Anybody heard of Vantel pearls?

[Pearl Dreams]

Akoyas have higher market value despite the fact that they have a shell bead nucleus.

• They have sharper luster than freshwater pearls. Akoya pearls are cultured in cooler waters, and their nacre is made up of smaller crystals that are laid down more slowly. Freshwater pearls are cultivated in warmer waters, and the nacre is not as lustrous. Pearls are all about luster. Higher luster = higher value.
• The farming of akoyas is more costly than the farming of freshwaters.
• The shell bead is inserted into the gonad of the akoya oyster, whereas the mantle issue graft is inserted into the mantle of the freshwater mussel. While it is possible to insert many tissue implants into one mussel, it is not possible to insert many beads into one oyster gonad.
• Roundness is valued over off-roundness. This makes the akoya pearls more valuable.

"Desirability" is a matter of personal preference. I like an all-nacre FW pearl for regular wear, but many people prefer perfect roundness and do not care that there is a bead inside.

An inexpensive pearl set in an expensive finding can still provide profit for the seller. Let's put it this way: the people running these parties would not be doing it if they weren't making a profit. They are using near round pearls so as to better pass them off as akoyas to people who don't know any better. They are not rubbish; they are commercial grade and could be sold in strands on other venues, and in fact they are sold-- many of them. Just look at eBay. Many, many Chinese sellers are passing FWP off as akoyas, SSP and Tahitian.

I can't recommend getting pearls that way. Find a vendor you trust and buy from them.

 

[CathyKeshi]

Sally2016, the Pearl Education tab at the top of the page here on Pearl-Guide will take you to sections on every type of pearl, how it's created and by what, with and/or without the help of mankind, colors possible, luster and more. You've come to the best place possible to find answers to your questions. Spend some time diving deep into the sea of information under the Education Tab, and then browse the forum threads ... you will come back up for air amazed by nature's beauty AND become a smart, educated consumer. Have fun!

 

[Sally2016]

Thank you, so molluscs can produce many pearls, more profit? are they killed when the pearls are extracted? Or are they used again? Where does the mantle tissue graft come from? seawater oyster mantle tissue that are inserted into the FW mollusc?
Have you heard of of pearls just been implanted into an Akoya shell by cutting a slit into the muscle and just popping the implanted pearl in so it looks like it grew in the host oyster?
Can FW molluscs naturally produce pearls without intervention from man?
How old would you say the pearls are in the opening oyster parties?
Can you identify these pearls in this picture

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

are they killed when the pearls are extracted? Or are they used again?

Both. Most are used once, but those which are otherwise healthy and produced a good pearl, may be regrafted. Some might be grafted three times.

Where does the mantle tissue graft come from? seawater oyster mantle tissue that are inserted into the FW mollusc?

Oysters are selected as donor candidates and donor recipients. Candidates are selected for color. Recipients are selected for vitality. This is called homogeneic compatibility, after all they're the same species. Conversely, xenogeneic onset of pearls may observed in natural pearls, where other species (namely predators) are implicated.

Have you heard of of pearls just been implanted into an Akoya shell by cutting a slit into the muscle and just popping the implanted pearl in so it looks like it grew in the host oyster?

Yes. This known as the pick-a-pearl scheme, especially in areas of high tourist traffic.

Can FW molluscs naturally produce pearls without intervention from man?

Yes, absolutely

How old would you say the pearls are in the opening oyster parties?

About one year. Perhaps slightly longer.

Can you identify these pearls in this picture

Freshwater pearls.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

....And where does the mantle come from during the cultivation process? Sea water Akoya oysters?

No. When freshwater mussels are grafted, the mantle tissue graft does not come from saltwater oysters. The donor tissue is from other freshwater mussels that are sacrificed for their mantle tissue.

Similarly when saltwater oysters are grafted, the mantle tissue comes from the same species, saltwater oysters.
When Tahitian mollusks are grafted, the donated mantle tissue graft comes from other Tahitians.
When south sea mollusks are grafted, the tissue comes from other south sea mollusks.
Same goes for Fijan pearls, Sea of Cortez pearls etc. The donor tissue comes from the same species as the one receiving the graft.

And the donor tissue selected is critically important. The technician must be skillful in selecting donor tissue. In Fijan pearls, for example, this is how they achieve the colors in their pearls that are so particularly Fijan.

 

[Sally2016]

Can someone explain the process start to finish in factories to produce these pick a pearl oysters. The chemicals used the implantation process. The water quality, type of pearls used, age of shells and pearls, hatcheries, nurserys etc. I'm doing some research on this

 

[Wndrgirl20]

I'm a consultant for Vantel Pearls. I'm currently in the midst of leaving the company due to A LOT of skirting questions related to the pearls and how the process of how the pearls are cultivated and their quality. When we "appraise" them we're told not to even bother discussing quality because Vantel Pearls are ALWAYS excellent quality. Anyway, as an insider...if you have any question about what we, the consultants are told...I can tell you what I know. Reading this thread pretty much sealed the deal with me getting out.

 

[CathyKeshi]

Wndrgirl20, welcome to Pearl-Guide. This is an incredible place to learn, and see beautiful pearls.

 

[lary007]

I'm a consultant for Vantel Pearls. I'm currently in the midst of leaving the company due to A LOT of skirting questions related to the pearls and how the process of how the pearls are cultivated and their quality. When we "appraise" them we're told not to even bother discussing quality because Vantel Pearls are ALWAYS excellent quality. Anyway, as an insider...if you have any question about what we, the consultants are told...I can tell you what I know. Reading this thread pretty much sealed the deal with me getting out.

I've sent you a private message welcome to pearl-guide!! We are happy to have ya!

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

https://www.vantelpearls.com/story.asp

Bolding mine:

The birth of a Pearl is a wondrous event. A particle of sand, piece of a shell, or foreign object drifts into the Oyster’s body and the oyster begins to secrete layers of nacre (Mother-of-Pearl) around the irritant. Over time, the layers transform into a glowing one-of-a-kind Pearl. Pearls have taught me about gratitude and nature’s wisdom. How many of us are able to take a challenge, as Oysters do, and find the gift in it? It isn’t always easy to find the positive in the hardships we endure, but in time beauty is often revealed.

When we assimilate what we have learned from the difficulties we have overcome, we can then celebrate them as blessings and continue to grow.

Every woman deserves to feel beautiful. Pearls can help us feel beautiful on the outside, while we practice embracing the challenges on the inside.”

Vantel Pearls Treasured Gems

Treasured Gem #1
“Everything happens to us for a reason, from which I can learn and grow.”

Treasured Gem #2
“Trusting my intuition and a power greater than myself provides the best guidance.”

Treasured Gem #3
“All I have is today. Let me make today a fully alive day.”

Treasured Gem #4
“I will take full responsibility for my choices and not feel responsible about the choice of others.”

Treasured Gem #5
“I will not hurt others, instead I will use compassion and always use respect.”

Treasured Gem #6
“When I treat myself as a priority, I am better able to deal with life's challenges.”

Treasured Gem #7
“The richest rewards come from helping others with no thought of reward.”

Treasured Gem #8
“There is no success without commitment and action.”

It's clearly misleading gullible clients with platitudes and nonsense. No wonder so many of them claim their pearls are natural or species Akoya f. The first bolded quote is copy/pasted on dozens of their clients pages, hence perpetuating the falsehoods. It comes directly from the top of the pyramid.

Next, oysters have no brains. They don't take challenges. Again, an outright lie.

Ignorance is no excuse for fraud or misrepresentation. Doing it knowingly at the corporate level is grand larceny.

The remaining bolding selfishly washes her hands for playing everyone for fools, while the other points are ironic at the least.

Garbage in, garbage out.

 

[JerseyPearl]

As they say, a fool and his money are easily parted.

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

Carny pearls.

 

[BlackPearlDudeDC]

I hate thinking of all the innocent people getting ripped off, but at the same time a 5 minute internet search and quick read is all it takes to discover the truth and dull some of the luster on the get rich quick scam of it all.

Family and friends are/were calling/texting me asking me what I think about it. I now have it it down to one simple text reply
"FAKE->FRAUD->FOOLISH".
A bit harsh I know...but literally all December long I was getting these questions, of course they all know my background and experience...so naturally I am asked and I can't fault anyone for that, I do fault anyone trying to make a quick buck without at least an attempt at understanding the nature of the scheme.

Late Nov/early Dec I told my cousin something like "Flowery words of spirituality and false platitudes of empowerment have never conned you before, why now?"
I just did not realize the magnitude of it all until they started coming at me, so frustrating.

 

[moneymeister]

It won't stop until someone files a lawsuit for fraud. The Karma attached is that as greedy as some people are, there are others who love class action lawsuits.

 

[moneymeister]

or...you fight fire with fire. You are welcome to come post or support https://www.facebook.com/PearlPartyEducation

 

[ymtrader2015]

Doesn't seem like your time explaining the truth about pearls did much good. She is still selling thousands of oysters and for Christmas had special green and cranberry colored "akoya" pearls. I wonder if her special oyster farm is going to produce pink ones for Valentines Day. Of course they will!!!

You should know the pearls she sells are all natural colors because of the special type of phytoplankton the oysters consume and those colored pearls are extremely RARE. That's her and her minions story and they are sticking to it. Its all about the food the oysters eat . Didn't you pearl experts know that? I mean what does your education matter? Doesn't matter if you're a graduate gemologist or pearl expert, she isn't listening and doesn't care. This is going to bite everyone in the pearl industry in the butt in some way, so those who aren't concerned, should be. Its disgusting and I do not believe its been perpetrated in this large of a group of consumers before. Nothing good can come from it. Even the honest people in the industry will suffer as your credentials are not being taken seriously now, so why will it matter later down the road? The consumer wont trust anyone if enough people get scammed. Agree with me, disagree, doesn't matter. It's an issue everyone should take seriously and not sweep it under the rug. No one benefits from fraud on this large of a scale! Its a joke to some but wont be so funny if the industry suffers from it. Don't think you're above it because you sell the real deal and not dyed pearls. Consumers don't know the difference and I don't see anyone trying to stop it. Fraud hurts everyone.

The reason you're seeing so much of this on Facebook is because a young lady started a company called "Open an Oyster LLC" on Facebook a few months ago and it went viral. She did it on her own and not through Vantel. I had a pretty long conversation with her a couple of weeks ago, and she knows she has spawned a lot of copycats, most of whom work with Vantel.

I explained the process of true pearl cultivation to her and told her how factories in China open the akoya shells, insert freshwater pearls into them and then drop them into a solution that causes the shells to constrict and die, so it appear they are "harvesting" a pearl when they really aren't. It's fine (and fun) to do, but they just can't be called akoya pearls because they aren't.

They shells I've seen them open appear to be a mix. I've seen some that do look like baby freshwater mussels and others that are definitely akoya. The pearls, however, are always freshwater and the black ones are of course dyed.

 

[moneymeister]

Dave's post has now reached 90 folks. The page seems to be working it's way into the target group.

 

[cfingram]

I've read thru the comments to get an answer on Vantel but I must have missed something.... What is VANTEL PEARLS selling to their customers? Is it an Akoya Oysters "filled" with an Freshwater Pearl?

 

[cfingram]

I did a little investigation of my own, and since I posted my questions on their Facebook page, and it was public, I did some printscreens as I was concerned that they would delete my questions and their responses...and they DID DELETE IT, but not before I had proof.....







And then.... all POOF disappeared by the hands of their social media guru....

 

[cfingram]

Vantel will NOT answer my questions - in fact, they deleted my comments on their page

Vantel will NOT answer my questions - in fact, they deleted my comments on their page

I sent Vantel private messages on Facebook about what exactly were they selling to "us" customers..... their social media employee responses are below... My questions/responses are in BOLD BLACK.

Can you tell me what kind of pearl is found in the Oyster? Is the oyster the mother host of the pearl ?
Is it an Akoya Oyster with a genuine Akoya pearl inside, that was created by the oyster itself (not implanted after the fact).
Or is it an Akoya Oyster with a Freshwater pearl inside?

We use freshwater pearls.

and the oyster is what?
Akoya shell?

I believe so yes

ME: Ok, so you are essentially using an Akoya Shell and implanting a Freshwater Pearl inside, therefore the Oyster is not the original host.
Am I correct?

VANTEL: You would need to connect with customer service regarding more information as this is just our social media page. support@vantelpearls.com

ME:
You can answer this on social page
it's not a hard question to answre
I'm either right or wrong...which one is it?

VANTEL: I"m sorry it's proprietary information to the business and company

ME: I'm pretty sure consumers deserve to know...

VANTEL: You are free to speak with your consultant before purchasing for further information. They will be happy to answer your questions and concerns.

ME: Your consultants are not educated enough to give a direct answer, they are all evasive in their responses
You are the direct company, you can give a direct answer, not refer me to your consultants

VANTEL: All of our consultants are educated on the facts of their business.

ME: And the facts are... what if I wanted to be consultant.


VANTEL: I"m sorry we cannot speak to this question via social media. You would need to connect with either customer service or a consultant.

ME: Wouldn't you tell me what it is before I invest?
ok, number?
phone number to call customer service?

VANTEL: 855.213.1142

ME: well your phone number doesn't work really well....

VANTEL: Our lines are very busy. You would need to keep trying as they are experiencing high call volume.

ME: Yes, I know you are busy... what's the big deal about answering my question over social media v.s. phone call


They stop answered me after that...... I'll post the "printscreens" of the other part about how they responded on their Facebook page too....this is SO SO SO SO shaddy!! They won't give me a straight answer AT ALL.