[olmander]

Rose, and back to your question: I am also in Europe and had to pay tax on jewelry pieces coming from the US a couple of times. But so far there are so many interesting things in the US on the pearl market (at least on-line) that it is sometimes worse paying the tax. Anyway it would be chaper than buying it in a shop, and you first have to find it...

Olga

[Caitlin]

Tahitian cultured pearls
These are treated, peeling freshwater pearls. This is the worst strand of all as even beading grade would be a stretch... __________________

Jeremy
Those are exactly like the pearls I got from China from Faye. I managed to give most of them away.........

[Pearl_dreams]

Umm...I clicked on the link in post 15, and I could hardly believe my eyes-- they actually say "Luna-Pearls Schmuck Shop".

"Schmuck" is Yiddish for a fool, a very stupid person-- and Yiddish is derived from German. Does anyone know of another meaning???

[jshepherd]

It is German, perlen schmuck would be pearl jewelry.

[GemGeek]

Yes, the first time a Jewish friend told me Schmuck is German for jewels, I was greatly surprised. The evolution of the other meaning came from association with "the family jewels", something a man could better explain.

[Pearl_dreams]

Aha!

I learn something every time I read this board; usually it's about pearls, this time it's about a German word!

[Slraep]

Hmmm...I know "schmuck"means "jewel" in German but I just can't help giggling when I read "perlen schmuck" and think "pearl foolery". Or read "orhschmuck" and think "ear foolery" and "schmuck kollektion" as "foolery collection". There's a great irony there. I think it was Oppenheimer in the book "Glitter and Greed" that supposedly laughed at people who bought his diamonds, likening them to primatives collecting pebbles. Makes for good pondering.

Slraep