New Golden South Sea Earrings on the Way!

[Sea Urchin]

I'm getting these (shown below). I've had mixed luck with the places that aren't pearl shops, whether the home shopping networks or Overstock or whatever. I mostly get what I'd consider "fashion pearls" from them, but they're fun when my budget is tight.

So, these are small for SSP, 8-9 mm, and also lower priced because the setting is sterling silver rather than gold. I decided to try them because they say they are round and more importantly, "deep" golden, for $250. I doubt they're the same quality as PP etc., but thought I'd try them.

http://www.hsn.com/products/imperial-pearls-8-9mm-cultured-pearl-stud-earrings/6753148

 

[pattye]

Well, Josh Bazar (Imperial Pearls) is a member here, so you can trust they will be GSS. I hope they are beauties!

 

[pearlescence]

The Bazar family know pearls

 

[Sea Urchin]

Oh, good! I didn't know that. Thank you.

 

[Cees]

Good price and Josh Bazar was together with Jeremy Shepherd on the Jewelmer Pearl farm some time ago and they came back with a huge stock. Doubt they are still available for a price like this if you have to buy them from new harvests, as golden pearls have gone up in price a lot.

 

[jshepherd]

Good price and Josh Bazar was together with Jeremy Shepherd on the Jewelmer Pearl farm some time ago and they came back with a huge stock. Doubt they are still available for a price like this if you have to buy them from new harvests, as golden pearls have gone up in price a lot.

I don't mean to call him out, but that was just said for the cameras, lol. I certainly wasn't there to shop either. It was for the CPAA documentary.

I believe they get all their yellow South Sea from Indonesia now.

 

[Cees]

Oh really Jeremy? Well it is a fact that Jewelmer and Cogent pearls are catching much higher prices than Indonesians. Indonesians are generally not as deep gold as Filipino pearls can be. But there are good quality there also, although I have seen many I did not like at all.
I am amazed by the luster of Myanmar pearls, which are considered the most expensive golden/champagne South Sea pearls at this moment.

 

[jshepherd]

Oh really Jeremy? Well it is a fact that Jewelmer and Cogent pearls are catching much higher prices than Indonesians. Indonesians are generally not as deep gold as Filipino pearls can be. But there are good quality there also, although I have seen many I did not like at all.

You are exactly right. It's the same for white South Sea.

 

[Sea Urchin]

They're here and I think they're nice.

That said, I'll probably send them back, but only because I have so many pairs of smallish stud pearl earrings now that they have to be really, really different in some way for me to want to keep yet another pair. (I'm guessing some of you pearly ladies know what I mean there...) It's a shame we don't have more sets of ears. Or something.

Anyway, thought I'd go ahead and show them because I think they're a nice luster, color, shape, and price so someone else might want to order a pair. For size and color reference, I added a US dime, 7.5 mm pair of white (rose overtone) hanadama earrings, and a 14k gold ring.

Btw, what shade of golden would y'all call them?

 

[jshepherd]

One pearl is lighter than the other, but they're not gold. They're yellow. That's a very important distinction.

 

[JerseyPearl]

Jeremy can you explain the gold vs yellow distinction?

 

[jshepherd]

In golden South Sea pearls gold vs yellow is the biggest distinction and is also the reason there are so few farmers that specialize in golden South Sea. Gold is the most valuable color in South Sea -- it commands the highest prices. Yellow, on the other hand, is the least valuable of all South Seas and commands the lowest prices. The bulk of any gold South Sea harvest is yellow. Jewelmer is probably one of those rare exceptions but only because they've been perfecting their gold brood stock for more than a decade.

The difference in cost from a light yellow to a deep gold, even if all other factors are equal, could be 10 to 20x. This is one of the reasons dyed golds are so dangerous if the treatment isn't disclosed. Dyed are almost always dyed deep gold and come from light yellow.

It's easier to show the difference than explain the difference. The pearl on the left is what I would consider medium gold. The pearl on the right is yellow. I've included a 14k cup because the cup is gold. When golden South Sea are photographed with actual gold in the same photo, you can usually tell the tone.

Sorry for the camera phone shot. Angela is taking a week off after Hong Kong.

 

[Bailey1856]

Jeremy can you explain the gold vs yellow distinction?

Yes please Jeremy and with pictures if possible

 

[Bailey1856]

Oh and we must have hit post at the same time

 

[BAS]

Jeremy -- that is so helpful! Thanks for both the explanation and the terrific visual comparison!

 

[GemGeek]

Have to fix the color!

 

[Cees]

Matching Golden South Sea is a hell of a job, there are so many different hues. You can have to go through bags with hundreds of pearls to find a match.

 

[GemGeek]

I see it as a lighter shade of the same hue, but I get it. I have a strong preference for the brownish tint over yellow, especially in diamonds.

 

[lisa c]

I see it as a lighter shade of the same hue as well. Thank you for fixing the color balance of the photo.

 

[Cees]

A lot of what Jeremy tells us about golden pearls is true but I think South Sea pearls from Myanmar are an exception. They can be a lot more beautiful than any champagne or gold color pearl. Even the less golden ones are still high priced.