Need some help and info on Tahitian Pearls

[Chartreux]

First, I'm very new and have read the pearl grading source on here and it's definitely good to know.

I have a very small neckline and I'm looking to put together a graduated necklace 15" in length, starting if possible with 9mm Tahitian to 11mm Tahitians with one 13mm Tahitian in the center, I understand from reading that real Tahitians are not small. I do know that you need to knot between each pearl. I prefer Peacock color as that looks nice on me.
What would be the starting point for me? Who are the sellers? I've looked on ebay and have been flabbergasted by how they say AAA+ on Tahitians.
However, I do have a budget, so how expensive would that be? I wish I could go smaller, but know Tahitian pearls are big, I have neck problems so I cannot wear a heavy necklace.

I'm in the USA, for the Mods please feel free to modify my thread if needed as I'm new here.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Hi Chartreux and welcome to Pearl-Guide.

You said you wish you could go smaller-- well, you can. Tahitian necklaces are usually not uniform in size--
a 2-3mm spread (more or less) from the smallest pearls to the largest is common.

Also, 9mm is not the smallest size; just the other day I wore a strand ranging from 8mm to 9.7mm.

You can save money by buying a necklace composed of near-round/drop or baroque shaped or circled pearls; round pearls cost more.

 

[Katbran]

I'm reading this, perhaps incorrectly, that you want to do the necklace yourself? If that is the case then you want someone that sells loose pearls . I would avoid eBay. ( That said I've had nice pearls from Ehret/Druzy Designs) You can look at The Pearl House on ETSY - lots of people here buy loose tahitian pearls from him and they are grouped by shape and colour and grade.

Just keep in mind...good pearls are not inexpensive. But doing it this way you can spread the cost out by buying as you can afford them. Even if it's one pearl at a time.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Yes, on eBay most "Tahitian" pearls listed are really dyed freshwater pearls from China.

 

[Chartreux]

Thank You, Pearl Dream, I will look at those vendor.
Thank You Katbran, Right now The Pearl House/etsy is on break and I have left a message for them to send me an e-mail once they are back up, they certainly have interesting items, never seen a carved pearl those look awesome!
Thank you! and I will do more research on Tahitians.

 

[Sea Urchin]

Strands are carefully put together with the pearls selected out of many, many pearls according to size, shape and color match. So my feeling is that by buying pearls individually you might just end up with a mess that isn't any cheaper and doesn't go together well, if that's what you meant.

9-13mm Tahitian pearls is not a hard size to find.

I'd check out the sites of or contact one of the trusted vendors mentioned in Pearl Dream's post above (they have more than what's listed on their sites). Tell them what you want and have them email you photos of some strands of whatever they have that's close to it. They can also modify a strand to your liking. I don't think adding one larger 13mm pearl or shortening a strand to 15" would be a problem. If your budget is strict, tell them what it is, or if it's not carved in stone, just see what they have. There's no charge for asking.

I agree that ebay is full of cheap dyed freshwater pearls labeled "Tahitians" and other pearly rip-offs. Best to stick with a trusted seller who's been vouched for many times over by those on this forum, in my opinion. (If they didn't offer fair deals, they wouldn't be our favorites!) Please let us see what you get.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Also, I'm not sure what is happening this summer, but for the past few years Pearl Paradise has had a Tahitians sale in August. Strands are photographed individually so you can pick your exact strand, and there's usually a wide selection. A strand could be shortened to order and the leftover pearls used to make dangle earrings.

 

[JerseyPearl]

I would definitely avoid purchasing pearls on Ebay...too much risk!

Are you looking to put the strands together yourself or are you looking to purchase a completed strand?

 

[pattye]

My suggestion would also be to purchase a temporary strand. Perhaps one of the websites mentioned can put a custom strand together for you that would meet your specifications. Do contact them! I feel you will be able to find smaller Tahitians. Purchasing a matched temporary strand is more cost effective than buying Tahitian pearls piecemeal. When you buy loose pearls from various vendors, you will have varied drill hole sizes to deal with, too.

Off round, oval, ringed, baroque shapes are, imo, as lovely as perfect rounds and much more affordable, as you will see when you visit the various websites.

Druzy Design/Carolyn Ehret is one of a handful of sellers on ebay who sells Tahitians and is completely trustworthy. Otherwise, avoid ebay.

 

[Marianne]

Excellent advice.

 

[SunSeeker]

Excellent advice; eBay is full of vendors trying to pass dyed freshwater pearls for Tahitians because they are Tahitians-colored. caveat emptor!