Selectpearls.ca

[Bailey1856]

I've been looking at purchasing pearls from PP and PureP but I'd like to know if anyone can suggest a good online retailer in Canada. There's a site called selectpearls.ca and i've emailed them for more pictures but I've never gotten any replies. Has anyone heard of them? Thanks for your help.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I had not heard of this company.

Looking at the FAQ page, some of their information seems a bit off. Examples:

What are the Different Pearl Types?
There are four different types of nacreous pearls:
Freshwater Cultured Pearls (learn more...)
Akoya Saltwater Cultured Pearls (learn more...)
Black Tahitian Cultured Pearls (learn more...)
South Sea Cultured Pearls (learn more...)

Of course there are more than 4 types of nacreous pearls! (The fact that they sell only 4 types of nacreous pearls is not the same as there only being 4 types.)

Another example:
"Tahitian pearls, for example, are often dyed to give them the appearance of a darker, or blacker, body colour."

This is news to me. I know they are sometimes dyed chocolate, but dyed to look darker/blacker? I've never read any such thing.

Again:
"When white pearls are harvested they are bleached to remove any dark spots or unevenness and to give them a desirable bright white body colour. This kind of processing will not only damage the pearl 'skin' but it will strip the natural overtones that are there. [emphasis added] These pearls are then dyed in a process called 'pinking' where the appearance of a natural pink overtone is dyed back into the pearl after being stripped of its natural colour."

While it's true that akoyas are bleached and pinked, my understanding is that it is only excessive bleaching that damages them, and I've never read anything to make me think it can cause pearls to lose their natural overtones.

Again:

"Select Pearls is the only retailer who sells only Akoya pearls that are all naturally bright white, not bleached or pinked, or colour treated, and that have undamaged 'skin' with the natural overtones intact."

Again on their page for akoya pearls information, they write:
"Select Pearls only sells untreated Akoya pearls that have been kept natural. "

They claim to sell only untreated (unbleached, unpinked) akoyas. I wonder if there are enough such pearls for a website to sell only this sort of akoya? And at their price points and grades? I don't think I quite believe this claim, to be honest.

I see only white freshwater pearls, so limiting given the many natural gorgeous natural colors that freshwaters come in. I notice they don't mention that white freshwaters are also bleached. At least they are not claiming to only sell unbleached freshwaters.


Maybe their pearls are nice-- it may be worth buying something not very expensive to check it out. I just find myself leery of misinformation.

 

[GemGeek]

If someone doesn't answer your emails when you are wanting to buy, they might not have the kind of customer service you would like. Look around and take your time.

 

[jshepherd]

Pearl Dreams,

You're right. Those claims are farfetched and their akoya pearls are indeed treated in some way or another. All akoya pearls are, and to claim otherwise means they are either intentionally misleading or not full educated about what they're selling - I would assume the latter based on the strange misinformation in their education sections. They've either been told a few stories or they've created them.

You're also right about Tahitian pearls. I guess it is possible to dye them darker, but I've never seen it before and know of no processors that do it, and to warn about it as though consumers need to watch out for it or to imply that only they don't is really strange. When Tahitians are dyed, they are dyed chocolate or pistachio.

 

[Bailey1856]

Pearl Dreams, Thank you for scrutinizing their info, i would have never caught the misinformation.
Gem Geek, I will take my time, thanks for the advice.

 

[HK_]

I've been looking at purchasing pearls from PP and PureP but I'd like to know if anyone can suggest a good online retailer in Canada. There's a site called selectpearls.ca and i've emailed them for more pictures but I've never gotten any replies. Has anyone heard of them? Thanks for your help.

maybe you can try this http://www.gempremium.com/

 

[HK_]

you can try in ebay