[SpaceNeedle]

Has anybody purchased a black FW strand from ThePearlOutLet? I have attached a zoom photo and the full link is http://www.thepearloutlet.com/servle...supplierID=490

I just wanted to know how the colors and overtones compared to black FW strands on PearlParadise. http://www.pearlparadise.com/detail.aspx?ID=1191

[Raisondetre]

Depends on what you want. I have both in different sizes, and PP's are more multi-colored, while TPO's monotonal. I got TPO's on one of the monthly specials, so I'm not sure if the usual stock is the same. That was only AA quality though and the price was very attractive. I think PP's only comes in 7-8 mm as few people do large batches of high grade pearls these days. PP has some fantastic 6-7 mm AA+ dyed freshwaters on the Christmas/Dec special which ends today. PM me if you want the link. If you want larger pearls you won't go wrong with TPO. I think Pure Pearls has some as well.

ETA: In fact, I think TPO has some AA+ for sale in their Christmas sale. Theirs is linked to the bottom of their homepage.

[SpaceNeedle]

Raisondetre - Thank you. I checked TPO's Christmas sale page but the colors of the strand onsale looked very different from the above photo. I ordered a strand from TPO so I can see the actual piece.

[Caitlin]

At the risk of getting teased (or booted) by the Tahit-ophiles, I think a large strand of dyed black Freshwaters is as beautiful as a Tahitian- in its own way. The orient colors are purely freshwater and do not occur on Tahitians, thus they do not fool anyone who knows pearls, but for $500, You can get a 10mm necklace. For about $1,000, an 11-12mm.

The FW packs a lot of pretty for the price.

The secondary benefit (to my mind) is that the FW pearls are solid nacre and thus look more "real" than bead nucleated perfect spheres.

Since you definitely pay more to get orient on a Tahitian, I think a good freshwater is a better choice than an orient-free Tahitian.

[Raisondetre]

You know we'd never make fun of you, Caitlin! I agree dyed freshwaters are the better value for money. Most low-end dyed freshwaters would be pretty blemished and not have any orient, but the good quality ones do glow like spheres and at 1/5-1/3 of the price of a tahitian strand, you really can't complain for what you're getting. Low quality tahitian strands on the other hand look worse than dyed freshwaters. I like them both for different things, although nothing really beats having a strand of dark peacocks ... I know they're just PPBs but they're so beautiful. The only thing I still can't bear to plonk money down on is the large Akoyas ... I can get at least two freshadama strands for anything over 8 mm ... I still do like the rose overtone and metallic luster, but logic tells me to leave it off till my collection is saturated and I have some spare cash. It's a bit different for the wedding crowd though - that's once in a lifetime. Wouldn't mind Akoyas and diamonds for a gift though, but I digress yet again.

Oh yes, HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! I'm a bit early but you guys will get there in a few hours!

[SpaceNeedle]

Caitlin/Raisondetre - On dyed pearls, how long should I expect the colors to stay bright and brilliant like in the photo? Any special care/maintenance required?

Couldn't resist answering. I have a huge inventory of dyed pearls and they vary tremendously in their colorfastness.

Rule One - when you are not wearing them, put them in a box. Sunlight is the worst, but even fluorescent light can bleach the color out of some dyed pearls if left out in the open.

Rule Two - don't "wash" them, unless necessary. After wearing, wet your hands, glide them over the strand, then gently dry with a soft cloth. Your hand will touch the part of the pearls that touch your skin.

Rule Three - enjoy them now. Dyed black pearls should be pretty hardy, but I have opened up other colors of pearls after storage to find a completely different color. Sometimes, the dye dissipates on its own.

[SpaceNeedle]

GemGeek - Thank you very much for the tips. The only thing left for me to wonder is the look of the actual piece compared to that of the one shown in the photo.

[Raisondetre]

Oh well, now that you've got me started I can't stop. I had to do the coil thing ...

Comparison of all three strands:


Closeup of PP's 7-8 mm AAA:

[Raisondetre]

TPO's 10 mm AA:

[Raisondetre]

Side by side comparison:

[Raisondetre]

Random shots of the 60" AA rope:

[SpaceNeedle]

Thank you all very much!! Now I know exactly what I have to do .

Originally Posted by SpaceNeedle

Thank you all very much!! Now I know exactly what I have to do .

Yeah, take coiled photos!

[Hanaleimom]

Thanks, Raisondetre. I was wondering on the differences of the 2 sites. I am glad you posted your pictures, especially of the 2 side by side. I made my decisions and bought 2 strands after seeing your posts.