What do you think - Salt or FW Keshi

[Bodecia]

Hi All,

What do you think - are these saltwater keshi or FW keshi. I think they look good enough to be saltwater keishi but I am not 100% on it. Opinions needed once again.

Bodecia or Bo

[Ashley]

Hi There Bodecia,

Those look like high-quality Chinese freshwater baroque strands to me. We recently imported a large lot of white and multi-color baroque strands, and almost all of them took on that smooth drop-shape with excellent water. And they were very uniform in their shapes as well. Sold out pretty quickly too

[Ashley]

By the way, those are very pretty! Would love to see that in person!!
-A

[pattye]

Hi again!

Dunno what's gotten into me today, just mouthin' off!! These most likely cfw, probably not keshi, just small cultured. I heard Joel Schecter of Honora say that recent harvest of small ovals have great nacre.
I have some small fw keshi, they have great rainbow color. So IMO the best fw keshi can rival SS keshi, and of course, the affordability factor is there. That necklace would be a small fortune in saltwater keshi!! A lovely necklace to be sure!!!

Pattye

[Bodecia]

Hi pattye & Ashley,

So not keshi well the asking price of $475 is too much in that case. I thought if keshi as they are advertised as it would be great if they were SW. Would have got them somehow, robbed a bank or whatever. Had another look at the photo and I see that they do have a slight drop shape and haven't got as many lovely lumps and bumps as keshi generally do.

They are app. 6.5 x 4.5 or so I was told. They are supposed to be from an expensive estate - but then that is often said. And supposed to be keshi . . . but supposed to be and is are two different things.

Ashley, what did your CFW baroques sell for if you don't mind me asking. Just ignore me if you do I would like to see them in person too.

If they are "just" CFW baroques what would they be worth. They have a 14k gold clasp with MOP inlay.

Bodecia

[Ashley]

Hi Bodecia,

We put single 18" strands of 9-10mm Freshwater Baroques on special for $95.00 per strand (!!! !!!), and they did very well... To be honest, it was a great price, and our customers loved them! Considering that the estate necklace you're interested in has multiple strands of good looking pearls there (you can see some nice luster in many of the pearls, and mostly smooth surface quality) I'd say that $475 is not out of left field for retail value.

Since so many in the jewelry industry aren't pearl specialists, it can be an easy for many to mistake keshi with baroque pearl formations, so I wouldn't be too hard on the seller

Good luck with your purchase...

[pattye]

Hello again Bo,

That looks like about 12-13 strands? Sometimes that is the hard part, finding that many strands in the same lot, but I would say you should be able to find some for $5-10 per strand retail, and under $5 with a little luck. Then get a nice clasp, and voila!!! It's so hard to judge the nacre quality from a photo, and of course, there are so many falsifications, just like this, from an estate, that lets the seller off the hook for not having(giving) any info. If you look close you can see some of the pearls are circled, too. I would say the clasp is likely plated, not solid. Not very trusting, am I??? I will be interested in what Ashley has to say further about the strands they had. That is a source I would trust.

Pattye

[pattye]

These smaller rice pearl strands arent comparable in value to the larger baroque fwcp, my impression was that you liked the multi strand smaller pearls! I guess I am saying you could duplicate it for well under $100.

Pattye

[pattye]

If you like to compare on ebay--one of the reputable sellers, IMO, there that has volume pearls is Pearl Emporium. I have purchased there(alot) and I think Caitlin mentioned she has also. I feel they are trustworthy, and Once I got 10 strands on which I didn't like the nacre, sent them back, was promptly credited.

Pattye

[Bodecia]

Hi Ashley, pattye and All,

Thing is I don't like to pay retail if I can avoid it and they are only 6.5 x 4.5 if that. Some of them do look like keishi but most are the drop shape. I am rarely hard on sellers unless they intend to mis-represent. I think the seller believes what she has said and is just trying to make an honest dollar.

I do think the clasp would be real gold or at least marked as real gold as the seller seems honest enough.

But I wont' be buying them. I have sold 6 strands of rice pearls for $10so just cfw small baroques won't cut it for me no matter how nice the lustre.

Bodecia

[pattye]

Thanks for posting the photos, it's a fun discussion, and I am certain there are real bargains out there!

Pattye

[Susan]

To be honest, it was a great price, and our customers loved them!

We most certainly did and we're waiting for the next offering!

Susan

[Ashley]

Aw Shucks, Susan!!

That photo is just the best compliment, thank you! We had a lot of fun putting those all together for everyone! The multi-color strands sold out in under one week <---Self Satisfied. We're hoping to make these a permanent addition to the rest of the goods we offer on the site...

Pattye and Bo, I agree with you about finding comparable sizes and quality for wholesale prices, we don't usually deal in the smaller sizes, but you could definitely create a comparable necklace for much cheaper. As for the clasp it's difficult to say- it might easily be plated, it looks like it's oxidizing a bit so I have suspicions...

[perlas]

Hi Bodecia,

I don't think they are keshis. They are small CFWPs. Pattye is right, it is easy to duplicate it under USD100 provided the clasp is not done in 14k gold and up.

I'm attaching a photo of loose keshis. The sizes are approx. 6mm x 8mm for the FW keshis (left) and 8mm x 8mm for the SW keshis (right).

[Bodecia]

Hi All,

Nice pearls, Susan and Ashley. They are much bigger than the ones I posted the photo of though. Pity they weren't keshi but they were still pretty but too expensive for me. I considered telling the lady what they really are but I doubt she would really want to know and might think I was attacking her honesty.

Perlas, thanks for the photos. Nice too. Like the Lavender CFWP in the middle as well. That lavender is a totally natural colour too, isn't it. Lovely colour. All very pretty. Keshi are so very special though.

As regards to CFWPs, I wonder when the snobbery will stop in regards to them. I have seen and owned CFW pearls that were far better than many akoyas. But as soon as the words FW are out there is a curse on sales which really is a pity. It wasn't so many months ago that I was in that bunch though so I do understand the bias. It is just a pity and somehow needs to be addressed. Like those little pearls in the photo I attached. They ARE beautiful regardless but they just don't have the prestige.

Bo