Tahitian? Or freshwater? Cairnspearls58, beware

[Amanda]

I could be unduly cynical. But these, to me, look more like freshwater pearls than Tahitians. What do you lot reckon?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=260911917342

Item number 260911917342

[Pearl Dreams]

They have some fishy listings of "ruby red stone" and "emerald green stone" "yellow cubic diamond ring"-- I would say they play it very loose with accuracy. (Their prices on those items are in the range for non-emerald, non-ruby, non-diamond.)

The price point is also for freshwater and frankly they look like FWP to my (admittedly amateur) eye.

Trust your gut on this one.

[pattye]

Yep, dyed freshwater. Activate Pearl Police action! Report to ebay!!

[Admin]

Dyed FWP. Not irradiated either. Dyed.

[Amanda]

I was fairly sure they were not great condition, slightly lacking in lustre, spud-shaped freshwaters.

I am strengthened in my cynical attitudes by the fact that in lots of their listings, which I've just looked at, they shout about "14k gold" and buried somewhere very deep in the small print is the fact that it's gold plated.

This one says, "14k gold" in the title, and then "Gold 14kt" under "material" in the summary categories, and then 14kt gold again, until it finally admits, somewhere in the depths, "14kt GOLD 1/20 on 925 Silver".

Oh, and that one is very obviously a FW pearl, too, I reckon.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cultured-T...item3a668b58a4

[Pearl Dreams]

Not cynical-- just careful, and wise to be so.

[Caitlin]

I have bought pearls like that for less than $10. a strand. I have some in white that were about $4. a strand, wholesale. When necklaces are created, they can go for far more, of course, but those are just strung, not designed in any way. The importer probably bought those in bulk for less than $10. I can't see paying more than $25.00, esp. on eBay!

Yes, the second one is the same kind of freshwater. Really cheap stuff. The first I ever saw were Zeide's- she called them Haliotus discus

[Caitlin]

Item specifics

Condition: New without tags: A brand-new, unused, and unworn item that is not in original retail packaging or may be missing ... Read moreabout the condition
Colour: BlackMain Stone: tahitianMaterial: Gold 14kt

Cultured TAHITIAN PEARL PENDANT 14KT GOLD 12mm

Item condition:New without tags
AU $35.00Approximately £23.86

TAHITIAN PEARL

12 MM

14KT Gold

Pearls are "in" this season these will really make a statement

Colour : BLUE BLACK

Pearl type: TAHITIAN BAROQUE PEARL

Size:12 mm long x 8 mm wide

Shape: oval

Surface: normal rings and shape for a tahitian pearl

Setting:14kt GOLD 1/20 on 925 Silver

Shine: Great Shine

Packaged: Gift boxed wrapped. Mailed in Aust Post padded bag.

************************

Types of Pearls

Since the development of pearl culture technology, the black pearl oyster found in Tahiti and many other Pacific Island areas has been extensively used for producing cultured pearls.
In fact Black pearls are very rarely black: they are usually shades of green,purple, aubergine, blue, grey, silver or peacock (a mix of several shades, like a peacock's feather)
Black cultured pearls from the black pearl oyster – Pinctada margaritifera – are not South Sea pearls, although they are often mistakenly described as black South Sea pearls. In the absence of an official definition for the pearl from the black oyster, these pearls are usually referred to as "black Tahitian pearls".

Nearly all pearls sold today are cultured pearls. Cultured pearls are a product of pearl farmers helping nature. Several inventors at the beginning of the 20th century discovered techniques of pearl cultivation.
Cultured pearls can be from saltwater or freshwater mollusks. Pearl farmers introduce a shell bead into the oyster or mussel and the mollusk deposits layers of nacre around the bead.
Many people use the term cultured pearls to refer only to pearls produced from saltwater oysters. However, the process to make freshwater pearls is the same. The correct usage is freshwater cultured pearls or saltwater cultured pearls.
When a mollusk creates a pearl in nature, the resulting pearl is most often odd-shaped, because the irritant is seldom round, in the first place. Natural round pearls were so rare, they commanded astronomically high prices!
When folks started implanting ROUND irritants into oysters, it was far easier to come up with some pretty nice round pearls. So started the CULTURED PEARL industry, and bingo! Everyone could afford pearls!
Freshwater mussels and salt water oysters are used in pearl culture, and both come up with some gorgeous gem-quality pearls. The larger the oyster, the larger the resulting pearl. Usually the smaller the pearl the higher the shine…the larger cultured freshwater pearls for example 11-12mm and up are usually duller in shine as it is a struggle for the oyster to handle such a large piece. So a really high luster on a large pearl will COST $$$.
Real pearls come in the color of the nacre that the oyster or mussel produces...usually white, dark silver, teal/peacock, light silver, gold, grey, or white with overtones of blue, pink, or silver. Of course pearls can be dyed hence the vivid blues, greens, red ECT. The dyes do penetrate into the core and won’t wear or rub off.
Pearls are Porous and will absorb skin oils, fragrance and makeup over time so will need to be kept clean and out of contact with metals that can mark, scratch their surface.
REALITY CHECK
Keep in mind the higher the quality the higher the price, $5 won’t get you a high end quality cultured pearl.
The setting also has a bearing on the end price.
· Silver or white gold coated alloy stems and backs are the normal through the online system.
· White Gold Rhodium plated is white gold bonded to metal alloy practical and long lasting.
· 925 solid sterling silver will bear a 925 stamp
· 1/20 14KT gold bonded is 925 sterling silver base with 14KT gold bonded has a 1/20 14KT stamp. These are considered jewellery store standard and prices range.
· Solid 9KT/ 10KT/ 14KT

This is another ad.

[Caitlin]

I wrote to them

This item is a freshwater pearl as are all the others you list separately as Tahitian pearls. Nowhere on the page do you say they are freshwater, though you do say that all your pearls are freshwater at the top of your store page.

In short, your claim that those are Tahitians is fraudulent. Even your claim that "everyone calls them" that is not good enough. You must say they are freshwater somewhere in the ad, as you finally, reluctantly admit that the only gold in your clasp is 14k and avoid saying plated until the very bottom.

I am posting this item and your claims over on the Pearl-Guide.com where we are minutely discussing your fraudulent claims and will decide what to do about you, if you are notified and yet continue doing this.
http://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5368

[Nerida]

Check this one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SILVER-BAR...ht_11032wt_922

[Caitlin]

This guy pushes it too far, because if you do not read the small print all the way to the end, where he finally says "14k gold plated" after saying 14k 3-4 times, you would think he means 14k. In addition you must visit his store and read his heading to see he sells freshwater pearls- no mention of Tahitians.

I think the cynic button was rightfully pushed.

[Amanda]

If you read that item from start to finish, you'd not know (from what he says) that they are freshwater pearls at all. The "Pearl Type: Baroque Natural shaped Tahitian Pearls see photo" is a lie, nothing more, nothing less.

You could get much nicer grey freshwaters for that kind of cash, too.

Since the development of pearl culture technology, the black pearl oyster found in Tahiti and many other Pacific Island areas has been extensively used for producing cultured pearls.

In fact Black pearls are very rarely black: they are usually shades of green,purple, aubergine, blue, grey, silver or peacock (a mix of several shades, like a peacock's feather)

Black cultured pearls from the black pearl oyster – Pinctada margaritifera – are not South Sea pearls, although they are often mistakenly described as black South Sea pearls. In the absence of an official definition for the pearl from the black oyster, these pearls are usually referred to as "black Tahitian pearls".

It is misleading, and designed to be misleading. Or "fradulent", as we cynical barrister-types tend to say in front of a jury (-:

Cairns Pearls - you are slimey, much worse than the poor old oyster.

[pearlescence]

Nerida - This bod seems to be in Australia...do you have trading standards/consumer protection people with the local councils?
I posted yesterday but it seems to have vanished to sigh at the reasonable feedback. These are totally cack pearls. Caitlin is right, a few $ only at wholesale and so low grade I would not even buy them for beaders
How does one report such a seller to ebay - I had a brief poke around the site but could not find the right place

[pearlescence]

Nerida...is there a local council trading standards who could sort this person out? He claims at least to be in Australia

How do you report such fakery to ebay? I had a poke around but could not find

[Caitlin]

Here is the answer I received.

To whom it may concern. your rude and unsolisited comments are not wanted or needed. You are totally wrong in your statements my items are natural barquoe tahitian pearls which i buy from a wholesaler as i have been for the past 10 years.
If you dont like our products buy from someone else.
I have referred your attack the ebay trust and security for investigation.
Do not contact us again.
- cairnspearls58

my answer

Dear cairnspearls58,

Quite the contrary. I am a customer, not a seller, and I have the right to shop for honest deals in pearls. Your pearls are fraudulently listed, though I see you removed the listing I used as an example.

We have people in AUS looking at your eBay site. What happens next is out of my hands, except for my response to your eBay complaint- if I ever hear about it from them. I have plenty of evidence on your listings, to accuse you of fraud, unless you remove all your fake Tahitian listings.

Calling dyed, cultured, freshwater pearls "Tahitian Black" pearls without the quotes, is a well known deceptive practice, but you went beyond that to claim freshwater pearls were actually Tahitians.