Advice for first-time buyer

[jbrown]

Hello all,
I am a first-time buyer right before Christmas. Good timing.
I have learned what I can, know generally what I want, read about reputable online sellers, but the question remains: how does a first-time buyer recognize quality and value?
I would appreciate any comments and advice you have. For example, if you have any advice such as "if I could do it all over again, I would do THIS", then that would be really helpful.

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[LVLanghanke]

Are you talking about buying in person or buying online? If buying online, there's really no way to guarantee anything. Your best bet is to buy from a reputable seller with good customer service and a return policy. There are quite a few of them here on this forum. If you're going to go for a risk and buy from ebay or something, generally I would stay away from Chinese sellers unless they have good feedback. A good rule of thumb for buying online (and this goes for everything, not just pearls) is when buying from an unverified source, don't spend any more than you are willing to risk losing.

 

[JerseyPearl]

Welcome to the forum Jeff! Wow, you are really ahead of the curve having done significant homework before your purchase! Best advice I can give you...buy from a trusted source that identifies the pearls accurately. Decide what kind of pearls you wish to buy, and then determine which quality factors are most important. Is color more important than size? Luster more important than color? Do you want a full strand, a tin cup or a single pearl? If you have a specific strand/vendor in mind, let us know! We are always happy to offer opinions. Good luck in your search!

 

[Katbran]

Hi and welcome . I think the best advice is to buy the very best you can afford. that might be one great pearl instead of one average necklace. I think it's hard to go past a fabulous pair of white stud earrings .
Tell us your budget and the type ..earring..necklace etc ..we will find what you want !

 

[BWeaves]

I confess I was hesitant to buy from an online vendor originally. But I contacted several, via e-mail, and they sent me lovely photos of different strands in all types of lighting. They had good return policies, so I ordered several strands to compare, and sent back what I didn't like. If I received a prompt refund, then I felt confident to order from them again.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

If buying a strand, consider buying matching earrings at the same time. It's easier to match them when the pearls are all together. Even if they are both going to be white, there are different whites!

Consider going larger rather than smaller. We joke about "pearl shrinkage syndrome" but it's real. Many of us have become dissatisfied with our smaller pearls as we've gotten older.

 

[jbrown]

Hi again,
To answer some questions: I am looking at a princess strand, white akoya, no smaller than 7.5-8.0 (and would prefer 8.0-8.5), looking to spend around $2,000 (unfortunately I am buying from Canada so that comes out to $2,600 Canadian at least plus duty (whatever that might be)), and will be buying online (likely from one of the sellers I have been reading about on the forum). The idea of getting earrings at the same time occurred to me but I don't think I can swing it financially. Of course, I would like the best quality, which is what led to the initial question.
So, I took a look at the websites for Pearl Paradise, xxxxxxxxx, xxxxxxxxxx and American Pearl. If you think there is an online seller I should also take a look at, please let me know.
What I found is that, after taking into account discounts, for the first three (excluding American Pearl), the price spread at 7.5-8.0 for White Hanadama was $150, while the price spread at 8.0-8.5 for White Hanadama is $75 , with Pearl Paradise the least expensive and xxxxxxxxxx the most expensive. However, Pearl Paradise also has a "Natural White Hanadama" that is as expensive as the "White Hanadama" at xxxxxxxxxx at 7.5-8.0, while the Pearl Paradise "Natural White Hanadama" is about $75 more expensive than the "White Hanadama" at xxxxxxxxxx at 8.0-8.5.
American Pearl appears to do its own thing. What I mean by that is that American Pearl's "White Hanadama" is significantly cheaper than the other three (by as much as 55%), but American Pearl also has a "Natural White AAA" that is more expensive than the "Natural White Hanadama" sold by Pearl Paradise at 8.0-8.5. So, American Pearl treats its AAA as being of higher quality than its Hanadama, while the other three sellers do the opposite.
So, that leaves me with the conclusion that once I choose the size, the price is not that different, and so I need to focus on quality differences. The only other things I need to figure out are: a) if the quality of the "Natural White Hanadama" at Pearl Paradise is different than the "White Hanadama" at xxxxxxxxxx and xxxxxxxxxx, and b) how does the "Natural White AAA" at American Pearl compare with the "White Hanadama" or "Natural White Hanadama" at the other three.
So am I getting anywhere, or are these just the ramblings of a novice? If you have purchased any of these strands at these sellers, I would be interested in what you thought of your purchase.

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Jeff,
The Natural White Hanadama at Pearl Paradise are pearls that come from a particular farm in Japan; the pearls do not go through the bleaching and pinking processes that are routine for akoya pearls, (including white hanadama pearls generally.) The pinking process doesn't make them look pink against the skin, only white, but when viewed side by side with non-pinked pearls, the color difference can be seen.

If I were in the market for an akoya strand, the Natural White Hanadama are what I personally would choose. I like the color better and the overtones are to die for.

I'm giving you a link to a thread about one member's strand of these gorgeous pearls:
https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/showthread.php?3934-Hanadama-pearls-from-Pearl-Paradise-com

The whole Pearl Paradise website is on sale now-- did you check what the prices are now?

 

[moneymeister]

I would second Pearl Dream's suggestion on the Hanadama Natural Whites. They are beautiful.

 

[cmd2014]

Jeff,

I'm Canadian too. Import fees are just your provincial sales tax plus brokerage ($20 for FedEx which is how most vendors ship higher priced items). You can apply for a refund of the duty if you return items too. The form is on the government website.

I have an AAA strand from American Pearl that is beautiful. They are rose overtone and just glow. I don't know how they compare to Hanadama pearls from the other vendors though, or if they are worth the higher price. I bought them before I knew anyone else existed. That said, everything I have bought from everyone you mention has been very high quality and they are all super helpful. Not sure if you can go wrong, so maybe go by price given that we are running 75 cents/USD. I'd be inclined to go as large as you can afford and get earrings later.

Here's a picture of my strand. And in the box. The camera picks up some color variation not visible to the naked eye. Mine are 7.5-8mm.

 

[cmd2014]

I forgot to say, if I was doing it again, I'd go bigger. I'd get the biggest, but still absolute best quality pearls that I could afford. I would not sacrifice quality for size.

 

[jbrown]

Cmd2014, it's interesting you say no duty (and I'm not doubting you), but I called Canada customs today and they told me I would have to pay 8.5% duty plus HST. The reason is that it is originally coming from Japan, even though it is sold by a US company (where it would be 0% if it was "manufactured" there). Thanks for the comments everyone, and the pictures. Have to make a decision, and still hesitating. I think tomorrow has to be my absolute deadline. Time is running out!

Jeff

 

[cmd2014]

No, I've never paid duty (and I've ordered way more than I'm willing to admit). Just GST/PST plus brokerage. Maybe customs on the ground is less detail oriented than those charged with advising about the regulations on the phone.

Come back and post pictures of what you buy! I don't think you can really go wrong with any of the vendors you have looked at so long as you go top quality.

 

[JerseyPearl]

Yes, I second the call to please post photos.