Advice on first pearl purchase

[agheno]

Hello everyone. I am about ready to buy my wife's first set of pearls and after reading through most of the forum I still have some questions. I'm currently leaning towards a full set (necklace, earrings, bracelet) of top grade freshwater pearls so that it can withstand everyday wear if she falls in love with the gift.

When I did my preliminary research at B&M stores, I preferred pearls that were white with only the slightest hint of pink showing on the edges. Does this mean I have a preference for 'silver' overtones? What is the recommended overtone for women with fair skin? The best quality I could find locally were A1 Mikimoto (main line), which isn't even freshwater, so I am relying pretty heavily on online photos to make my decision.

My wife is in her late 20's, 5'4", 120 lbs and works in an office environment. She wears an assortment of low cut V's, button up dress shirts, and turtlenecks. I'm looking for something that she would consider casual enough to wear to work but dressy enough to go out with friends. Given her size, age, and profession, I was leaning towards an 18" 7.5-8.0mm necklace -- does that sound appropriate? Should the earrings and bracelet also be the same size and if not, how much smaller/larger?

I've seen some recommendations to do a hidden clasp to join the bracelet and necklace into a longer necklace for additional versatility. I like this idea but I am planning on taking advantage of the 90 day return guarantee and ordering from multiple vendors to compare quality, preventing me from getting an upfront customizations. Is the hidden clasp something that I can add in a year or two when it is time to restring the pearls or should I try to narrow down my vendor choice right now and get the customization done at the time of ordering?

Going back to the 'highest grade freshwater' idea; is there any preference towards Freshadama, Presidential, Elite, and Gem grade? I got the impression from forum postings that Freshadama's were selected from Gem grade (loose) pearls but held to a higher standard for orient. Is the same true for Presidential and Elite? I tried putting together a chat comparing the differences between the top 4 recommended vendors on this forum (pearlparadise, purepearls, pearlsofjoy, and thepearloutlet) but only confused myself as some of the vendors had conflicting information about their grades in various parts of their website.

Lastly, has anyone heard of pearldistributors.com? I ran across them while researching Gem grade pearls and they seem to closely mirror pearlparadise.com in product offerings and pricing.

I know I just wrote a lot so thanks in advance for any comments. This forum has already been a great help in learning about freshwater and akoya pearls.

[Heidi]

I'll just chime in quickly regarding grade. In terms of language details on any reputable vendor's website, there may be some small differences in how the information is deciphered for the consumer and to reflect their particular brand. If you read into the details, however, you'll see that there are grades and there are brands. It is critical to understand the difference and then to remember that many people write about brands as if they were grades; this leads to a lot of confusion.

That said, the "gem grade" pearls are generally from the top 1/10th of 1 percent of a given harvest year. They are loose pearls selected for earrings with a minimum of deviation from a true sphere shape; the vendors selling strands are matching the strands out of that loose stock. The notion that one vendor selects on a particular criteria over another is something of an urban myth as has been discussed elsewhere on the forum. Many of us have our personal *thing* that we like to see in our pearls, like the oft-mentioned orient. Fundamentally, though, you have choice as the consumer to do just what you're proposing and order/compare. I'd strongly suggest calling and speaking directly with any of the companies you're ordering from and being very frank with them about your interests and points of confusion and what you're seeking for your purchase. Personally I have had excellent service from many of the vendors on this site, and that includes for products I have kept as well as those I have returned.

PS: On size, generally speaking, I like a larger earring than strand in the size range you are considering. So, 9mm earring with the 7.5 to 8mm strand. Everyone is different, though. Studs? Dangles? What does she tend to wear?

[Hanaleimom]

As far as earrings, it depends on her work environment. Is she in a casual setting or a little more formal? Depending on corporate culture, it's more professional to stick to studs...you know what I mean. But if she's on the phone a lot, studs can be annoying, unless she has the earphone thingy (whatever you call it) to answer her calls. If her ear lobes are small, 9mm studs can be slightly large.

She is the best person to decide whether to go with studs or dangles. She can compromise by choosing a conservative click-in dangle (eliminate the phone problem, but not too dangly). I usually reserve hoops (3/4" max) for casual Fridays at work or weekends. Mon-Thurs I stick to studs or click-in dangles. We are not casual but not too formal either.

[Caitlin]

pearldistributors.com is is highly regarded member of this forum.

They are good people, fantastic posters, and know their pearls. They should be included in the list of the preferred sellers who are members here.

[Caitlin]

...
My wife is in her late 20's, 5'4", 120 lbs and works in an office environment. She wears an assortment of low cut V's, button up dress shirts, and turtlenecks. I'm looking for something that she would consider casual enough to wear to work but dressy enough to go out with friends. Given her size, age, and profession, I was leaning towards an 18" 7.5-8.0mm necklace -- does that sound appropriate? Should the earrings and bracelet also be the same size and if not, how much smaller/larger?

That sounds fine to me. If anything other than this choice, consider going with baroques. Even larger baroque pearls than your round choice can go from business to nightwear.

Round or baroque, all the same size would be excellent in your size range.

[SuddenlyAddictedToPearls]

My wife is in her late 20's, 5'4", 120 lbs and works in an office environment. She wears an assortment of low cut V's, button up dress shirts, and turtlenecks. I'm looking for something that she would consider casual enough to wear to work but dressy enough to go out with friends. Given her size, age, and profession, I was leaning towards an 18" 7.5-8.0mm necklace -- does that sound appropriate? Should the earrings and bracelet also be the same size and if not, how much smaller/larger?

I think the length of the necklace also depends on your wife's style and attitude. Although I'm considerably older than your wife, I dress and behave younger than my age (he he...) so I prefer choker length pearls for everyday wear (16"). I do have an 18" strand, but I find it ages me a bit, so I tend to save them for Church and other formal events.
As for the matching bracelet and earrings, I prefer not to be too "matchy matchy". If I'm wearing a pearl necklace, I often wear silver hoops or diamond studs to make it a bit more interesting.

I hope this helps. No matter what you choose, your wife is gonna love ya!

[pattye]

Hi agheno,

Welcome, and prepare for a flood of advice! However, I feel you will make a great choice! If she already wears necklaces, and seems to prefer shorter ones, the 16 inch might be better than 18 inch.

I do think a matched set is nice, especially for more formal occasions. And it is often more difficult to match up pieces later. Other times she may choose to wear, as SuddenlyAddicted sez, the strand with hoops or gem studs, for a less formal look.

The short dangle earring is a great look, and a bit less traditional than studs. Nine mm is perfect with that size necklace.

The price of freshwaters is so reasonable, there is no pressing reason to have hidden clasps. If she loves the pearls, treat her to a long rope on another occasion.

To Heidi's suggestion of calling the vendors, I just say "ditto!"

Looking forward to seeing photos of your delighted wife in her pearls eventually!

[Pearlcat]

Agheno -- Regarding your question about pink around the edges, that would mean that you want a rose not silver overtone.

I think the size of pearl you mention for your wife is spot on, especially for a classic strand of pearls. I would argue that 17 or 18" is maybe more versatile than 16" only because it can go with higher or lower necklines. Any of the vendors can make you up a 17", all you have to do is ask.

Any of the vendors on this site can be trusted. I have gem grade white pearls from The Pearl Outlet and love them! But all of the vendors on this site have excellent gem grade pearls.

Good luck. Kate

[agheno]

...you'll see that there are grades and there are brands. It is critical to understand the difference and then to remember that many people write about brands as if they were grades; this leads to a lot of confusion.

I've been under the impression that even the commonly used grades of A/AA/AAA isn't a defined industry standard. Here is the spreadsheet I mentioned earlier which attempts to compare each vendor's definition of a particular grade, with Special Tier meaning their branded version of the commonly used Gem grade.

The notion that one vendor selects on a particular criteria over another is something of an urban myth as has been discussed elsewhere on the forum.

Do you happen to remember what area this was discussed under? I ran across this post and this thread suggesting that the branded (trademarked) line of pearls that the vendors offer are a subset of Gem grade pearls, where the minimum acceptable level of a particular quality is elevated. I've been treating these as a step above AAA and the 'top grade' pearls that I am looking for.

Studs vs Dangles -- she wears both at roughly a 40/60% ratio respectively. These pearls will be a surprise gift so I'm unable to ask her preference in advance. I'll just have to try exchanging for the other if I get it wrong. Most of her current earrings are from her teen years and are sized fairly small.

As far as earrings, it depends on her work environment. Is she in a casual setting or a little more formal?

She is a team lead for a bunch of engineers. Most of them wear from jeans/polo to slacks/button up. Management and a handful of the engineers are more formal and wear suits and ties. She will be moving to a new position in a couple months and has indicated that she plans on changing her wardrobe to present a more professional image when that starts.

[GemGeek]

A sixteen inch necklace will nestle nicely in the open collar of a button-front shirt, or sit just inside a jewel neckline. An eighteen inch necklace can be worn outside a turtleneck and over a sweater (based on her size).

Don't try to solve all the fashion do's with one set. I suspect she will appreciate gifts of baroques later and a nice pendant on a chain is perfect for v-necks. The size you chose sounds perfect for her. I think the same size earring will be okay if she isn't on the phone a lot. If she finds that the phone makes the pearls work their way off the posts, you can send them to the vendor and pay extra to get them remounted on simple dangles, which won't be affected by the phone.

All in all, for a slender young woman who is on the move up the corporate ladder, a sixteen inch strand sounds great. It also looks fabulous with evening wear.

Have fun!

[Nerida]

A sixteen inch necklace will nestle nicely in the open collar of a button-front shirt, or sit just inside a jewel neckline. An eighteen inch necklace can be worn outside a turtleneck and over a sweater (based on her size).

Don't try to solve all the fashion do's with one set. I suspect she will appreciate gifts of baroques later and a nice pendant on a chain is perfect for v-necks. The size you chose sounds perfect for her. I think the same size earring will be okay if she isn't on the phone a lot. If she finds that the phone makes the pearls work their way off the posts, you can send them to the vendor and pay extra to get them remounted on simple dangles, which won't be affected by the phone.

All in all, for a slender young woman who is on the move up the corporate ladder, a sixteen inch strand sounds great. It also looks fabulous with evening wear.

Have fun!

Perfect advice.

Honestly, I think the bracelet could be left to a later date... I love the necklace & earrings look, but the necklace, bracelet and earrings all together is often a bit much. I would stick to the same size pearl for stud earrings based on all that you have told us, then add to your wife's collection later with some larger size earrings and bracelet.

Have fun, happy shopping, and I hope your wife loves her gift!!

[Pearl Dreams]

I'm just speaking from personal experience here, which is limited. But perhaps it will help.

These are my 18 inch, 7-8mm Freshadama pearls, matched for silver-rose overtones, which work well with my fair skin (link is to to photo in my album):

http://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/pic...&pictureid=651

I got these Freshadama earrings in 8-9mm size. The size goes well with the 7-8 mm strand. Something like this is fine for an office setting-- classy, and quite comfortable when answering the phone:

http://www.pearlparadise.com/White-F...rrings783.aspx

[Heidi]

First the caveat - I am not an appraiser, I am a consumer and occasional collector of jewelry who used to sell a bunch of it. That said, I've had some great conversations with a number of people off-forum on the grade/brand question. In one case, a vendor lets us know that their brand and "gem" are used interchangeably. weird things are happening with the html, here is a link: http://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/sho...html#post50417 That is just one vendor. For the sake of brand specificity, it makes sense that there may be a bias but this doesn't in and of itself hold a fixed point in the universe. There is orient and there is orient; there are round and there are, as Richard Wise put it regarding the exotic metallic FW pearls from PP, "eight way rollers". So among the top tier there is a range of qualities.

I love your spreadsheet! The terms you highlight are, like so many, not precisely quantifiable terms. When you look at the numbers (0-5%) you get an easier-to-understand story. It is worth asking a vendor for a photo example showing the difference in their understanding of the grades if you think their words aren't a clear enough description. It's true that there is no hard and fast standard for A-AA-AAA, although the reputable sellers will tend to group similar pearls in similar grades. Or "grades" to be most correct.

Inge provides insight in her post which followed mine on another thread where we were discussing this very topic (clearly one of my favorites) weird things are happening with the html, here is a link: http://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/sho...html#post50462. What she is getting at, is the fact that orient is a phenomenon which can be evaluated in addition to basic grading criteria like skin cleanliness, shape and color.

On earring size, if your wife tends toward the slightly smaller earrings she has owned and loved for a long time, then ones which match the strand in size would be great and very wearable. Something to consider is that earrings make a relatively economical gift in the future, should she express a wish for something additional. If she's going for a more professional image as she advances, she will love, love, love wearing her pearls and studs are great for an elegant look. When I have to get ready for an interview or a big meeting, it's the first accessory I think about wearing.

[pearlescence]

Hi

I am thinking that you are slightly over-complicating your purchase (in a nice but very male sort of way) with the minutae of roundness, and infinitesimal degrees of shades of..

These things are discernible only very up close and with an expert eye.

For example, I could tell perfect rounds from a smidge off rounds only by getting so close to your wife when she was wearing the pearls that I would have to marry her....(!)

Top grade pearls from any of the sellers you mention are top grade pearls.

Most skins are flattered by a hint of pink in white pearls

There is no classic right size. You can probably arrive at a good idea of her favourite length for necklace and size by looking at what she wears now. (small v chunky)

7-8mm freshwaters are a classic first pearl necklace. I would plump for matched plain studs (either rounds or buttons) in 8mm. Get them at the same time. A bracelet can wait (unless she is a confirmed daily bracelet wearer in which case get the bracelet now as well, but lots of women aren't)

Unless you are buying and expecting to be able to re-sell at a profit at a later date (and you won't make a profit anyway) then buy the pearls you think she will like and you could probably spin a coin to pick which of the US online sellers you opt for - all sell superb quality and offer great customer service.

As as seller from over the water please don't order from each and every though - you may not be aware of the fees etc which credit card companies charge for processing the payment then again charge for refunding. Only they and the shipping companies would be happy with such a plan.

[jerin]

Hi Agheno and welcome to the Forum. If your wife has a smallshaped head you should consider buttonshaped pearls, no larger than 7 mm. With round ones the effect of larger ones very often is "outstanding" at both sides, which is not very elegant and absolutely annoying if she is on the phone very often.
But even if she is petite, the strand should be 8-8,5 mm in my opinion. That´s a size that is very elegant, most of the pearls will be in the range of 8 mm anyway since the difference is 1 mm between the smallest and the largest pearls and only very few are reaching 8,5 mm.

As for colour: I have necklaces both with rose overtone and silver and I definitely like the rose ones better. The silvery ones are very stark white against the skin, while the rose overtones are much milder and will suit almost any skintype. Have you checked on Pearl Paradises site? There you can see what the pearls look on different types of skin. I would not go for a bracelet this time unless she is wearing bracelets right now. Personally I have no bracelets (pearls) because I don´t like that they are being bashed all the time even though many of our members say that the pearls, at least freshwaters, do not show signs of being battered...

Length of necklace: perhaps 17" would be perfect for all the different types of necklines.

For grade: all the mentioned names mean the best of the best, so any of our vendors would suit you.

Let us know what you at last will order and we would like to see photos as well. Good luck!