Akoya Pearl Necklace

[DwightSchrute]

Hi everyone!

I'm looking to buy a 16" Akoya pearl necklace for my wife for Christmas. The price I found on PearlParadise AAA quality 6.0-6.5mm. I was looking around online and found a vendor on Amazon called "Joy De Mer" that was selling the same size and quality for $165. Does anyone know what could be driving the difference or that have had experience with Joy De Mer?

Thanks!

Joy De Mer:http://www.amazon.com/6-6-5mm-White...1_17?s=jewelry&ie=UTF8&qid=1352990490&sr=1-17

Pearl Paradise: https://www.pearlparadise.com/colle...6-5-mm-18-inch-white-akoya-aaa-pearl-necklace

 

[pearl guide]

Joy de Mer = http://www.chinapearl-usa.com/

That's the only thing I know about them. Maybe someone has experience here?

 

[pearlescence]

By the time you factor in the hefty fee Amazon charges you would be looking at a price probably of $120 or thereabouts. Consider also the price of gold. What does all that tell you?

 

[DwightSchrute]

I don't think Amazon charges any fee (I buy things all the time from them). Also, I think they both have 14K gold clasps. I don't think that would make a $220 difference in the prices.

 

[jshepherd]

Amazon does have a fee. It's 20% plus the storage and shipping fees for FBA, which are charged to the vendor and not the customer. After the Amazon fees plus the gold clasp, it is closer to a $100 sale for the strand, which is much less than half of what it costs us just for a strand of 6-6.5 mm, AAA white akoya pearls. If it really is a AAA strand, buy it by all means. I would too.

 

[DwightSchrute]

Thanks, Jeremy. Is it even financially feasible to sell 6-6.5mm AAA white akoya pearls for that price? It seems like one of those "if it's too good to be true, it probably is" deals.

 

[jshepherd]

No. It's impossible for a true AAA strand. Even top quality akoya from China cost a lot more than that. Unfortunately there is no officially recognized grading standard for pearls. If the pearls really were top grade akoya, they could sell them back to the processors in China for more than that.

 

[pearlescence]

Hi Dwight - Amazon charges the vendor a fee, just like eBay does.
You have exactly my point about the clasps

 

[KarinK]

Hi Dwight,

You should probably check the return policy of the other brand and maybe see if there's any feedback on the internet. If it is indeed to good to be true,the pearls will either be lower grade, freshwater pearls or shell pearls.

Another thing is that 6-6.5 mm is really small. I recommend that you go to some brick and mortar shop to see the size for yourself before you buy anything on-line.

- Karin

 

[Sea Urchin]

I was going to say that too, that seems more a size for a young girl. Unless of course that's what she likes.

 

[KarinK]

If the size is a reflection of the budget you might want to look at good quality fresh water pearls. You get more for your money and they last longer. You can even choose between several natural colors. All PG-members with links are recommended if you want to check websites.

- Karin

 

[Caitlin]

I notice their claim of "AAA" is in quotes and no where is there an explanation of how they grade.

One thing I know about inexpensive pearls is that you get what you pay for. Akoyas that cheap can't have been the in mollusk long enough to get a thick enough coating of nacre. It costs too much to leave them in long enough, if you want a fast profit. They will be very lustrous, but fragile. They may even "blink" if the nacre is thin enough.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I agree with the recommendations to buy a larger size (we ladies all seem to like larger pearls as we grow older) and to consider getting top quality freshwater pearls instead of akoya if cost is an object.

Here is a link to a photo of my 7-8mm Freshadama (top quality cultured freshwater) strand-- you can see the shape and luster for yourself. No photoshopping; ambient light used:

https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=10435&d=1222185178

 

[AMc]

That is a great photo, Pearl Dreams! Wow- i wish mine came out like that! Maybe a new camera is needed lol...?

 

[Pearl Dreams]

It's an ordinary autofocus camera, but I figured out the "sweet spot" in my house where daylight produces the best photos with luster but without weird color distortion.

Because it's daylight, which is diffuse, the pearls' luster doesn't show up as much as it would under a single light source, but then again I figure people want to see what the pearls will look like under normal conditions, not just under a lamp or in a light box.

I took this shot of the Freshadama strand under a fluorescent daylight spectrum lamp:

 

[Caitlin]

That last photo is a knockout! I would have guessed akoya!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Well, Caitlin, one day I took this strand to Bailey, Banks and Biddle where they had Mikimoto strands and laid it side by side with a few of the Mikis. I thought it was a good match for the Miki A1 strand.

Editing this to add that I saw another Mikimoto A1 strand at Nordstrom last week-- it was 7-7.5mm and cost $3600. (A1 is a grade below A.) Of course, that is Mikimoto.

But I understand the luster on the new white freshwater metallics is even sharper (however I gather they are not as round as the Freshadamas.) I'll be getting my strand tomorrow and will take photos.

 

[pearlescence]

That's extreme metallic - what I sometimes describe as mirror metallic, when you get that fish eye effect

 

[DwightSchrute]

Thanks everyone! I actually have purchased Freshadama pearls for a bracelet for my wife's medical alert bracelet (since they're durable enough to wear every day). I don't know if I could go freshwater on the necklace though. Don't get me wrong, I think they're gorgeous, but I have enough jewelry snobs in my family that I'd definitely have to answer the question "are these akoya or freshwater?" It's kind of like choosing between a perfect lab-created sapphire and a less perfect natural sapphire. I don't think I want to spend enough to get 7.0-7.5 AAA, but I'm kind of debating between 6.5-7.0 AAA and 7.0-7.5 AA+ (both from Pearl Paradise).

 

[pearlescence]

They are not only snobs but ignorant ...why not ignore them?
(and their incorrect pearl knowledge is about 25 years out of date)