Where to purchase wholesale Akoya round Pearls at least AA+

[cfingram]

What is VANTEL really selling?

What is VANTEL really selling?

Vantel Pearls - they sell you Akoya Oysters that have freshwater pearls implanted inside? That really sounds like Fraud to me, as most consultants make it sound like the oyster is actually the host that made the pearl? What is Vantel truly selling here? I need to educate my friends that are so interested in these Online Pearl Parties, I don't them to get suckered into something that is fraudulent, or at least, I want them to know what they are actually buying into! Cheap pearls! Pffffff grrrrrr!!!!

I was investigating on how to become a consultant thru Vantel, however , I'm definitely NOT interested anymore! It has, however, peaked my interest into researching about pearls in general, and since I already craft jewelry, I'd love to implement real pearls into my jewelry designs. I do have a pearl drilling machine, and I want to make high-quality pearl jewelry for my daughters/myself/family, and possibly sell some of my pieces as well.

By the way, thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge and saving the few of us from making a VERY stupid mistake!!!!

You can find companies all over Alibaba that offer these. There are typically two kinds: freshwater mussels with a small freshwater pearl and akoya mollusks with a small freshwater pearl inside. There are no companies in China that insert akoya into those shells.

I did some research last week and found one company in Japan that was inserting genuine akoya pearls into akoya shells for a "wish pearl" sort of operation. I don't know who or where those shells are being sold. All the companies I've seen here in the US (Vantel, Pearl Factory, pearl parties on Facebook) "harvest" freshwater pearls from akoya oysters.

 

[cfingram]

I contacted Vantel Pearls via their Social Media Facebook page... I can't get a straight answer to save my life!!! They said they use "Freshwater Pearls"... and I asked "and they are in Akoya Oyster Shells"... the answer was "I believe so".... I proceeded to ask even more direct answers and I was referred to talk to either a consultant or call their phone number, which the phone number is so tied up , I can't get thru.

So WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL...why so evasive, aren't they not obligated by law to tell their customers what is it that we are exactly buying when it comes to the oyster and pearl itself?

 

[Pearls13]

Has anyone looked into Pearl Chic? They seem to be a rather new "Open on FB" company. They claim to have authentic akoya pearls but I have seen them pull colors like electric blue and bright reds. Someone asked about it on their main FB page and they replied that it's a new way of harvesting that creates the colors.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Pearls13,
Not only are electric blue and bright red pearls dyed freshwater pearls that have been dyed at the factory (NOT a new way of harvesting), but Pearl Chic is using a stolen photo of Tahitian pearls taken by Josh Humbert of Kamoka Farms and published in National Geographic.

The National Geographic article with Josh's photo:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/...farming-kamoka-polynesia-oysters-environment/

One of the pages on Pearl Chic with the stolen photo (other pages also have this photo):
http://pearlchic.mysimplestore.com/products?page=8

 

[Pearls13]

Pearls13,
Not only are electric blue and bright red pearls dyed freshwater pearls that have been dyed at the factory (NOT a new way of harvesting), but Pearl Chic is using a stolen photo of Tahitian pearls taken by Josh Humbert of Kamoka Farms and published in National Geographic.

The National Geographic article with Josh's photo:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/...farming-kamoka-polynesia-oysters-environment/

One of the pages on Pearl Chic with the stolen photo (other pages also have this photo):
http://pearlchic.mysimplestore.com/products?page=8

Wow, can't even get the right pearl for their pictures lol

 

[Pearls13]

Do we have any certified parties here that could determine by a picture alone if pearls are authentic akoya? Or even could have a sample sent to them?

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Pearls13, if you got them from a pearl opening party, they are cultured Chinese freshwater pearls!

If they come from some other source, post photos and we'll give you our opinion.
• Clear, in-focus photos in either natural light or artificial light (but no flash),
• Some should be close-ups (including closeups of any flaws).
• Use a ruler to estimate size.
• Tell us whatever history you can about them. How you came to have them, and any other history you are aware of.

We actually have a whole forum for this sort of question; a lot of people want to know what kinds of pearls they have:
https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?24-What-Kind-of-Pearls-do-I-have

 

[Keldes42]

Can you give me a name for a vendor for Akoya oysters? I'm wanting to buy those that are vacuumed pack for my girls to open at home

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

Can you give me a name for a vendor for Akoya oysters? I'm wanting to buy those that are vacuumed pack for my girls to open at home

No. They don't exist in this discussion group.

This is an educational forum and other than deception there's nothing to be learned by opening faked oysters from a factory in China.

 

[Curiousaboutpearls]

Curious

Curious

I found this forum after watching an online pearl party, and it definitely sparked my interest.
But I would like to ask after reading everything here and taking many notes.
If someone was to say start one of these businesses from scratch, simply for the fun and say only charge a price for the setting pieces for the pearls then have say x amount of oyster openings free (so the customer is only paying for the jewelry piece not the oyster) would that be considered a scam???
I know I wouldn't be able to charge much for the jewellery, but would have to factor in costs of buying the items as it was and enough on top to make a reasonable profit.

I know I can only refer to the facts eg. Freshwater oysters, re how the colour ones are dyed etc.

I don't see if I was to commence such a business based purely on the fun side of the oyster openings (like a lucky dip for adults so to say) it would be considered as a scam.

Don't get me wrong I do intend on making money from it, but solely to help my family balance our current financial situation, but I would be more interested in it for the entertainment side.
Would this be considered a bad thing I. The pearl industry? Also what would be the most accurate place to find out how to correctly value/ put a rough estimate towards the lower quality pearls?

 

[moneymeister]

I found this forum after watching an online pearl party, and it definitely sparked my interest.
But I would like to ask after reading everything here and taking many notes.
If someone was to say start one of these businesses from scratch, simply for the fun and say only charge a price for the setting pieces for the pearls then have say x amount of oyster openings free (so the customer is only paying for the jewelry piece not the oyster) would that be considered a scam???
I know I wouldn't be able to charge much for the jewellery, but would have to factor in costs of buying the items as it was and enough on top to make a reasonable profit.

I know I can only refer to the facts eg. Freshwater oysters, re how the colour ones are dyed etc.

I don't see if I was to commence such a business based purely on the fun side of the oyster openings (like a lucky dip for adults so to say) it would be considered as a scam.

Don't get me wrong I do intend on making money from it, but solely to help my family balance our current financial situation, but I would be more interested in it for the entertainment side.
Would this be considered a bad thing I. The pearl industry? Also what would be the most accurate place to find out how to correctly value/ put a rough estimate towards the lower quality pearls?

Pearl parties are light years away from pearl collecting and the pearl trade, which is the emphasis of this forum. If I were you, I would read, read and read some more on the pearl party threads. Find out why plenty of folks don't like the business.

Facebook is absolutely full of people who have no background in pearls but have decided to launch businesses based on something they know nothing about. So they show up here and email and call vendors who worked very hard to get where they are and ask them to set up suppliers, ask for business advice. It seems to follow the, "here, hold my beer" business plan. I know pearl folks are getting ripped off too. Over in the UK, someone is actually issuing certificates for their "Akoya" freshwater pearls. Without knowledge, you're a target.

This is a bit of a prickly subject for me, because I run that pearl scam page and spend my time having my brained picked for free by people who want to sell something they know nothing about. One young lady became angry when I finally send her this way for more questions. She said it was my JOB to tell her what she wants to know, as I run an "expert" page.

Is it a scam? - well, it's one kind of pearl shoved into a dead body of another. People have been doing it as a sideshow fun type of activity for ages. I think so many people are ignorant about pearls they are being conned into placing value on a pearl that is extremely common. The jewelry is cut rate, base metal swill for the most part, but people are paying as much for pearl and crap setting as they might pay for a nice piece of jewelry. Here is where people who collect nice pearls get angry on behalf of the uninformed.

If I sold Yugos but said they were Cadillacs, and people bought and bought....do you see any conflicts there? Maybe you do, maybe you don't. The nature of selling is to create value in what you sell and get others excited to buy it. Knowing what you are selling is crap, would that bother you? Can you honestly tell someone, "it's pretty cheap, but buy it anyhow?". Would you feel bad selling a tray of these things 4/80 dollars and have some little old lady receive her 4 garden variety, non matching pearls worth 4 dollars. If not, congratulations, you have what it takes to do well in this business.

The pearls would be worth a dollar or two, end of story...there is no guide that will place them higher because that is all they are worth, on a good day.

Edit* This was probably a little harsh, and I am sorry for my tone. However, the reasons for my frusterations are outlined. It's not personal. I can understand why this looks like a great gig at first glance.

 

[SunSeeker]

Well written, MM. Curious, your future customers would be better served if you found a business plan with more integrity.

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

If someone was to say start one of these businesses from scratch, simply for the fun and say only charge a price for the setting pieces for the pearls then have say x amount of oyster openings free (so the customer is only paying for the jewelry piece not the oyster) would that be considered a scam???
I know I wouldn't be able to charge much for the jewellery, but would have to factor in costs of buying the items as it was and enough on top to make a reasonable profit.

You have the right ethic, but the wrong idea how farms operate.

These ill informed party hosts wrongly perpetuate the claim that there's a pearl in every oyster. Not to mention numerous other ridiculous things they say or do.

Until the time of harvest, a pearl farmer has no idea whether an oyster contains a worthless pearl, a stunning gem quality pearl or any pearl at all. Only small percentage of any harvest will be premium quality. You would have a lot of disappointed customers. Many would get nothing, some would get something unsuitable. The only way a farmer can survive is efficiently producing a high volume, then high grading the lot. Inspecting tens of thousands of oysters during grow out is a needless, costly operation making the cost of pearls higher and risks injuring healthy ones.

Besides that, it is illegal in most countries for farmers to sell oysters. There are just too many conservation, health and safety or proprietary issues surrounding the operation. China doesn't care who they poison or cheat, so long as they collect their pennies per faked oyster. The sickly oysters you see being opened are unfit for farms. Real farm oysters look nothing like the trash being opened at these parties.

Simply put, it cannot be done. Farmers are in no position to compete with scams.

 

[cmd2014]

Not to mention the unknown health and environmental hazards associated with the undisclosed preservatives they are using on the oysters. The whole thing is a disgusting scam designed to lure people into either thinking that they're getting something good for nothing, or into thinking that they can make money without any knowledge or investment. And I'm shocked at how many people come here, read all about these concerns, and STILL feel comfortable asking for guidance about how to go forward with this shady, shady, business as if all of the ethical issues just disappear if you either tell the truth about the pearls being cheap, worthless, freshwater pearls not even close to the quality that you would get from a reputable source, or if you can find the magic unicorn of real akoya pearls in akoya shells.

IMO there just is no ethical way to pursue this, and I hope that North American and European regulators are soon able to shut the whole thing down.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Apart from the pearls, are the jewelry settings actually sterling silver, or just stamped sterling/925 while actually being silver plated, as often seems to be the case with metal findings from China?

Edited to add that I am not referring to reputable vendors' findings. But if you buy jewelry from China say, on eBay, I would be skeptical about the metal, no matter what it is stamped.

 

[JerseyPearl]

MM, very well stated. And everyone else, "ditto"...

 

[UndertheSea]

Hello,

I am interested in finding Akoya oysters with their pearls coming from China. Can you be of help?

Thank you.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Hi UndertheSea,

Sorry, no one here will give you that sort of information. Please read this thread thoroughly and you will understand why we don't advocate, encourage or enable the sale of freshwater pearls in juvenile saltwater oyster shells.

 

[moneymeister]

It's continually mind blowing...

 

[BWeaves]

I don't get how a poster can post a question like that without reading the rest of the thread where 5 other people have asked the same question and not read the answers. It almost feels like they are just trolling us, at this point. Another forum I'm on has a saying, "Don't feed the bears." Someone would post that, and there would just be no answers after that.