[BluePawprint]

Hi,
was wondering if anyone could shed any insight, how do prices of Tahitians/ Freshwaters/ Akoyas, compare in Asia brick-and-mortar stores (Singapore, Malaysia, Hongkong, China), to the prices offered by the online vendors here?

Someone asked me how much I'm saving, IF ANY... and I'm stumped. I feel rather silly, not knowing. I've checked out only Mikimoto and Chain Jewellery Stores here- the Chain Jewellery stores do not specialise in pearls and offer little selection/ little knowledge about their product.

[lisamla]

One thing I can say about Mikimoto in the US vs Thailand is the selection is different (minus strands, which seem to have the same price regardless of location). I have not seen very much in the way of pearls here. Another member told me there is a place at MBK selling pearls, but I haven't looked yet because its a hugh discount mall and I just don't trust it. I'm going to Phuket in a few weeks and will be taking a Pearl Farm tour. I'll be looking at prices and selection. I expect though, the prices to be high because it is a tourist activity.

[pernula]

I browsed around some shops in Singapore during a one day trip there, I thought the Tahitian pearl prices were quite high. I was in touristy areas like Orchard Road and SunTec City (not sure I spell it right) though...

Pernula

[airdancer]

Hi! I replied your PM. I remember walking by a shopping center in Orchard and feeling fantastic because my FWs bought online were more beautiful and cheaper than the one in the counter. .

[v_ni]

BluePawprint,

i always go isetan to check out their pearls, they have quite a good range. like you said, the local jewellers don't have a wide range, i did see some fwp earrings at leehwa that i thought were pretty good quality but they didn't have any pearlstrands.

at isetan, i saw some freshwater pearlstrands, the luster, shape and visible blemish were pretty bad and they were S$2k. i feel for fwp, it's definitely a better value buying online.

[airdancer]

Originally Posted by lisamla

I'm going to Phuket in a few weeks and will be taking a Pearl Farm tour. I'll be looking at prices and selection. I expect though, the prices to be high because it is a tourist activity.

Oooh, pls share when you get back. I have seen some FW necklaces but this is very briefly at the shops. Both quality and prices were commercial (read: uninteresting).

[BluePawprint]

Thanks for the responses! I finally had the chance to check out S*z* P. at Centrepoint- they carry some freshwaters.

After 50% discount (Moving Out Sale, except they'd be still be there in May?), it seems roughly twice the vendor prices here? I think! Possibly could bargain down further. No points of comparison other than sizing, she couldn't tell me whether AA or AAA because there's "no grading", the strands didn't look particularly unblemished or lustrous. That the freshwaters were "from China, but owned by Japanese company". The shapes looked really squashed, very far from round and she replied my eyes are too used to Akoya rounds. That freshwaters aren't round like Akoyas (at which point she tried to convince me on Akoyas instead). The colouring on each strand didn't seem to match well either... I really disliked their freshwater strands.

Their Akoyas at the lower price bracket looked really blemished, yikes. I saw some dark round pearls which I'm uncertain whether dyed freshwater or Tahitian- I didn't ask. They had no Tahitian Baroques at all.

Now I'm actually worried that I may have unreasonable expectations of the AAA Freshwater strand I ordered online here, even though it's obviously priced much better?

[pattye]

Hi Bluepawprint,

I know you are excited for your pearls to arrive, but put expectations out of your mind for now! You will be receiving your beautiful and unique pearls soon, they will "wake up" within the first few days they arrive. I like to leave mine in a safe place where I can walk by and admire them and handle them and try them on. As the light changes they allow me to see their colors and luminous qualities more and more. (And because you are wise, you ordered from someone with good return or exchange policy.)

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

[BluePawprint]

Thanks for the responses, rec'd my 2 strands today.
Am so relieved the FW AAA white body-rose overtone from PurePearls is NOTHING like the ones I saw locally.
- PureP's were visually round (maybe one I could detect abit off-round), those I saw locally had LOTS of squished rounds!
- PureP's were relatively blemish-free (I haven't taken a close pearl by pearl examination yet, but overall), those I saw had lots of blemishes.
- I can't say about lustre cos I don't have both side by side for comparison. Can't say about overtone, I thought the local strands had stronger overtone, but very mismatched... some pearls in their strand had stronger tones than the others. PureP's seems to have lighter overtone, but even throughout.

And finally, PureP's were half the "half-price sale" of those I saw locally.

That said, I think I'm abit more used to Akoya's mirror lustre? Compared to Freshwaters, I mean.

As for the tahitians... I really think no one else here wears or sells Tahitian baroques!

[jerin]

Originally Posted by BluePawprint

Thanks for the responses, rec'd my 2 strands today.
Am so relieved the FW AAA white body-rose overtone from PurePearls is NOTHING like the ones I saw locally.
- PureP's were visually round (maybe one I could detect abit off-round), those I saw locally had LOTS of squished rounds!
- PureP's were relatively blemish-free (I haven't taken a close pearl by pearl examination yet, but overall), those I saw had lots of blemishes.
- I can't say about lustre cos I don't have both side by side for comparison. Can't say about overtone, I thought the local strands had stronger overtone, but very mismatched... some pearls in their strand had stronger tones than the others. PureP's seems to have lighter overtone, but even throughout.

And finally, PureP's were half the "half-price sale" of those I saw locally.

That said, I think I'm abit more used to Akoya's mirror lustre? Compared to Freshwaters, I mean.

As for the tahitians... I really think no one else here wears or sells Tahitian baroques!

How nice, Bluepawprint - that means you will be the FIRST TO SHOW THEM OFF and perhaps make otherladies get interested as well.

As for the AAA-grade in freshwater: these pearls are round to the eye, but not necessarily round when measured! But as always you must remember: at any other mall or shop you had had to buy a lot more for much lesser quality and in the end it comes to this: if you want to have the very best - there is a cost! You get what you pay for - a really nice round CFWP strand with highest luster can cost several thousand dollars! And compared to what you actually have been buying you have got a really great quality for a fraction of the above mentionend tousands of dollars..... And you will get used to the more satiny luster of freshwater pearls in no time - they are charming in their own way....

[airdancer]

Originally Posted by BluePawprint

As for the tahitians... I really think no one else here wears or sells Tahitian baroques!

I might have remembered wrongly but I think I have seen some tahitian baroques. I'll confirm again when I'm out shopping. Today I walked by a shop with a south sea baroques ring, a strand of fireballs and keishis pendents. For all in SG, i found them a jewellery shop in Caltex House (sorry, I forgot it's new name) the floor where the post office is.

[airdancer]

Originally Posted by BluePawprint

Thanks for the responses! I finally had the chance to check out S*z* P. at Centrepoint

Oh yes that shop like rounds and Akoyas and try to convince all to buy akoyas.