[jody]

Are the Freshadamas from PP and the Presidential line from Pearls of Joy comparable? Has anyone ordered from Pearls of Joy, happy with your purchases? Thanks.

[Sueki]

Hello Jody,
I've bought from Pearls of Joy and was and am delighted with the pearls and the service. I haven't yet bought Presidential pearls - they are on my wants list - but the necklace I did buy, a long rope of multi colour freshwater pearls, is beautiful.
Kevin was very patient with my demands, and answered questions promptly.

[Mervione]

Speaking about Presidental Pearls, why is the 8-9 18 inch strand more than 400 usd cheaper? It seems a little weird to me but maybe they aren´t as good as Freh-sadama/Gemfresh/Elite? I see that on the description of Presidental the orient isn´t mentioned, is that why?

[Raisondetre]

Different vendors will have different specifications. Most loose-grade or gem quality pearls will be visually round, have excellent luster and minimal surface blemishing (never perfect though). Vendor specific traits are perhaps extreme roundness or orient. For the pricing I would say it depends on the availability - if a certain vendor is able to source a large batch from a bountiful harvest, it'd be cheaper but it doesn't mean quality suffers.

For white round pearls, the orient is not always as easily visible as on other colors or baroques, so orient would sometimes not be as high a priority for most people.

[Mervione]

I can´t really see any difference in the discriptions. (Only comparing Pearlparadise, Pearlsofjoy and The pearl outlet now since Purepearls don´t have any lavender ones...) All three descriptions is saying that they are picked as loose pearls and that they are normally used for earrings and rings. I must be missing something.

[Raisondetre]

What are you after exactly? They are all subtle differences and you might be better off listing what you want and then PMing the different vendors directly. It wouldn't be on the website. Most people wouldn't be as discerning, and the clearer you are on what you want, the easier it is to get the exact item. Fact remains that they are all pearls that are sourced loose, but there are still differences. You're not missing anything that's not there. To me it just seems that you have not yet decided on what you want to prioritize.

[pernula]

Mervione and Jody,

If you find out any information, would you mind posting it here? I think soon I will have an occasion (excuse !) to buy a 9-10 mm gem grade freshwater pearl necklace or set and am very interested to know.

Thanks,
Pernula

[Valeria101]

Originally Posted by Mervione

I can´t really see any difference in the descriptions. .... I must be missing something.

If you are missing something, then we are both missing the same tings

The problem here might be that comparing pictures online is just a guessing game - even when the pictures provided are of the precise item, not 'representative' images... And without a harmonized grading system, there's not much left to compare but prices

You could easily spend way too much time stressing over this just to throw the dice between some hearsay between the lines etc. Very tedious! At this point (and I am no pearl expert, by all means), I've ended up with a keen interest in all things about pearls and pearling, but it doesn't sound like even allot of such knowledge helps with a choice like this one you are facing: there simply isn't enough detail about the choices available. The sellers seem to be better at it then most online, no criticism there, but...

Another way might be to order a couple of strands, compare and return one... Tedious, alright.

[pattye]

Just a reminder--every single strand is gonna be a little bit different. You are, in a way, attempting to compare different kinds of apples-----------yep, they are all apples, but color and flavor are slightly different, etc, etc. Finding the right apple---er--pearl strand----means you have to ask the right questions to get your own specific needs met. Each person is going to want something slightly different. And the more you can verbalize just what you want, the better. Why a certain strand costs a little more or less is something we will really never know. Businesses have overhead, and all sorts of costs, besides what they negotiate for a lot of pearls. Expecting everything to be the same price goes against the free enterprise system.

What Raisondetre has explained is soooooo very true, and I am just repeating it. Figure out what you want and call the vendors and see if they can provide. If they can't help you call someone else.

I don't think you will come up with a definitive answer as to why something costs a bit differently. Each of the businesses mentioned are proud of their product, feel they offer a great value for $$ and provide great customer service. Even if you went to each business personally and looked at their top quality pearls, I am not at all certain you could summarize which was best and why in 3 or 4 sentences. Not even if you were extremely knowledgeable and handled thousands of strands a year-------------!!! IMO!!!

All of the vendors do custom work and just because it isn't on their website doesn't mean they can't provide something if you ask for it.

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

[Mervione]

Yes, that makes sense. I´ve been reading on the forum about freshadama and the other gemqualitystrands the vendors on this forum are offering, and it seems that if you don´t specify what you are looking for then it´s a bit of a gamble, you don´t really know what you get. Is that correct?

I just think it´s a bit confusing but I think it´s all cleared up now. Since pearls aren´t manmade they are all unique, like pattye said. That´s just part of their charm I think, although if you prioritize something you have to ask for it. Is that also correct?

So it doesn´t really matter what vendor you choose to buy from, because all four lines of gemquality pearls are just as good? If I´m wrong then I think I´m totally lost...

[jerin]

Hi Mervione,

you´ve got very good advice of our members, the best I can think of though would be sending an email to Kevin, asking him why this difference and telling him what it is you would expect...

The next best thing would be ordering from different vendors (only then you have to have the money to pay for 2 strands) before returning 1 of them. But if you are really unlucky you might want to keep them both, then you are really in a pickle....

[Mervione]

That´s a good advice. I can´t afford the strand just yet but never hurt to make research about it.

I expect I´d be very much able to keep both strands... I would have a really hard time to send back one of the strands, I think you have to have lots of self disicpline to do that. (or maybe the thought of starving would make you send it back?) It also feels a bit mean (know I´m not alone about feeling that way.) to send back things like that. Better to mail I think and ask for pictures of the strand.