Online pearl sellers?

[Bayside]

Hi All -- I want to ring in the New Year with a pair of golden SS huggies. (A minimalist style where the pearl is mounted directly to the finding.)

I've been browsing posts here and searching for recommended sellers. I need some help deciding whether to buy the pearls and findings separately and have a local jeweler fabricate them, or find a pair online. One online seller I came across onlin is "Pearl Lovers" in Gilroy, CA. It looks like they have good quality, well-priced items. Has anyone shopped there? It's an unexpected place for a pearl business. Here's a photo of the style
I'm thinking about. Also, is there a recommended size pearl for this style earring? Thank you for your advice.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I do not know that seller, but I would think it would always be less expensive to use ready-made findings than to have them custom made.

That finding in the photo is vermeil (silver plated with gold). I'm thinking with south sea pearls you may prefer a metal that is solid gold rather than plated, for durability.

I'll see if I can find a finding like that online in gold. Do you have any idea what size pearl is in the listing that photo came from?

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Nothing at Stuller.

On Etsy some similar listings come up when you use search terms: "pearl huggy earrings".

 

[jshepherd]

This is a Chinese company pretending to be based on California. From the reviews online, the gold is not real, the diamonds are not real and if you need to return anything, it has to be shipped back to China. I'd avoid this one.

 

[Marianne]

I would contact Pearl Paradise and see what they have available. They are honest, reputable and easy to work with!!!

 

[Bayside]

I do not know that seller, but I would think it would always be less expensive to use ready-made findings than to have them custom made.

That finding in the photo is vermeil (silver plated with gold). I'm thinking with south sea pearls you may prefer a metal that is solid gold rather than plated, for durability.

I'll see if I can find a finding like that online in gold. Do you have any idea what size pearl is in the listing that photo came from?

Absolutely, I would use 14K or 18K, and it's available. The photo is to show the shape I'd like. The pearl in the photo is 14mm, but not sure I need to go that large. (I'm petite - 5')

 

[Bayside]

This is a Chinese company pretending to be based on California. From the reviews online, the gold is not real, the diamonds are not real and if you need to return anything, it has to be shipped back to China. I'd avoid this one.

Thanks for your due diligence.

 

[jshepherd]

Thanks for your due diligence.

They go by a few different names online too. I found one of them, but I believe there are quite a few - Pearl Amy – Premium Pearl at 80% Off Retail Prices (https://www.pearlamy.com/)

There are a lot of websites out of China pretending to be US based. House of Pearls is another one. It's not just the pearl sector either. The issue is rampant in the jewelry space right now, especially with AI created websites and stories. There was one called Manea Pearls that scammed a lot of people. There is an entire Reddit thread dedicated to that one. They kept renaming their website (Tahina Pearls, Naia Pearls and probably a few more names), but I think Shopify eventually shut them down.