Anyone know about The Pearl Source? ThePearlSource.com

[Caitlin]

For some reason I couldn't get the PM system to answer so I am putting a recent q and A here, a new member asking for a review of The Pearl Source.

Dear Caitlin,

I have been reading posts on Pearl-Guide.com, and visiting the websites of the sellers who participate in the forums. I noticed that The Pearl Source does not have a large presence or reviews in the forums, and I wanted to ask for opinions about them as a seller. Is it appropriate to ask that kind of question on the forum? I don't want to offend someone or damage a reputation out of ignorance.

Also, The Pearl Source is the only site that lists AAAA freshwater pearls on their site as far as I've seen, and the prices are actually lower than the prices for which other sites list AAA CFWPs. This is why I'm suspicious.

Thanks for any help,
Luke Milner

Hi Luke
You are correct about the AAAA. The Pearl Source is capitalizing on the lack of a standardized grading system for pearls. From the photos I've seen from people who have purchased from The Pearl Source and spoke of their experience on this website, their highest grade of AAAA is similar to the lowest grade of AA+ offered by companies like Pearl Paradise.

The Pearl Source's prices appear cheap, but you get what you pay for.
Caitlin

 

[Valeria101]

There is no standard pearl grading system accepted yet.

FWIW, you will get a much better value and a better quality from a company like Pearl Paradise, even if their ratings show a lower grade.

That's fact. The following is my take on it...

Now, it is easy to like even very lowly pearls as long as you don't know what better ones look like and even after. If this wasn't true, there would be far fewer pearls around and Ebay sellers with 0.99$ strands would never get one bit of positive feedback, let alone thousands.

To know how the goods of one shop compare with the next it'll take the feedback of a buyers who has seen both and knows pretty well what they were looking at (especially, treatment, but also valuation). Rather tall order, although it does happen esp. when the first product is returned. Gross misrepresentation gets killed, but treatments remain a problem even then... among others.

My 2c

 

[KAC]

while there is no standard grading system, the accepted system is A-AAA.

When a retailer decides to use AAAA, this typically means they are trying to confuse the customer who may be accustomed to the A-AAA system. Its just too similar and any logical person would realize that it would cause confusion - but again that's the purpose.

That being said I haven't heard anything bad about them - if you do decide to purchase from them, please do come back and report on your experience.

 

[Caitlin]

Luke is having some trouble logging in. Here is an address of the item he is asking about

They have a 30 day return policy, so you can order one and send it back if you don't like it.

A true gem quality necklace will have fantastic luster of the highest quality. Luster includes not only "mirror", the reflective shininess, but "orient", the play of colors reflecting from the nacre. The factor of luster that is most rare is "water". Water is a translucency of the upper layers. If you get a gem quality CFWP strand, all of of the individual pearls should display excellent mirror. Most of the individual pearls should display orient and you will be lucky to get some pearls that have much water.

Without having actual examples of two different sellers' pearls to compare in person, it is impossible to tell what they mean by their grading scales.


With the amount of info I have, is that pearl source's AAAA is similar to other's AA+.

I think the true gem quality pearls are set aside for earrings before the rest of pearls are sorted into the usual grades. I do know that that Jeremy of Pearl Paradise started buying the loose earring pearls and having them matched for necklaces resulting in his freshadama quality. The Pearl Source's AAAA and freshadama should be like apples and oranges.

 

[pattye]

Hi Luke-
Need to correct my error in reply to the email from you--I thought you meant Pearlsource on ebay, and my reply only reflected thoughts on those ebay listings. I don't know if that is the same as The Pearl Source at all, or anything about the latter. Sorry for the mix-up.
Thanks,
Pattye

 

[CLICLASP]

I am still surprised to notice that Tahitian pearls are still graded in the AAAAA system on different websites, since Polynesia authorities set an official pearl grading system from A to D for Tahitian pearls. This confuses customers a little bit more.

 

[pattye]

Hi All,

Both the ebay site and the online site address the main person as "Leon." So it seems they are the one and same.

In the past I sent them ? about the peach and pink strands they have at auction, asking why they didn't indicate they were freshwater, and received no reply, also have noticed they use a stock photo for a number of the strands.

I think the colors of the strands are not shown well on the online site. Some of the pearls appear on my monitor as being very blue.

Even on the ebay site there is only one photo shown for the necklace, except in very few cases, although the items are valued at $$$$ I am not certain if one could request additional photos of the strands one was interested in.

Personally, a 30 day return policy would be more difficult to stay within than a 90 day policy, if one was getting the piece appraised and otherwise checked out.

Interesting--they are mixing fw with SS and Tahitians on some strands, one would think that would bring the cost down a bit!!

Just some comments, I have not purchased there.

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

 

[Raisondetre]

I am still surprised to notice that Tahitian pearls are still graded in the AAAAA system on different websites, since Polynesia authorities set an official pearl grading system from A to D for Tahitian pearls. This confuses customers a little bit more.

I think the trouble lies where vendors have been using the AAA system for a long time - if consumers are used to it it just creates more confusion if they switch suddenly. I have no trouble with most of the vendors' grading system here.

Do you know when the official grading system started?

 

[Valeria101]

Polynesia authorities set an official pearl grading system from A to D for Tahitian pearls. This confuses customers ...more.

Speaking of confusion, does anyone use THESE?

The concept itself is close to GIA'a color grading sets, but the promised rarity score for each color sounds interesting

 

[jshepherd]

A couple of points;

The Tahitian system is just that, the "Tahitian System". But it is not universal. It is used in Tahiti and Japan, but the A-AAA is used almost exclusively in Hong Kong, which is one of the world's largest trading hubs for Tahitian pearls. Both systems, A-D and A-AAA are used in the USA. Any system that is not one of the above (like A-AAAA or A-AAA+) is just a inflated grading system designed to confuse and deceive consumers. But very, very few sellers use systems like that. What is sad is that they are almost exclusively online. Offline, this sort of deception is not necessary because in a jewelry store you are simply comparing pearls against pearls from the same shop. Online sales allow side by side comparison... you can see how these "new" grades have developed.

Regarding the pictures on The Pearl Source, I can only comment on one. The multicolor freshwater necklace picture (which happens to be a sectional tab) is taken from The Pearl Outlet website.

 

[jshepherd]

Ah yes, the poema color system. That really never caught on, even though it really was a good system. It is difficult, however, as so many overtones and colors exist. It is probably as difficult as the GIA's warm and cool tone system. They make a lot of sense, but they are very difficult to apply.

 

[CLICLASP]

Hello
I agree that it is difficult to use the color system, but for other specifications, it is very useful and easy to use a quality chart to compare : skin, luster, shape offered and so...

quote
Offline, this sort of deception is not necessary because in a jewelry store you are simply comparing pearls against pearls from the same shop.
unquote

When you go to buy diamond, you do not accept " beautiful white eye clean " specifications claimed by the seller, you want to know the exact grade color of the stone to pay it what it's worth, don't you?

Even without a GIA certificate, customer can match a pearl with the grading chart easily
I don't specially promote A to D or A to AAAA, but it is more confusing that ever that a "upper" A grad Tahitian pearl might be confused with the "lower" A grad SS specification .
Is there at now a willing somewhere to merge all grading systems so as to get a unique grading system? The customer should be the winner of the decision !!
Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Raisondetre]

As a consumer I think the AAA grading system is less confusing. I was brought up in Asia, and that's also the grading system employed in China for pearls. I doubt many people outside of Asia and the US would be used to a new and elaborate system, even though it would be technically more accurate. Same reason why guidelines take a long time to change in any given field. The AAA and A-D grading system have been field-tested for long enough to get rid of most bugs, unlike the Window Vista .

I do not claim to be a connoisseur of pearls - I am merely a beginner. But I do my research and I can easily match the description of a pearl to the quality on the relatively simple AAA grading system. If someone buys into the propaganda and merely reads but does know what he/she actually sees in a piece of pearl jewellery, it does not matter how elaborate or accurate the grading system is. This individual simply does not appreciate pearls. I happen to be very particular about most details of my life, and I found the AAA system very easy to catch on to. On my first trip to Liwan Plaza in China, I was just not interested in any of the pearls I saw there apart for everyday costume jewellery, because I was not satisfied with the quality. It wasn't until I went home and did some research before I found out about Pearl-guide, and bought the Freshadamas from PP sight unseen just because I was confident of the expertise offered in grading the pearls. I was not disappointed. It doesn't have to be elaborate and technical, it just has to give the discerning consumer of average intelligence a good hold on the situation. And in retrospect I was able to apply my newly acquired knowledge to things that I'd seen but not realized/quantified when I was in China in person. I think it'd be great fun to trudge Liwan Plaza again armed with my arsenal of knowledge trying to wrangle a good deal out of the vendors.

A GIA certificate is a good idea, but as mentioned the cost is too prohibitive for pieces other than premium SS pearls. However, having said that, if I did buy something from Paspaley I'd be sure it's because I liked the piece and trust the quality of the name. A GIA certificate is a bonus, but if it added to hidden costs of the pearls I'd rather go without. If I did want to prove the value of the pearls I'd get it appraised if I wanted to sell it. And even then the final selling price is dependent on the market, not the appraised value.

Sorry for being longwinded.

 

[thepearlsource]

100% False

100% False

I must admit that I do not follow these forums regularly, however I can state that what Mr. Shepard has stated is ABSOLUTELY FALSE. Every single one of our photos is genuine and authentic. We have 1,000+ original photos but we "steal" one photo from the pearl outlet? Are you kidding?

 

[jshepherd]

Here is the picture:
http://www.thepearlsource.com/freshwater-pearls.php

Here is the website where the photo was taken from:
http://www.thepearloutlet.com/servle...modityID=13087

"Close" would mean it is not the same. Exact match means it was taken from another site. If you check the multicolor pic pearl for pearl the photo is identical.

 

[Mandy]

Here is the picture:
http://www.thepearlsource.com/freshwater-pearls.php

Here is the website where the photo was taken from:
http://www.thepearloutlet.com/servle...modityID=13087

Wow. Yeah...that pic = totally stolen. The pearls, lighting and curve of the pearls in both photos are identical.

I really don't think Jeremy is exaggerating when he's making his claim on not finding Leon and his website trustworthy; I wouldn't trust that either if I caught it myself. What I do know is that I trust this forum and its main members and I know that they won't swindle me or anyone else here with false facts and advertisements because they're honest people. I have yet to see Leon be as such due to the evidence brought within this thread.

 

[The Pearl Outlet]

It is a picture from our website, ThePearlOutlet.com. I am the one the actually found it several months ago. I was going to DMCA the Site immediately, but Jeremy actually suggested I contact them instead. A DMCA, copyright infringement complaint with Google and Yahoo would pull them from the search engines just as a VERO complaint does with eBay. We use VERO on a weekly basis as photo thieves are rampant there, and we always have to be on guard.

The fact of the matter is, Jeremy is the only reason the pearl source was not the target of a DMCA months ago. In reality Leon should be thanking them. A successful DMCA on a new website like Pearlsource would have been the end of them.

Well, I am sure the pictures will be changed shortly.

 

[Mandy]

If their business is so high quality and prosperous then why don't they show their actual merchandise? Save themselves some time? I also don't agree with your definition of what I meant by false advertisement either; if anything posted by the website/seller/whoever is false or fabricated as not their true product they offer a product to a buyer that is dishonest and therefore false. At least you seem to be satisfied with them, but I wonder what you've received at all is what they've truly advertised.

 

[Caitlin]

HI All

It seems to me we have two conversations going in response to the original question.

One is from a happy customer who may not have ever noticed the copied photos or the differences in the grading system.

The other is from the pros who do not endorse their fellow pearlmonger as a businessman and cite their objections.

Then, to spice up the mix, we have the rude comments from the subject of the discussion. The subject accuses Jeremy (in capital letters) of lying and denies that he was busted with chocolate on his face, then he changes the offending website.

He should be apologizing -and instead of BS about "stock" photos, he should blame his cameraman or web designer for cheating- or any other excuse.....

The ethics of pulling that kind of stunt may not tell you about the quality of his pearls, but it certainly tells you about the quality of his ethics.

I would not bother to defend such a fellow and I would think twice about doing futher business with an unethical person, because you never know when they are going to have a lapse and you may be the dupe.

Therefore I do not recommend we add this site to our preferred sellers list.

 

[Caitlin]

My thoughts, an editorial, so to speak:

I think that with the info here, Luke (longone luke?) can decide for himself whether to buy from Leon. As I commented way back at the beginning, they do have a return policy which will allow one to see the strand, or compare and decide.

Actually, I am hoping that the peer pressure of a forum like this will raise the standards of other online pearl vendors and they will, for instance, state what kind of pearl grading system they use- like "Hong Kong" grading, which appears to be the most ubiquitous at the moment.

As we said before, Hong Kong grading goes frome A-AAA and is most likely the way that even Leon buys pearls. The ethics question comes in when you start using eBay grading which includes AAAA, AAAAA, and even AAAAAA!!! The minute you see AAAA, you SHOULD know that it is like saying 200% of the whole is better than 100%, when 200%, it is just a figure of speech, because there is no such thing as 200% of the whole.

If the vast majority of professional sellers off-eBay use AAA and someone comes along and uses AAAA, they are saying their AAAA is better than everyone elses AAA and that is not possible. Therefore, saying one's pearls are AAAA is a sales gimmick meant to entice the unschooled.

eBay sellers compete with each other to fool the unschooled, but Jeremy and many others on this forum are not in business to do that; they are in business to educate the consumer among other things such as providing the excellent customer service of a B&M store. Part of that education is consistent grading in the same style as the original source does. Until there is a universal standard (or even a GIA standard) nomenclature, A-AAA is the usual one we have to work with.

You can't say Leon is out to educate, because he is simply not in step with the vast majority of sellers, including the original Hong Kong venders.


Leon does not tell one that his AAAA is the equivalent of China's AAA, therefore, his AAAA beads look better to the unschooled then say, Jeremy's AAA, if they are selling at a like price. If I were unschooled, I would think the AAAA was a better deal, wouldn't you?

That, in a nutshell, is competing unfairly to take advantage of the public's lack of education about pearls. That, in a nutshell, tells you Leon is willing to resort to cheap tactics to gain a competitive edge. I guess he thinks this is a dog eat dog world and therefore he is justified in cheating his grading standard.

Well, in spite of some satisafied customers, he is not gaining friends among peers, people in the real, actual, professional pearl circles. He seems to be busy living in an insular little pearl world of his own creation. When a person does this, he will never gain acceptance aong his peers and they won't recommend him to others; he stays at the selling level of a booth on the side of Highway I-40, trying to attract tourists with its big "dinosaurs R here" signs hoping you will buy their overpriced gas or soft drinks while you are there........ (some of them actually make a lot of money)