Is this white south sea necklace a good buy?

[PearlBunny]

Hi all,

Curious what the pearl experts here think of this white south sea strand listed at a local fairly reputable auction house for $2500.

18 inches with 14k white gold clasp. Pearls range from 9 to 11.5 mm.

How would you rate the following (I’ll take a brave stab below with my newbie thoughts!):
1. Luster: to me luster is fair. Uneven matching of luster on the pearls (some are more worn than others as well) is probably my biggest hesitation.
2. Complexion: to me moderate to heavy blemishing.
3. Shape: looks near round to me.
4. Tone: I like the cool silver tone.
5. Authenticity (aka if these are south seas): to me the pearls have the telltale blemishes of SS. Does not look like freshwater Edison or imitation pearl.
6. Thoughts on price?

 

[Charlotta]

They do look like south sea pearls to me. The luster is great, the shape is great, the color is lovely but there are quite a lot of blemishes for 2500$. With a size of 9-11,5mm and those blemishes the price should be lower. I am not saying that it's too blemished, just too blemished for the price in my opinion.

 

[PearlBunny]

They do look like south sea pearls to me. The luster is great, the shape is great, the color is lovely but there are quite a lot of blemishes for 2500$. With a size of 9-11,5mm and those blemishes the price should be lower. I am not saying that it's too blemished, just too blemished for the price in my opinion.

Many thanks Charlotta for your time and thoughts! What would you say would be a fair ballpark price? (I’m not buying this strand, but looking to learn how to grade and price pearls while planning to get a much less blemished WSS strand later this year.)

 

[Charlotta]

Well I'm not sure what the price should be really. Needs better photos. I would pay under 1000$ however. I bought my white south sea strand from Cees two years ago. You could ask him.

 

[PearlBunny]

Thank you!

 

[lisa c]

I count 38 pearls, of which 22 to 24, more or less, have nice luster. The color is lovely, the blemishes agree with WSS. I‘ve never thought I could afford them, so I don’t keep up on the prices, though should.

 

[PearlBunny]

Thank you for your thoughts!

 

[KarinK]

You could look at some of the vendors often mentioned here. You should be able to pretty much compare roundness and luster (my tip for looking at luster is to see how sharp the reflection is). You might even be able to compare blemishes, certainly size and price. This could help you get an idea about the price point.

- Karin

 

[Marianne]

Welcome Pearl Bunny. I would go with a known vendor who I trust. Check this one out on Pearl Paradise. It has the luster and overtones you liked. The pearls are not as round, but look to have really nice skins. Many of us find baroque shapes to be more pleasing, made by nature.
https://www.pearlparadise.com/colle...aaa-white-south-sea-baroque-necklace-wqn-4489

 

[CortezPearls]

Welcome PearlBunny
I see that you have been very welcomed by the community. Hope you join us and share your questions and photos of your purchase.
Have a great day.

 

[PearlBunny]

Karin, Marianne, and Douglas, thank you all for the warm welcome! Seems like I’ve some homework to do!