It's not as if you guys didn't know I was obsessed. So, I examined my findings with Terry's AA+ ropes and I am happy that the sizes are as stated, with the white strand tending on the bigger size. AA+ still beats the white strand I got above in terms of blemishing, which I'd already suspected. Some pearls do have luster that match the AA+, but it's not always consistent, and there are visible pits in nearly all the pearls. I may revise my grading from just AA to AA-AA+. I am happy that the pink strand is AA+ if not for the shape. The color saturation and luster is pretty amazing. The down-sizing wasn't as bad as I thought. All in all, a pass for the price. Not sure how long the string/clasp would last though. Call me a skeptic. And I'm happy with my own pearl sorting skills.
Having said all that, I'd rather buy high-grade pearls from the vendors here - too much work. As Jeremy said, the wholesalers in Guangzhou don't cater to this particular crowd. I am making a trip to Shanghai early next year, so I hope to report back on the elusive Hongqiao market there now that some members have already trudged Pearl City in Nanjing Road.
From now on, a total ban on purchases till Nov, probably the freshwater Galatea set, gem tahitian bracelet in January and multicolor tahitian strand in June/July. Exotics and other interesting things in between. Must practice restraint ...
As I said, I'm obsessed.
