if freshadama is the absolute top quality fresh-water pearl, then, can those other ones with different names but claimed similar quality be considered comparable?

if not, how so?

thanks!

[jshepherd]

Amanda's (Pure Pearls) pearls are very comparable in her elite collection. I have actually traveled with her to China on a freshadama sourcing trip where we worked together on a purchase. Our value factor specifications vary slightly as we focus more on orient but her focus was a bit more on shape. But if she has any of the large freshwater elite in inventory, you will likely be very pleased. We have been out for some time, and the China Summer has been too hot to harvest, so we will not likely get them back in stock until later in the Fall or early Winter.

[purepearls]

Our PurePearls.com Freshwater Elite Collection is very similar to the Freshadama Collection. The pearls are visually very round and have a very nice luster. The Freshwater Elite pearls would be a nice alternative to South Sea pearls.

[pearlpunk]

thank you both for responding so fast. i tried sending you both emails via your websites asking some questions about custom stringing of 3 strands, etc. but this is good

orient is the rainbow-like overtone...?

how likely is it to have freshwater up to 12 mm?

thank you again. i will mull over which appeals to me more, orient or shape.

PS:
i think i somehow ended up adding thread in the wrong section. it should have been under the 'freshwater' section instead of 'show us your pearls'. i am not sure how that happened and how to move it.

[jshepherd]

Ah yes, Kirsten mentioned your request to me earlier today. I recommended the 8-9mm freshadama for that triple strand piece. This is where the best freshadama selection is right now, and matching 3 strands in that grade is quite difficult unless there is a good supply.

12mm freshwater pearls are indeed available, but they are quite rare. Top grade in that size are extremely difficult to find in any quantity, and in this size and grade they will always be loose and undrilled. So strands have to be selected and composed.

[pearlpunk]

my plan goes something like this:

(1) largest possible freshadama (12 mm?) single strand which sits on collar bone (16 inches?)

(2) three strands, graduated, from largest possible freshwater, to about 9 mm or 10 mm at the smallest

thus far, for the single strand, i am looking at the freshadama (pearl paradise), the elite range (pure pearls), and the presidential line (pearl of joy).

for the three strand, depending on cost, i may have to look for a "mere" AAA freshwater

how is POJ's presidential line compared to the freshadama and elite?

although i can't wait to get my pearls, i am willing to wait forever to get something that is PERFECT for me.

[pearlpunk]

Originally Posted by jshepherd

Ah yes, Kirsten mentioned your request to me earlier today. I recommended the 8-9mm freshadama for that triple strand piece. This is where the best freshadama selection is right now, and matching 3 strands in that grade is quite difficult unless there is a good supply.

should i wait until end of the year if i want something bigger?

12mm freshwater pearls are indeed available, but they are quite rare. Top grade in that size are extremely difficult to find in any quantity, and in this size and grade they will always be loose and undrilled. So strands have to be selected and composed.

would it be hard to obtain enough number of 12 mm freshwater (freshadama) for a choker?

would you be able to PM me when you have them available? in fact, i would be very interested in the 11 mm for a choker.

i will continue my hunt at the mean time. i am in no rush. i want my pearl necklaces JUST the way i see them in head right now

[jshepherd]

Hi PearlPunk,

Try the PM feature or email directly. I suggest contacting Pearls of Joy as well to talk to Kevin about his available inventory and grade.

Would the 12mm be difficult? Yes. Impossible? No. Pricey? More than a Tahitian strand of equivalent size!

Ruan has a bead-nuked "Ikecho" fireball strand at the last HK show with a listed wholesale price of $200,000. But I think the size was somewhere in the range of 17-23mm.

[pearlpunk]

Originally Posted by jshepherd

Would the 12mm be difficult? Yes. Impossible? No. Pricey? More than a Tahitian strand of equivalent size!

EEEKK.... well, in that case, 11 mm freshadama is for me (choker)

[pearlpunk]

Originally Posted by jshepherd

I suggest contacting Pearls of Joy as well to talk to Kevin about his available inventory and grade.

will do. so far i only see 9mm-10mm presidential FWP displayed on his site. will ask if he has 11 mm.

how is the presidential (Pearl of Joy) differ from freshadama (Pearl Paradise) and elite (Pure Pearls)? i'll ask kevin too.

[Raisondetre]

Not really freshadama, but I didn't want to start a new thread. Is there no chance of getting anymore AAA dyed 9-10 mm freshwaters, Jeremy? If you won't produce a fresh batch I might get it off Purepearls.

BTW, any ETA on the silver-blue Akoyas and freshwater baroques?

[jshepherd]

Send me a PM about the baroque freshwater. I almost finished the baroque akoya last night, and we have half of them already photographed.

[jshepherd]

You should check with my brother as well. He owns ThePearlOutlet.com. He deals in a lot of freshwater, but I do not know his current inventory.

[pearlpunk]

Originally Posted by jshepherd

You should check with my brother as well. He owns ThePearlOutlet.com. He deals in a lot of freshwater, but I do not know his current inventory.

gracious me! you guys are related? his site was the first site i ever considered buying pearls from! but i cancelled my order as i saw your large freshadama! (albeit out of stock). i can see that he has and can do 10 mm AAA triple strand freshwater, but his 11 mm only came up to AA+ according to what's available on the site. and i prefer them larger....

still mulling...

[xeresana]

Ooooooh...baroque akoyas. How dreamy. Are there new baroque freshwaters coming or are they the ones already posted?