Also, I have a few questions for you guys: When looking for blemishes in a pearl what exactly should I be looking for? For example, I'll see a few inconsistencies on the pearl's surface in like one or two places, but that's about it, and it's only noticeable under certain light.
Also, when doing the rub/tooth test, how rough should it feel? I tried it on various pearls here in the diamond district in NYC and while I'm still not sure I know what texture I'm looking for. Some most definitely were slightly rougher than others, but none really matched up the description of "sandpaperlike" that I heard. Maybe I'm just imagining sandpaper being super rough?
Oh! And I have one more question: I noticed that on a lot of photos here and online the Tahitian pearls show crazy rainbow colors, whereas these seem to showcase it in a more subtle way. Along the edges, on whites, etc...
Is this normal?
I'm always wary about being ripped off, though I doubt these are fakes or anything. The jewler I went to (David S Diamonds) is pretty reputable and has a pretty great reputation for quality.
Again, thanks for all the help guys!