Buying necklaces with the intent of taking them apart

[twinsmummy20]

I just had a question about people buying necklaces with the intent of taking them apart and making other pieces and selling them. For instance the strand that I will post has probably about 60 or so pearls and it's $160 when you divide that it's about $2.40 per pearl. On the same website to buy these pearls separately they're about $20 apiece so I guess my question is why would I buy them separately instead of buying the necklace and then parting it out? has anyone ever done that or am I missing something or they hard to take apart? why would you not do this I guess is my question if I can get the pearls so much cheaper and they are obviously real?
https://www.pearlparadise.com/colle...oducts/60-65-mm-aa-black-akoya-pearl-necklace

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Pearl Paradise (and probably other vendors) will sell you necklaces unstrung if you wish, so that you could use the pearls to make your own creations. But you'd still be buying at retail, not wholesale prices. Still, PP and other large online vendors are able to offer their pearls at lower retail prices than the typical brick and mortar store because they don't have the same overhead as b&m stores.

I could see doing this to make something for yourself or as a gift for someone else, but it seems to me if you want to be selling pearls, you need a wholesale source for your pearls. It would be hard to make money buying at retail in order to to resell at an even higher retail price, don't you think?

 

[twinsmummy20]

I am not seeing anywhere online selling Akoya pearls for less than 10 a piece .... perhaps you can point me in the right direction? With these being approximately 3.17 a piece ish I can make a pair of earrings for all of 7.50.... where do you suggest getting whole sale?

 

[twinsmummy20]

I just again googled black Akoya pearls wholesale and all that's coming up is oysters....

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Many sellers go to shows like Tucson or the Hong Kong show to purchase their items at wholesale. But you would need a license/tax id number to avoid paying sales tax, and some shows only allow people in who have a tax id number (even at local shows I attend.)

I am not a seller, by the way. Just a pearl lover and sometimes a buyer.

There is a big fad now -- people are buying immature akoya oysters that have freshwater pearls inserted in them, to resell on Facebook. It's a scam -- buyers are not getting what they think they are getting-- but that is probably why you are getting those search results.

 

[twinsmummy20]

That's why I am looking for bulk pearls not in oysters... I want to know what I'm buying lol

 

[BWeaves]

Pearls sold singly are usually much higher quality than a strand sold to be a necklace. This is because you'll scrutinize a single pendant much more than every single pearl in a strand. You probably would not buy single pearls in order to make a necklace, because they might not match. You would want to buy a strand that is already matched.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

twinsmummy20, are you trying to start a business?

If so, are you looking to sell at local craft shows and such? Or are you trying to sell on Etsy/online?

 

[twinsmummy20]

Probably both .... I have a ton of ideas. Never ending. I lay in bed and see jewelry in my head lol

 

[twinsmummy20]

Weaves I totally get that.... but I'm thinking buy a necklace and dismantle it into several pieces .... I am not talking serioushigh end jewelry here... so having a blemish here or there is not a big deal to me I'm creative ... I personally love black or dark pearls... I can't help it I realize they are not natural except perhaps Tahitian ...but I want to make earrings and other goods out of them

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Some folks on here buy loose pearls from Wen Pearls (various kinds of pearls) and ThePearlHouse (Tahitians) on Etsy. I'm not promoting or recommending them, these are just names that have been mentioned by some on here.

 

[Pareltje]

If you are going to resell your creations on Etsy/online then there are a few vendors from whom you can get your pearls. Like PD, I'm not promoting them but I bought from them and have good experience: Wen Pearl, Kongs Pearl, DIY pearl all are a good source of Chinese freshwater pearls. The Pearl House on Etsy for Tahitians. Pearl Lunar sells Chinese fwp on Ebay, Agustus (also on Ebay) auctions genuine south sea pearls from Indonesia.

 

[Katbran]

Well as BWeaves pointed out..the individual pearls that PP would be selling are most likely AAA or AA+ and a necklace isn't as likely to have the same almost blemish free surface. The price difference per pearl is reflected by the quality.

That said, if you get a good deal on a strand and want to take it apart and make several pieces. that can work, especially if your pieces are not 'pearl heavy' and you just need a few pearls per item.

As for the sellers - Pareltje has listed all the ones that people here have used. There is also Druzydesigns on Ebay - Claire Erhet. Choose carefully .. lots of these people would be very difficult on returns. They are in China or you will need to have them drilled and then you can't return them. Best to try a few places with small purchases. Pearl Lunar is decent for nice little drop or oval earring Freshwaters- keep an eye out for the 'make an offer' sales...then offer about 25% less and see how you go.

Start small .... as Jeremy of PP has said ... 'buying pearls is easy..selling them is hard' Don't invest too much..start small and see how you go. At worst you will have made yourself some nice jewellery. Good luck !