Tahitian pearl jewelry without breaking bank? Etsy?

[sakurasanta86]

Hello all. Newbie trying to make a purchase for my wife's 40th birthday. I really want to buy a Tahitian black pearl necklace (not string) or dangle earrings. I'd prefer handmade (and handmade) ... not jewelry store perfect. I'd prefer sterling silver, and I'm not concerned about getting the highest quality pearl. However, I do want authentic. No dyed pearls. I'd really like to go back to the farm / Lagoon the pearl (s) come from. I tried to contact a pearl farm in Cook Islands directly. FedEx charged $ 140 to ship to US! So that's out of the question. Unfortunately I do not have a ton to spend. Hoping to spend less than $ 150 totally probably.

Any ideas? How do I know if jewelry on Etsy is authentic Tahitian pearls? Found few Etsy stores that had pieces I liked but not sure how authentic (MartiniInspired and TheCalloftheIslands) ???

Thanks in advance!
Wendy

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Hi Wendy! Welcome to Pearl Guide.

I had a look at the two shops you mentioned.

The Tahitians listed on MartinInspired's shop seem to be real Tahitians.

TheCalloftheIslands sells Cook Islands pearls and lists them as "Tahitians" (with the quotes) with description stating they are from Cook Islands, not French Polynesia. To be legitimately called Tahitians, they have to have come from F.P., but it's the same black lipped oyster producing them.

There is a difference, though. Until July of 2017, all pearls from F.P. had to have a minimum nacre thickness of 0.8mm in order to be allowed to be exported legally. The Cook Islands did not have this restriction, so black pearls from Cook Islands might have thinner nacre than 0.8mm and may be less durable.

That said, a pendant or earrings won't get a lot of rough usage-- not like a bracelet or ring might. I think I wouldn't worry about it-- just go ahead and get what you like. I'm sure she'll be thrilled.

Also, Tahitians do not tend to be dyed. There are some colors that may have been treated-- the chocolate color and some pistachio ones-- but usually when you see dyed pearls falsely listed as Tahitians, they are dyed freshwater pearls, which are much less valuable. The first vendor has some but they are clearly listed as freshwater pearls.

 

[Sea Urchin]

There are a lot of shady or unknowledgeable sellers of pearls out there, so you are smart to ask around before buying rather than afterwards.

I'm not sure what you mean by "handmade," but if you mean silversmithing as opposed to machine made components, that could be hard to find on a limited budget. At the other end, "handmade" can mean more crafty stuff that would probably be sold at sites other than businesses that focus on selling pearls and pearl jewelry. And, oftentimes pearls are not sold directly from farms to the public (even if they say they are). Finally, as PD said, dying isn't a typical problem with real Tahitian pearls (although the most common problem you might run into is cheaper dyed freshwater pearls being passed off as Tahitians).

I think the best place to start here might just be with finding the vendors who have been widely vouched for as trustworthy, then checking out their sites. Most of them have a few silver Tahitian pendants w/chain or dangly earring pairs for under $150.

Below is a link to a good list of trusted vendors at Pricescope.com. It was put together by us pearl enthusiasts, based on our buying experiences.

If you want, feel free to post the item/s you're considering for opinions on their price and quality. Good luck.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/trusted-vendors-sticky.205233/

 

[Katbran]

You probably won't find handmade findings( the various metal bits) and Tahitian pearls for that price. You can find readymade findings - as on almost all sites- and small pearls.

Tahitians are expensive , the second seller had some cute earrings , baroque shape for around your price. Frankly I would save up for the Tahitians and seriously consider getting some beautiful freshwater studs . But handmade...generally on etsy now means that the top was glued into the pearl.

One thing to keep in mind is some of those pendants don't come with the chain.

I have just scanned through about 6 pages in ETSY looking for silver/Tahitian pearls that are handmade and in your price range.

You might look at Margaret at Simplyadorned4you as there are a couple of items that could work. https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/SimplyAdorned4U/items And they are handmade. Several people here have bought from her.

Another option is Oceanscove - if you message Sarah she may be able to do a floating single pearl on Sterling chain ... can't hurt to ask. Again Sarah has done work for people on the forum.

 

[Marianne]

Josh and Celeste (Kamoka Pearls) are members here and actually have a family pearl farm in French Polynesia. They have some lovely pearls set in silver: https://kamokapearls.com/collections/pendants

 

[Katbran]

Well done Marianne! Never crossed my mind that they would have anything under 200 .

This meets your needs !

I know it's a bit above your budget ... but Kamoka is a well known and respected pearl farm with extremely lovely pearls. And , looking at the silver pendants , several of them are hand made .. ( the ones with the faceted beads ) .

 

[Floridapearl]

I have ordered many times from WenPearls and KongsPearl on Etsy, they have a wide variety of freshwater, Tahiti, Akoya and South Sea pearls, I have never been disappointed with their quality.

 

[pattye]

Josh and Celeste (Kamoka Pearls) are members here and actually have a family pearl farm in French Polynesia. They have some lovely pearls set in silver: https://kamokapearls.com/collections/pendants

Yes! Just what Marianne said! Beautiful pearls, sustainably farmed, too!

 

[Monyettes]

Anyone familiar with HonoluaDesigns on Etsy?

 

[lary007]

I haven't heard of that one..