[jshepherd]

Some of you may already be aware that there is a thread on the CPAA forum that attacks me personally, attacks online pearl sellers in general, and attacks the credibility of Pearl-Guide.com.

I defended myself, other online pearls sellers, and Pearl-Guide.com in the exchange on the CPAA forum last week. I was in an argument with someone who I thought was a jeweler, using the handle pearldiver52865. This jeweler claimed to be a B&M jeweler who was being hurt by what he called “our predatory pricing tactics.” He also claimed to have received a strand of our pearls, taken them to the JCK Show in Las Vegas, and compared them against Mikimoto and Mastoloni Pearls’ pearls, as well as the Imperial Deltah pearls he stocked in his showcase.

I am sure you are all familiar with the Mikimoto Pearl Company. Mastoloni Pearls is a very large, well-established pearl wholesaler from New York. Not a retail jeweler.

After much debate on the CPAA forum, user pearldiver52865 thought he had caught me in a lie and promised to post and blog everywhere he could on the thread, including Pearl-Guide.com. Shortly thereafter, on Friday, Pearl-Guide.com received a new member signup by someone with the username pearldiver52865.

As one of the administrators of this Web site, I have access to all logs that include new user notifications. I immediately checked the IP address of this new user. I checked this IP address against other member accounts on Pearl-Guide.com and it matched perfectly the IP address of an existing member of Pearl-Guide.com, MASTOLONI-PEARLS.

In addition to this match, I was able to trace the IP address of the new member, pearldiver52865. The IP address, when typed in as a URL, returned the “Mastoloni Pearls – Salesperson Assist” log in page.

http://www.cpaaforums.org/viewtopic....a9a938080f8cea

[pearlescence]

plouffff - I am not a 'charlatans, fakes, con-artists and "spewers of BS".
20th century marketing meets 21st and seems a smidge miffed

[barbie biggs]

You'd think if some one wanted to prove you wrong they would be a little smarter about it. Using the same login everywhere isn't even bright.
Plus, it's so mean spirited.
Jeremy, I'm sorry people are like that. The only thing I can say is something you already seem to know. Relish the struggle. Get up every day and be happy the sun is shinning. Live life to the fullest as you already do.
It is a privilege to know you, even in this limited sense. He's missing out.
barbie
God, these people really annoy me. Like they haven't got enough money or something.

[Ashley]

What bothers me so much about the exchange is the arrogance displayed on many of the responses on the thread! "Serve me drinks and amuse us..." Eww, sir! Kindly dispose of your horrible mind-set and unnecessary judgements, they do not make you look like a good human being.

At least if you're going to spew inaccurate accusations and talk smack about somebody, you should be able to put your name next to it, not hide under some anonymous handle. Rules of the jungle...

[pattye]

That is truly shocking! The rantings of a desperate man. Maybe he lost the NORDSTROM account?????? A lot of their fine jewelry depts, at least on the west coast, have been featuring Mastoloni pearls. (When I worked there in the 90's we stocked Mikis.)

Pearldiver obviously stayed underwater way too long!

[Drucilla]

Pearldiver inspires me to go ahead and make my next PP purchase..........#251 for today.....ch-ching.


Drucilla

[Sueki]

Good Heavens, that's one bitter individual.
Serve me drinks and amuse us ?
Thought we had the edge on that sort of thing.....

http://uktv.co.uk/gold/item/aid/604537/displayVideo/Hi

[pbazar]

I want to tell you publicly what I have said privately. I do not know who pearldiver52865 is. I assumed that it was one of my many B&M independent jewelers. I have not been able to contact pearldiver52865.

I stand by my statement that pearl grading is not standard and Mikimoto is different than Mastoloni.

I checked PearlParadise.com and it seems their Hanadama Pearls would be AAAA on PP grading system Imperial does not use AAAA Crown is equal to AAA on our grading system. I would compare the situation to Celsius and Fahrenheit

I believe that having the opportunity to select the very best that the crop has to offer is significant in the pearl business in fact PearlParadise has this privilege with its Chinese Akoya farm and none of that material would be available to me.

This relationship for Imperial is with the finest Japanese Suppliers hence my pride in Crown cultured pearls.

As to pearldiver’s name calling innuendos and accusations I don’t think it was useful to any point that was trying to be made nor do I support it.

I thought there were some interesting issues and was sad to see it disintegrate to angry tirades.

I appreciate what pearl-guide brings to the universe of pearls and my goal is to work in harmony and a sprit of cooperation with all pearl lovers. In fact I promote this forum.

I prefer to try to keep things constructive not destructive it has been my conviction that all pearl competitors work together for the greater good there is enough business for all.

I do not know pearldiver but I do know the Mastoloni family and this does not seem to be characteristic of them in fact for the most part computers and blogs are not part of their world but it realy does not matter.

[GemGeek]

Thanks Peter. I know you would rather things were more congenial on the CPAA forum. Keep up the great work!

Blaire

[john675]

Wow - I just finished reading the CPAA posts. It is astonishing to see such arrogance, coupled with fear-driven anger, from the B&M segment of jewelry. As Jeremy said to PearlDiver, he is angry and frustrated as he sees his once successful business losing pearl sales.

Frankly, I have never bought any jewelry from a B&M store. I always felt the markups were ridiculous. I found my jewelry through estate sales, auctions, and, in the early 1980s during the silver and gold commodity run up, found great deals on diamonds from companies buying cast-off engagement rings. I like nice things and I get them without having to pay the unfair prices asked by B&M stores in the US.

I remember well reading my Wall Street Journal one morning and learning about Pearl Paradise. I went to Jeremy's site and started learning. I discovered Pearl Guide and learned a lot more. I have bought pearls from many of the online pearl "thieves and liars" mentioned in the tirade and am absolutely thrilled with my purchases.

The whole thing makes me angry... I'm glad you defended yourself, Jeremy, but also us. It would seem they think us quite stupid for believing we have found a "good thing".

[jshepherd]

I think what bothered me more than the rants on the CPAA forum was discovering that PearlDiver52865, who I am naturally assuming is the same PearlDiver52865 that signed up on PG immediately after threatening to, was not actually a B&M jeweler, but someone posting from Mastoloni Pearl's IP address.

If they are indeed the same poster, everything that PearlDiver52865 said was a lie - a deliberate, calculated attempt to attack my credibility and the credibility of this forum and other online sellers.

If there is a difference of opinion, fine. Peter Bazar and I often have a difference of opinion. But we discuss things openly, not pretending to be something or someone we are not; throwing around anonymous insults like a kid throwing rocks a dog on the other side of a fence.

[Pearlgully]

Bravo Jeremy. They're just jealous of your success.
Keep taking the high road.

Gail

[Pearl_dreams]

Just finished reading the CPAA thread. Fear and jealousy, plain and simple.

The Internet has changed the marketplace irrevocably. Buyers can find all the information they need, as well as the best deals, online. Why would we want to pay more?

[Amrita]

I honestly think people like this pearldiver guy do not deserve so much of our time and thoughts - so I am erasing him/her from my memory. (Presses delete button and smiles)....

[Pearl_dreams]

I am struck by the paucity of information and discussion on the CPAA site-- especially compared to P-G!