Craig's list pearls- some not so accurate

[Caitlin]

I started getting notices of natural pearls from Craig'sList on my google search. Is this a trend? Yesterday, we had a certified Bahraini piece and considering the pearl shapes, it was a good buy at $375.00 in the current natural pearl market. Here is a far less knowledgeable seller:

NATURAL pearls, truly priceless, currently a bargain! - $5000 (Bakersfield)

Date: 2011-05-13, 4:16PM PDT
Reply to: sale-junea-2379737799@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
I have in my possession, legitimately handed down by family, a double stranded NATURAL pearl bracelet with an ornate gold clasp.

My problem your treasure: I'm a man, and my mom gave these to me which go back to her great grandmother, and they are priceless!!! This means pawn shops and jewelers cant even help me-- THEY ARE NOT CULTURED

I cut one pearl for your examination and kept the other after EVERY appraiser tried cheating me once they knew saw them-- AND AM NOT LOOKING FOR EVEN A QUARTER OF THEIR TRUE VALUE AS SUCH

I have researched for days trying to find a way around these crooked elitists, and have subjected them to every test known to man (laser, bisection etc.) once i knew GIA and gemologists were out for themselves!!!


meet me and examine them yourself and enjoy a gem so rare it confounds even science, I mean sheesh, oriental companies are fooling the x ray machines so I had to freakin saw one open!!!

EMAIL ME IF SERIOUS ONLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• Location: Bakersfield
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 2379737799

I wrote to this person. I'll post my letter after I get a couple of your comments.....I forgot to mention to the poster, that natural pearls cost no more than cultured nowadays- except for the Royal ones.

 

[lisa c]

The jeweler's box isn't correct for the presumptive age, right? it doesn't have the shape of the bracelet impressed on the lid by years of storage, but that could be because he wanted to make everything look fresh and spiffy with a new box...

size of pearls is kind of large...the shapes of the pearls look modern at the sides to me, a little coin-ish. What else? I don't know from clasps, but that also looks modern....

BTW, anyone buy the genuine looking necklace? I wish I had a credit card!

 

[lisa c]

Sheesh! He should've been reading PG - he could've laser-back-lit a pearl instead of cut one open. My fave!

 

[Ramona]

A true salesman. I thought he would say " But WAIT there is MORE!". I agree with Lisa, these look like quite new Chinese FWP. Cannot clearly see what's about the cut pearls, but do I notice a bead?

 

[KarinK]

If they are priceless why would he cut a pearl and ruin it?

I say Scam.

-Karin

 

[jshepherd]

I would say cultured freshwater with a very standard filigree clasp. If the clasp is gold it is worth far more than the pearls.

 

[Caitlin]

Here is my letter to the guy:

I am a pearl expert. Check me out at Pearl-Guide.com. I am always looking for natural pearls. Google found this ad for me.

Your bracelet is not made of natural pearls. The photo of the one you cut open is not a natural pearl. I would bet they are freshwater pearls even with the lousy photos.

Natural pearls are far more off-round than cultured freshwater pearls (CFWP). You will never see a natural freshwater bracelet with pearls that round. You would be seeing lots of eccentric off-round shapes. With a natural pearl bracelet, you can recognize each separate pearl, there are so many variations. Natural pearls will always be tapered front to back because no two are ever the same size. Natural pearls would clearly show small variations in color, while freshwaters, usually being bleached, do not.

What GIA lab did you use? The IGA lab is a scam. GIA is not. It makes you look like you do not know what you are talking about, by saying that. The GIA does not buy or sell gems of any kind. They only authenticate gems and pearls. They have no interest in trying to cheat you. That eBay scam IGA lab is a different story. All I know is they are not legitimate. If you had sent that to the GIA lab, they would require you to pay first and then they tell the truth. Appraisers get money first too. Jewelers in general know so little about pearls, that we have running jokes on pearl-guide about them about weird things jewelers told them about pearls.

I can't believe you are trying to sell a broken bracelet. Restringing can be done for about $20.00.

I hope you do not sell this as natural. It is illegal to call anything a natural pearl, unless it has been certified. The FCC takes a dim view of fraud regarding natural pearls.

I can buy a bracelet just like that one from an online dealer for around $100 that comes with a free appraisal.

You did not give MM sizes, which any serious pearl seller would do. You did not tell the carat count of the clasp, or if it is silver. The clasp is cheap. not even old.

Whoever told you that was a natural, wild, pearl bracelet would have charged you money before they spoke, so your ad reads like you are not telling the actual story.

In short, this is the worst "natural" pearl ad, I have ever seen anywhere. I sincerely hope if some one is dumb enough to plunk down $5k for a Craig's list ad string of pearls, they are dumb enough not to try to get it certified and appraised for insurance purposes. Most people I know who spend that kind of money want certifications and appraisals. You could get in big trouble if that happens.

I know you are probably shocked and even angry at me, but I am only trying to help you sell a product accurately, so I think you are lucky I saw this.

Sincerely,
Caitlin Williams
Admin
Pearl-Guide.com

 

[Caitlin]

I think I meant FTC. OOps!

 

[Marianne]

I love the Pearl Police

Marianne

 

[Caitlin]

I love the Pearl Police

Marianne

Of whom, you are one of the best!
I wrote that before dinner, when I was kinda hungry and got miffed. After dinner, I probably would not have bothered.