[Casey.R]

I just bought a round tahitian pearl pendant and baroque tahitian pearl earrings. I called ahead and spoke to someone there and said that if they had it I would really like a good peacock color. They didn't say they couldn't do it. Anyway I got the pearls today and They are nice and smooth and pretty, also I like the design, and the pendant has what I think is a probably pretty nice peacock I'm not so sure about the earrings though because I almost have to get them into certain lighting to see it. They mostly just look grey to me and I feel I have a pretty good eye.
I'm going to use this ebay pearl as an example because in the pictures when you scroll down there are some nice colors happeneing in this pearl. I don't think my pearls quite have this type of color play even though they are very beautiful smooth etc. Not even the pendant.
So whats the deal is the color supposed to be real subtle or stand out right away.
p.s I must say I do already prefer them to my akoyas.

[Casey.R]

Okay I was just doing some reading and I think what I'm talking about is orient AKA the soap bubble affect.

[Casey.R]

I for got the link
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...3213&rd=1&rd=1

[Valeria101]

What to say... clearly the seller has the opportunity to mention even barely noticeable rainbow overtone/orient 'peacock' and you certainly have the right to disagree and return

Without a widely accepted grading standard, what else to say? My view, at least.

[Ashley]

This is a tough question to answer, really. I have come back to this one over the last couple of days thinking about it. But there are so many delineating factors, a straight answer seems impossible to me.

First, if you are referring to peacock, and the peacock is only visible in certain light... it is still peacock, is it not? The same would go for orient. If you look at a Tahitian pearl with intense peacock and/or intense orient, but you are examining it in direct sunlight, it will appear to be totally black. But if you examine it in diffused natural light, the colors will jump in the pearl.

I think the question you are coming up with is the intensity or degree of coloration of the pearls. A Tahitian pearl may be perfectly round with a perfectly clean surface, but have a medium luster and no orient... how can it then be gem... it cannot! But a clean Tahitian with sharp luster and no orient and no peacock (a solid green, for example), could still be considered gem.

I think the question is impossible to answer simple because Tahitian pearls exhibit every color under the rainbow. Although peacock is supposedly the most sought color, it does not work for everyone. Some prefer the color intense, others prefer a specific, unchanging color. Some may prefer something in between. But a cross between a peacock pearl and a green or a silver or black would still have peacock coloration. It sounds as though your earrings are very good, but do not quite exhibit your anticipated coloration. If that is the case, it is not grade, it is preference.

The picture you attached showcases a pearl with great color but poor shape. The shape is not symmetrical, and the drilling appears to be slightly off. What grade would it be? Great color! Poor shape (no symmetry which is apparent in all other shapes), poor drilling. It would score low on a technical scale, but it is a beautiful piece! So it would likely sell for more than a piece of "okay" color with perfect symmetry and workmanship. The color is also fantastic, it is an amazingly wearable piece.

I know this response seems to ramble a bit. But it mimics my thought process around the question. I think this thread could continue a hundred fold with so many different opinions. But as we are discussing pearls - the qualities, colors, and overtones - opinions they are.

[pattye]

Hi Ashley and All,

That is a great reply, Ashley!! I have been thinking about this for several days, too. I have quite a few pearls, but only a few singles in Tahitians. I look at Tahitians ALOT in photos, though!!!
Each pearl is a little bit different, kinda like snowflakes, no two alike! upon close examination!!!
As someone who sees a lot of fine quality pearls in person, your insight is much appreciated.

Pattye

[R Garten]

Really with pearls its so hard to have a genuine grading system for all, though we do our best. With Tahitian pearls, in my opinion, the color is supposed to be the biggest thing with them. You can look at the pearl under all kinds of different lighting to see if it has that rainbow color, but if you can't see it under normal light and circumstances when wearing it then it doesn't really matter if it technically has orient colors, or rainbow colors, or whatever. Thats my thoughts anyways.

[xeresana]

I'm certainly no expert. But, I do have two Tahitian necklaces of and one pair of earrings. It took me a while to find that first necklace. The lovely people at Pearl Paradise put up with all kinds of questions and exchanges until I found the strand that really spoke to me. What I learned in the process was that "peacock" is a much wider term than I had previously thought. In my head, I knew just what I wanted and I thought I was articulating it by saying "peacock". However, what I really wanted was a dark body color, tending toward green, with strong, rich peacock overtones. Eventually, I found a strand that I loved. But, it took some phone calls and some exchanges to get there.

Without seeing the actual pendant or earrings (I think after re-reading the post, the image of Carolyn's pendant is not the one you actually bought, but one you are using for comparison), it would be hard for our experts to say if the pearls would be considered peacock or not.

But, if you are not happy with the pearls, what kind of exchange or return policy does the seller offer? Maybe you can ask to exchange it for one with richer peacock overtones?

[Kevin Canning]

the pearl in the picture has a peacock overtone but its not very strong and the body color is very dark so its hard to see unless in the right light.

I don't think you are seeing orient in your pendant or earrings, just the overtone when the lighting is right.

Q: If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around, did it make any noise?

Q:If the pearl has a peacock overtone but you can't see it in normal lighting conditions - does it really have a peacock overtone?

Can something exist without being perceived?

ok thats enough philosophy for today

[perlas]

Originally Posted by PearlsOfJoy.com

Q: If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around, did it make any noise?

Maybe it did but you'll make greater noise once you realize it fell on your log cabin.

Originally Posted by PearlsOfJoy.com

Q:If the pearl has a peacock overtone but you can't see it in normal lighting conditions - does it really have a peacock overtone?

Maybe it does but we'll hear your overtone better if you bought the pearl for loads without return policy and realize it looks like peacock's dung on your skin.

Originally Posted by PearlsOfJoy.com

Can something exist without being perceived?

Yes, as long as you are affected by the effects of it.

Ok, enough philosophy. I'll just stick to pearls...

[Valeria101]

Just one more case when common sense is darn hard to measure, right ?

[Ragnorak]

Originally Posted by PearlsOfJoy.com

Q: If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around, did it make any noise?

Q:If the pearl has a peacock overtone but you can't see it in normal lighting conditions - does it really have a peacock overtone?

Can something exist without being perceived?

Personally I like the oil slick variety (the ones where the red and the green flow around the whole pearl) but philosophically speaking, for me, it depends on the price and how well the green shows up.

[Casey.R]

I meant to post this ages ago.I returned the first pair earrings and got these instead. Here is a photo of the pendant and earrings. I get a lot of use out of these.

[knotty panda]

Speaking of peacocky overtones, I ran across these beauties the other day. I would love to see them in person to see if they are really as striking as the photo shows.

[Caitlin]

Those are unusual. I wonder if the photo was doctored.....