[Spherical Flower]

WOW thos pearls of yours are BEAUTIFUL! Are they freshwater? *Drooool* lol Thank you for sharing.

[Raisondetre]

I'm convinced one of these days the mods will mistake me for a spammer and ban me from the boards.

[jerin]

spherical flower;

congratulations on your upcoming wedding! As for the comparison Akoyas - Freshadamas in terms of luster: no other pearl than Akoyas can have that enourmous metallic luster, the freshwater pearls ("Freshadama" = like Hanadama the very best grade) look more satin in their sheen and South Sea pearls would loke even mor satiny than the Freshadamas. This is due to the temperature of the water when the molluscs leave the nacre layers on the nucleus (as in Akoya) or create the 100% nacre pearl out of a bit of mantle tissue.The colder the water, the higher the luster! As Raisondetre said, orient is often seen on the baroque shapes (everything but round) and is evident in Freshadamas, but no strand of mine shows that much of orient than my baroque strands do.

Akoya pearls are bleached and treated, the "rose overtone comes out of a bottle" so to say, i.e. is not occuring natural at all, nacre on each pearls can be different, all the certificate tells you is a nacre thickness on the pearls, they happened to check.

However if you want a strand to hand down to the next generation you should think twice about the Akoyas, they will not last - how should they, having perhaps 0,5 mm /radius nacre compared to 100%? And not even NOT WEARING THEM will help, in time the pearls will dry and perhaps even change their white bodycolour to a more yellowish tint!

If you just go for the luster however, choose the Akoyas, no other pearl has the same metallic luster (even after treatment). If you go for quality - take freshwater pearls of the Freshadama grade (gem + with orient).

If you go for price - there is no comparison at all - the Freshadamas (8 - 9 mm) are a perfect size for a fraction of the cost of an Akoya strand and You still can get a Platium clasp if that is, what you want!

Good luck and let us see some photos later on, please!

[Raisondetre]

Forgot to add that for a 6.5-7 mm strand you will not get Japanese Akoyas. Most of the pearls will be from China and likely have thicker nacre than Japanese ones due to the warmer waters. So in addition to paying for the Hanadama certification, you're paying more than necessary for something that is produced for much cheaper in China than in Japan. Of course, labor costs are much higher in Japan and they do process it. I can't say it's unfair, but you should know what you're paying for.

All the pearls I've shown you so far are freshwaters. I started with Freshadamas and my passion for them is only growing.

[Raisondetre]

I'm sure the body colors of both Hanadamas and Freshadamas are white. The overtone has to be specified when making the purchase, that's all. Rose is by far the most popular, but that's personal preference.

[Pearl_dreams]

As to the overtones, I requested (and received) my Freshadamas with a silver rosé overtone, so you can certainly get the rosé look, but it won't be outright pink as the pearls in your photo were.

As to orient, I have to be honest, I really do not see orient in my Freshadama strand, but I believe that is because they are round. One would see orient better in a baroque shaped pearl. But the luster is lovely.
************************************************** ***********************
I'm editing this on 1/9/08 because now for the first time I have noticed some orient in my Freshadama strand-- in some of the pearls-- by viewing them under a daylight spectrum lamp on a white sheet of paper. The overtones really jump out more viewing them this way, as well.

[pearllove]

Hi, congratulations on your upcoming wedding. I have both a AAA akoya pearl strand (from American Pearl) and a Freshadama freshwater pearl strand (Pearl Paradise). I also recently purchased and returned a Hanadama strand. I returned the Hanadama strand because I actually thought the quality of my AAA was better.

If you love mirror-like luster and a strong rose overtone, AAA or Hanadama akoyas are your best choice. The Freshadamas, while beautiful and more affordable do not have the mirror-like luster or strong rose overtone. Its luster is softer. The akoyas are more eye-catching while the Freshadamas are more understated. I love both.

Regarding the American Pearl Hanadama strand, please note that the pearls are not white. If you read the details, it states that the body color of the pearls is pink. This is quite different from a white pearl with a rose overtone.

I wish I could take a picture of my AAA akoyas next to my Freshadamas, but I gave the Freshadamas to my mother for Christmas. I ordered another one for myself, but it has not yet arrived.

Good luck in your pearl search,
pearllove

[Satine De La Courcel]

Mikimoto is generally overpriced.... IMO

Would be wary of comparing gradign systems since ther is NO set standard one company may cal a AAA grade waht another calls AA grade.. its a sticky issue

Suggestion go to any one of the vendors here on this site and looksie. The vendors here area all very helpful and knowedgable, and deal ONLY in pearls! so they really know their pearl information.. Good luck! and Congratulations!

Cheers
Ash

[AnnaDK]

I think that the comments to your question have been quite thorough. I will add though that if there is a particular overtone that you are looking for, you can always include that information when ordering online. Especially with the Freshadama pearls. Because often times more off-round pearls hold orient, sometimes the luster is compromised in order to have a rounder shape. The more descriptive you are as to what it is that matters most when selecting your pearls, the better companies are able to fill your request.

Like Pearl Dream said, you can request a silver-rose on a Freshadama. This assures you that the pearls will be whiter in body color (less ivory) with a hint of pink.

[Spherical Flower]

Well I don't know what's going on with the pearls anymore. A girl can only dream.

I want to say thank you to everyone who has helped with all of the advice.
I really appreciate it.

[Pearl_dreams]

Ah, yes, sometimes one has to wait for one's ultimate strand....but remember, there is no rule that you can't get some pearls for yourself in the meantime! The wedding strand can still come later.

PearlParadise's monthly special for January is a 16 inch strand of gem quality freshwater pearls that are 8-9mm, for $305, with a choice of overtones:

http://www.pearlparadise.com/detail.aspx?ID=2033

Recently I was in a local boutique that had an 18' strand of freshwater pearls for $100...the luster was a little less than the Freshadamas and they were slightly less round, but they were very attractive nonetheless. For that matter, even T. J. Maxx carries freshwater pearls of varying shapes, color and quality.

Pearls can be enjoyed at many price points. They don't have to be expensive to be beautiful.

[Pearlgully]

Originally Posted by Pearl_dreams

PearlParadise's monthly special for January is a 16 inch strand of gem quality freshwater pearls that are 8-9mm, for $305, with a choice of overtones:
Pearls can be enjoyed at many price points. They don't have to be expensive to be beautiful.

I agree. Today, I received the PP monthly special and I have to say that I am impressed. The pearls are quite lovely.


Gail

[Caitlin]

ONe of these is a certifed hanadama, the other is the first freshadama Jeremy brought back. In a poll we had about them, around 30 people guessed wrong and only about 5 guessed right. Which is which?

[Hanaleimom]

Top one is Freshadama and bottom one is Hanadama?

[john675]

I would say the reverse - the bottom is the Freshadama (?)...