[knotty panda]

I am considering purchasing these pearls for a rather handsome price. They are described by the vendor as "South Sea Pearl strand - plump, off-round pearls on a 16.5" temporary strand. 12.1-15.4mm. Overtones of rosé and teal". This not an e-bay seller. The vendor also describes these pearls in their own vernacular as good to excellent luster with light blemishes. The picture will zoom with Microsoft Office Picture Manager for a closer inspection. Any opinion? Thanks for you help and kindness!

[jshepherd]

It is a bit hard to tell from the picture, but it does not seem too bad. The shape is a slight button, it appears. I guess a lot would depend upon the price.

[knotty panda]

Thanks so much for your opinion. It means a lot. The price is "gulp" $3,500 or, one arm and one leg or your first born . It's something I have to consider very, very carefully and I want to be as informed as possible. Thank you so much again.

[jshepherd]

That is a perfectly fair price. But before forking it out, make sure and put some hi-res pics up here so we can be sure it is South Sea and not freshwater.

[knotty panda]

And so I shall. This vendor is very good about taking pictures from different angles and pointing out flaws on request. I've just never made a purchase of this size before and I'm moving cautiously. Thank you so much again for your expertise and kindness!

[Kevin Canning]

just don't get rushed into anything - if you miss this strand there will be others. $3500 is a good chunk of change, so take your time and make sure you want to invest that much.

[knotty panda]

Everyone is so very helpful and kind. I can't express my gratitude enough. I have nothing but time to consider this purchase. If someone else gets them, then they were meant to be theirs and not mine.

[knotty panda]

I purchased these sometime ago, prior to finding this site. They were represented as SSP. I'm quite sure the vendor is reputable, however, they were later identified as freshwater by someone who I don't know to be reputable. Regardless, it did leave a doubt in my mind. Is there a tell-tale give-away that a novice like me can readily identify to be able to say with some degree of certainty that yes, these are SSP, or no they are not? Personally, I love these pearls, I love the rings, but it would good to know if the are indeed SS. Thank you again.

[jshepherd]

They definitely could be South Sea. Again, it is hard to say without a closeup. If the seller is reputable, chances are they are South Sea. I would surmise most jewelers would not be able to tell them apart from freshwater in that shape.

To illustrate a point, I am going to post a message here that we received last week from someone who had happened upon our Site. It gave the entire office sore stomachs (from laughing).

I have a couple of strands for sale and I took them to a resident jeweler. Now, this gentleman knew I only had pearls when we made the appointment. I also had a strand of white baroque south seas pearls to sell. This gentleman had the nerve to tell me that 1) south seas pearls are never baroque 2) south seas pearls are never under 12MM 3) and that my strand was worthless. I told him Tiffany's would be grateful to learn such south seas pearl news as they are unaware. He said I needed to "google south seas pearls qualifications" which I did and lo and behold, guess who's site came up first ... Pearl Paradise!
No one ever said it was easy.

So, my suggestion would be to get your strand checked out by someone who really knows pearls, because you could take that pictured piece to 10 different jewelers, and these are just a few things you would likely hear: 1) the pearls are fake 2) they are freshwater 3) they are South Sea 4) they are natural...
It is too early for me to guess on the next 6. But I would be willing to bet one of them would not be "I do not know".

It is difficult to really explain the visual difference between South Sea and freshwater. You will hear things such as the satin luster, or the deeper reflection. But every strand and pearl is different, and there really are no exact rules. It is just a matter of experience and knowing what to look for in any given piece.

[knotty panda]

Once again, I am humbled by your kindness in answering so many questions. You share such knowledge freely and honestly. Thank you again.

[Kevin Canning]

Its funny how we never hear a report of a jeweller telling a customer they don't know what the pearls are.

Well I guess its more sad then funny really

[pattye]

Hi Kevin and All,

Wow! I think back and realize it was only about 12 years ago, working fine jewelry retail, I saw my first strand of very off-round freshwater pearls. Considering all the changes and what is available today, it is no surprise that many have not kept up with what is happening in the pearling world. And I agree it is sad.

Kevin, I think your website mentioned you started your online business in 2000, and I think the Shepherds were just a few years earlier than that. So there is a tremendous increase in the availability of reasonably priced, beautiful, high quality pearls.

I would suspect many of the jewelers think they know, but obviously haven't a clue. (They may be fine with diamonds and other gems.)

IMO,
Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

[Caitlin]

I joined this forum just over 2 years ago and the CFWP have gotten exponentially better in just that time! I think many of the Chinese have really mastered the art of producing quite round and quite lustrous pearls.

And their dye jobs are often fabulous and improving with each harvest. The black ones now have much more peacock tones than even a year ago. The prices are rising too. And they are worth it. I just love them. Have I said that before? Oh well....

[Raisondetre]

Many sellers still do not know what they're talking about. I went to about 5-6 stores yesterday to check things out and most of them seemed to be just memorizing from the books and also just pointing out the good features of the pearl while neglecting to mention any of the bad. I doubt the ones I talked to did any of the GIA courses. I think a good vendor should help to point out the features of a pearl which give it its grade. That way people know what they're getting.

[Satine De La Courcel]

yeah, For m oost B&M sepecially chain stores, all they really want is you to "Sound Good" and make the sale, I became interested in Pearls, helping quiz my mom for her the GIA's "old" Pearl grading course, final exam, I found this forum while doing research for my hobby and wanted to teach some classes about pearls.

Cheers all

Ash