[WoodyCox]

I am not sure if this is how the system works, but here goes. I am looking for a Tahitian necklace for my fiancee' and am trying to get smart before I buy. I have been to what I believe is a reputable web site and they have a lovely necklace that is black with green tones. The problem I have is that the oyster is listed as a whitlip. I thought that Tahitian Black pearls had to come from the black lip (Pinctada margaritifera) oyster. Even the web site at this location describes this, but the people I dealt with on the phone said that although there are numerous oysters (black/white/gold lipped) that this was a generic name and that they were all the same? Even though there web site say contrary to this. I think they are reputable, but as you can imagine, this does leave some lingering questions. Can you advise me concerning the oyster type vs pearl color etc. Also, what is the deal with ebay and the dirt cheap tahitian pearls that they say are not pearl shells etc. Thanks for the help

[jshepherd]

True, they are all referring to a type of South Sea pearl from the genus Pinctada, but the different varieties come from differing species with hinge teeth - Pinctada margaritifera, Pinctada maxima, and Pinctada mazatlanica (I may be missing one). You are probably dealing with a resale Site, not a producer of the strands. I guess it is also possible that the person who answered your question may not really know, they could be an employee with short experience. The mollusk that produces the Tahitian pearl is not the white lip - that answer is wrong.

If the pearls are dirt cheap on eBay (round Tahitians), they are not real, or they are total garbage. There is no way to get a decent round strand of Tahitians in an acceptable quality for anything less than the $2000 range - that is production cost. For a good to fine quality production is closer to $3k.

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi WoodyCox,

Strange as it may sound the information you got is all correct. The large pinctada mussels are biologically not as distinct as jewelers may want to make it look like and they can even interbreed which means they are more closely related than horses and zebras.

However, we distinguish between pinctada maxima that comes in the golden-lipped and the silver-lipped varieties and pinctada margaritifera that denotes the black-lipped variety. Pinctada margaritifera (black lip) also produces white, silver, and golden pearls and the silver lipped pinctada maxima can also produce very dark or golden pearls and the golden lip variety can produce white and dark pearls, too. The unusual off color pearls are then typically chucked in with others of the same color and there is no way to tell them apart.

The cheap eBay Tahitians and South Seas are so-called shell pearls. Those are a type of fake made from ground up mother of pearl dissolved in lacquer and sprayed onto mother of pearl or tridacna shell beads. The more expensive ones are made in a precipitation process of dissolved mother of pearl precipitated onto a shell bead. The latter can be very convincing and look almost as boring as real South Sea PPBs.

Zeide

[WoodyCox]

I appreciate all of your input. I think I have a better idea of what I am dealing with. I also think I will leave ebay pearls to others. BTW, is there any medium to check on the reliability of on line pearl dealers and their web sites?

[jshepherd]

There are a lot of places you can check on a company. The BBB is a natural choice. I would also suggest researching your choice here, on this forum. Do a search for the company name, as most companies have been discussed one time or another.

Also, if you are buying a Tahitian necklace, most online companies will allow the piece sent on approval. This is the safest method for the customer when purchasing a higher end piece.