[Kaywal]

Hello!
I'm new to the pearl purchasing world. I have a strand of pearls that my parents gave me a long time ago, and I have no idea what quality they are. I recently pulled them out of my jewelry box, and I fell in love with them. They feel wonderful.

I'd love to purchase some more pearls, and I was wondering if I could get some advice on reputable vendors that aren't too expensive. I understand that good pearls aren't inexpensive, but I'd like to get the best quality I can for the best price--like everyone else, I'm sure!

Has anyone heard of oceangems.com? I found some things I like on the site, and I was wondering if anyone had experience with them.

Also, I love the look of baroque pearls. Is there a thread on this site about them? I'd love to learn more.

Still reading through material on the site. I have much to learn, and I am very excited!

I attached a photo of the pearls my parents gave me. It's a 17 inch strand of 6.5mm pearls. You probably can't tell the quality from the photo. I think they are probably not the best quality, but they have sentimental value. Some of the pearls have a little texture on them--don't know what this means--please excuse my ignorance! I'd love to hear any opinions on them.
Thanks so much,
Kaywal

[jshepherd]

The pearls in the photo do not look all that bad at all. It is hard to tell precisely from the photo, but the reflection appears to be tight enough and the pearls seem to be round (all but the top, second from right).

Take your time reading through the forum, there are a lot of vendors here. But if you spend the time learning about the gem you will enjoy your purchase so much more and most likely enjoy the process as well.

Regarding OceanGems.com, I know of no one that has had experience with Mr. Weiss. The Web site has only been up for about a month or so as far as I know. But my honest opinion is that it is not a professional organization. He is selling Chinese freshwater pearls as pearls from the Philippines. He may be doing this unknowingly, and if that is the case it is unfortunate. But it sends a clear message that the company is not a credible organization.

[Kaywal]

Thanks for the response Jeremy!

I appreciate the heads up about Oceangems.com.

[GemGeek]

I'm sure you look terrific in those pearls!

Take your time looking around the site. You are going to see a lot of photos of all kinds of pearls and you'll want them. So don't jump before you're sure what you want next. Warning -- this can become a compulsion!

[Kaywal]

Thanks GemGeek!

I just purchased my first bracelet! (from pearlparadise.com--great site!) Oh, I can see this becoming an addiction--so much for starting slowly