Are these really South Sea Baroques?

[Ramona]

I buy most of my pearls on ebay from reputable sellers and recently got these recommended to me by ebay in their automated "suggestion list":

http://cgi.ebay.com/GRAND-94-1-SOUTH...QQcmdZViewItem

I was curious and checked the seller out. Claims to sell items from a movie production company. Sells a number of items that way, all very expensive. However the pearls look more like FW baroques to me. Am I wrong?

I would appreciate your opinion, since my knowledge of pearls is still limited.

[pearlescence]

They look like not very good freshwater baroques to me. There are clear flat sides. May be a couple of years old, the baroques I am now getting into stock are much better quality, very lustrous and rounded with no flat sides.
The grammar in the description is also poor - not the work of the high powered exec...?

[dkan 168]

Concur with Wendy that they look more like very good Freshwater Baroques, have a look at this strand and you'd know what I mean:

Pillow Freshwaters

DK

[pearlescence]

I would not say they were even very good - they have clear flats and very irregular shapes. I have some like those greys in stock - I must upload them sometime this year

[Amrita]

I agree those are definitely freshwater baroques, Ramona.

[Sueki]

Hi Ramona,
Welcome to the forum.
I agree with the others - those pearls are freshwaters.

[The Pearl Outlet]

Definately freshwater baroques. They are NOT South Sea pearls.

[pattye]

OK, Pearl Police, you know what to do! I just emailed the seller, and also filed ebay complaint.

[Ramona]

Thanks to all of you for your opinion. I have reported the seller as well. Probably nothing will happen. What worries me this is a seller with >250 sales and 100% feedback and his stuff is all super expensive. I assume since the pearls are so obviously a fraud, so is probably the rest. I cannot believe people buy this stuff.

PS: This is a great site. I am glad I found it.

[pattye]

Now they have another listing using the same photo. Filed another report.

p.s. Welcome Ramona!

[waimeamomi]

Good job pearl police! I see they have 2 listings for similar strands and that they are only guaranteeing that they are "genuine baroque pearls." Well, duh. Here's a link to some similar pearls I got directly from China same shapes and flat backs. http://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/fre...me-pearls.html

[MWP]

Baroque South Seas look more like the attached photo. The pics from the eBay listing definitely appear to be freshwater. Notice the difference between the eBay pics and the one I attached. I also noticed they removed the "South Sea" portion on the eBay listing.

[Slraep]

100% Chinese cultured freshwater pearls.

The vendor's description is quite funny and far fetched but this particular part is hilarious: ( For the sake of comparison, think of what it would cost to just buy 173 Huge Premium Oysters - without any Huge Baroque Pearls in them!)

Slraep

[pearlescence]

They've now got two of these items...identical, according to the photo..

[Raisondetre]

Well, premium oysters wouldn't cost that much ... and you get to eat them too!