Exotic Strands Are Coming!!!!!!!!!!!!

[olmander]

I think what Inge means that most of the European vendors, apart from the European PGers like Sue or Wendy, have quite a different stock. To start with, there are much less European internet vendors than one would expect (still have no explanation for that). As a university researcher, I am still busy trying to find a reason: different fashion? less channels to get stock for an internet shop? less interest in buying on internet because in the European urban density shops are phusically present all around? I really don't know.

As for prices, I guess in the end it comes to about the same: either buying outside the EU and pay the tax yourself, or buying from European vendors and have the tax included into the price. I have a gorgeous Kamoka strand from Susan, and I am extremely happy with it, and I am also happy that I did not have to pay these extras in cash to a UPC guy at the door, which I always find sort of humiliating. But I also have a Kamoka ring from Sarah and a Kamoka bracelet from Care Ehret, they are smaller pieces and are quite unique, so I go for this option easily and without thinking.

I think generally it is the bigger variety of choice outside Europe, which makes it attractive to Europeans.

 

[Caitlin]

I think Jeremy does get the top quality Kamokas. Why wouldn't he?

I am not saying that even the bottom quality, which would be baroque, aren't gorgeous- and full of luster; they just aren't as round and lustrous as the top quality as determined by the market.


Bigger buyers might get first pick. I was assuming Jeremy got to cherry pick. That is what he always tries to do, isn't it? That is exactly what the exotics are about--cherry picking freshwater pearls.

 

[Mervione]

I'm sorry but I agree with Jerin. Maybe I haven't looked carefully enough but the pearls I've seen in E.u can't compare to those from PP and TPO. I know this is upsetting but if you think about it it's true. It's only natural that a person such as Jeremy will get better deals on pearls and it's also natural that he'll be offered the really nice ones. I don't know much about the pearl industry, it just seems this way to me.

 

[barbie biggs]

Mervione: You're absolutely right when you say that you can't get these anywhere else. Jeremy spent over six months collecting these. The Freshadama quality are one in ten thousand. These metallic luster pearls are .05% of those I believe. So if that is correct they might be the freshwater equivalent of Sea of Cortez pearls in that there are only a few kilos produced a year. And, PP is the only vendor focused on collecting and making strands of them. Also, once the strands are gone, in a few months, probably this opportunity will never exist again. Certainly not for this price or in this quality.

barbie

 

[barbie biggs]

About the Tahitians etc. have to agree with Dfrey here. Baroques often have more potential luster and color. Of course a person has to go for the AAA or gem quality in order to get that. The rounds are more expensive because we have made it clear that we will pay more for that.
The point is that the uneven contours of the baroque can give amazing depth to color and luster, even orient. There are several articles on this forum that make that point.
barbie

 

[jshepherd]

Shape certainly affects value and definitely makes a difference in quality.

The reason Caitlin stated what she did about us and Kamoka pearls is because the Kamoka pearls we did purchase from Josh over the summer were his A and A/B harvest - we bought all the best he had.

 

[GemGeek]

Apparently, everybody's happy when they have some Kamokas!

 

[jshepherd]

Thanks for that Jeremy. You got those As and A/Bs, just as (Sueki and) I bought A and A/B rounds from previous harvests.

I agree, but I do believe we are the only ones that only buy A and A/B rounds from Josh, and from the recent lot we did buy them all, and so were able to create perfect round and perfectly spotless strands of them.

I don't really think it makes a difference, though. Josh's pearls are a very small part of what we carry.

 

[DFrey]

Shape certainly affects value and definitely makes a difference in quality

Shape and size have no bearing on quality.

The first quote is yours Jeremy indicating that shape effects "quality". the second quote is taken directly from the Kamoka website stating that shape has no bearing on "quality" I'm still confused. I guess Josh needs to change his website?
DFrey

 

[jshepherd]

Shape is a quality factor in pearls. This doesn't mean you can't find an extremely high quality drop or baroque that will have higher quality attributes in color, luster and surface than a high quality round. But shape is a quality and cost factor. In the rare case of an exceptional baroque, button or drop that may command a higher price based on shape. But when all factors are equal, the more round a pearl the more valuable. This is also the case with size.

I disagree with the quote from Josh's Web site, but I can see why he wrote it. I think the wording is wrong, however.
https://www.pearl-guide.com/pearl-quality.shtml

 

[jshepherd]

With several harvests a year that should keep us all out of mischief

Josh has pearls ready now. If you are looking for some good A grade or larger pearls 11 mm up, contact him! He is hoping to move a lot of inventory this month. I've not decided yet if we can buy it from him or not.

 

[jshepherd]

Big buyers might get first pick. I was assuming Jeremy got to cherry pick. That is what he always tries to do, isn't it? That is exactly what the exotics are about--cherry picking freshwater pearls.

Most big buyers do just the opposite. They don't buy the A's and A/B's. At auctions these always seem to be the lots that don't get many bids. It is the C's and D's that have the heavy bidding, because this is called necklace material. The big buyers are all pearl factories that process strands and wholesale. This is why it is almost impossible to find truly, perfectly clean strands at wholesale trade shows.

When Josh was here this summer I showed him what we used for necklace material. We use round A's and B's. He told me he had never heard of it before, and nobody does that. But since we started creating our own strands from loose lots, we were able to remove that one level of markup, so we decided to only use A and A/B lots. That's why I bought that level from Josh. It wasn't to say "we have all of Josh's best." It was simply because that is all we use, and I really like Josh and want to support his farm.

 

[pearlescence]

Exactly so.

 

[Hanaleimom]

Going back to PP's exotic FW...

I received mine at the office...the pain of sitting in cubicle. There is no privacy and no empty offices nearby to really sit down and drool at my package. Quick peeks annoyed me. Daylight savings time ended and it was dark when I came home. So I had to look in bright indoor lighting prior to the weekend. I thought these were the same as freshadama pearls (compared to my ~ 7mm freshadama bracelet) in terms of luster, but rounder in shape, until I could see them better today.

The freshadama's colors and luster are softer and less vibrant. The new exotic strands are much more metallic; and colors are more intense. Side by side the freshadama looks pale except for a few of the darker lavender. The exotics' colors were washed out a lot when viewed under kitchen's 4 long, flourescent tube lighting. With the shades opened and the sun shining in indirectly, they glow like swirls of dark, multicolor sorbet. Pearls are round and virtually spotless. I had to look closely by rolling the strand to find a couple spots. Imho, about 5 to 7 pearls are slightly less metallic than the rest (so picky huh?). Jeremy picked two pairs of earrings that made me really happy.

 

[Caitlin]

Big buyer!!--I was talking about You compared other people on this board!

 

[Hanaleimom]

I like the new packaging too, black velveteen box with white velveteen interior. It showcases the strands better than the black leatherette box with dark interior.

 

[jshepherd]

I like the new packaging too, black velveteen box with white velveteen interior. It showcases the strands better than the black leatherette box with dark interior.

Thanks Cathy.

We switched to those boxes specifically for this line. We've learned over the past week that lighting plays a huge role in these as well as background color. The white interior allows a better immediate first impression of the colors and luster than the black interior.

 

[DFrey]

I am all for supporting Josh's pearl business and I have in my small way.

The discussion of the differences between what gives value and quality to pearls is an important one I think. There was a previous discussion regarding what is a "gem" quality pearl and If I remember correctly it is a pearl whose surface is blemish free, and has superior luster. Does a "gem" quality pearl also have to be round? Can non round pearls be "gem" quality or are they not eligible because shape is a factor in determining the quality of a pearl?

Personally I think that non round pearls can be considered "gem" quality.
DFrey

 

[jshepherd]

I
Personally I think that non round pearls can be considered "gem" quality.
DFrey

Sure. A drop pearl can be a gem quality pearl - perfectly flawless. It can have high luster, a perfect surface and color and a perfect symmetrical shape. The only thing it won't be is perfectly round.

This is why I disagree with the statement on Josh's site. Shape is considered a quality factor. It is harder to differentiate with a highly desirous shape such as drop, but consider a perfectly round gem pearl and an off-round gem pearl. If identical in all respects except shape, the round is a higher quality pearl.

 

[Hanaleimom]

The white interior allows a better immediate first impression of the colors and luster than the black interior.

I couldn't say it better!