First time pearl buyer with questions!

[sk1er]

Hello!
First I want to say thank you for all the great information on this site. It has really been useful and I am enjoying my first pearl buying endeavor.

Now to business, I would like to buy my significant other a pearl necklace for Christmas. She is 26 and works in a formal office.


Thanks to advice from this site I've been shopping on PP and have a couple options. My budget is around $250.


http://www.pearlparadise.com/6570-mm-White-Freshadama-Freshwater-Pearl-Necklace921.aspx

http://www.pearlparadise.com/6570-mm-White-Freshwater-Pearl-Necklace534.aspx

Between these two is the freshadama worth the bump in price over AAA freshwaters?


And the other necklace I was wondering about,
http://www.pearlparadise.com/6065-mm-White-Cultured-Akoya-Pearl-Necklace77.aspx
I can afford the AA but not sure if I would be better off going with one of the other options.

I'm also still undecided on the length. Initially I was thinking 16 but now am leaning more towards 18. Also am I looking at the proper size of pearl for her age 6.0-7.0ish?


Thank you very much for any input.

 

[Renna]

Aloha!

As you can probably see by my profile, I'm -not- one of the site's experts, so I'd say take everything written here with a grain of salt. I might be a good resource though because I am 25 this month and work in a semi-formal office (granted, we're in Hawaii, genuinely formal offices are kind of unheard of).

My Opinion:

1. Avoid the akoyas. My understanding is that they've been nucleated with a bead, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but when they're harvested it means that the layers of pearl nacre are quite thin and they'll wear off from the bead with time and/or heavy use. They look beautiful, and plenty of people love them, but I like buying things to last so I'm not sure I'd ever be tempted with akoya jewelry, particularly a piece that rubs against the skin like a necklace or bracelet.

2. Yes, the freshadama necklace is worth the jump in price - round, unblemished pearls are a lot rarer than off-rounds with light surface defects. Looking at the description the luster also seems to be better. That doesn't mean you -have- to buy that, perhaps your Other would prefer off-rounds with a muted luster over round with a brilliant shine. If in doubt, though, and the gift is meant to help her fit in with a very formal setting such as bank headquarters, I'd go for the higher-quality option. When working with significantly wealthier bosses or coworkers, sometimes the only way to not look out of place is to invest in a few solid pieces that can bring your TJ Maxx dress up a few notches. The other thing is that pearl enthusiasts tend to be the ones who fall in love with "any shape but round and who cares if its' smooth?" sort of pearls; if the Other is not one, the jury's out on how she'd like it.

3. When I very first joined I saw mention of pearl sizes by age but I think that might be a thing of the past, at least here in the good 808. We have Tahitian pearls by the boatload and plenty of women own them, even if they are far from wealthy (families chip in to give pearls and heirloom gold jewelry for significant occasions). Tahitians are quite large and you'll see young girls and old women wearing the same size, it's really nbd. I will say smaller stud earrings seem to be more comfortable to wear regardless of age, especially if she's going to be stuck taking and making phone calls. Ouch. So, don't worry about size.

4. How tall is she? I'm 5'3" (and a half) with a short, averagely thick neck (not fat but no one is going to admire my swanlike grace either. Just plain normal neck). A 16" necklace is choker-length on me. Not across the throat as is sometimes misinterpreted, but falling loosely at the very base of my throat. It does not feel like I'm choking and I like the length because it prevents necklaces from dipping under my shirts (I don't wear low-cut tops and this is a problem with 18" ones, the pendant always sneaks under so people can't see it).

Hope this was somewhat helpful to you!

 

[KarinK]

Great summary, Renna! I agree with all points.

Personally I would prefer better quality than larger size. I know there is much talk here about pearls ending up being too small but I still like delicate pearls and you can always layer them if you want a more substancial look. That works better for 16" by the way. My suggestion would be to go for 16", the suggested size and the best possible quality of freshwater pearls you can afford.

- Karin

 

[pearlescence]

Hi and welcome
My advice in situations like this is to
a look at the necklaces she currently wears- you'll get clues as to size of bead and length of necklace from what are her favourites
b ask her. She may turn out to hate the idea of a white round pearl necklace! Seriously, planning a surprise is a great idea but unless you have solid evidence that white round pearls are what she really wants then do some fishing for clues at least.

 

[lisa c]

Just an elaboration - when Renna says very thin layer of nacre, that's relative to the fact that the Cultured Freshwaters/ Freshadama are all nacre as opposed to Akoya, nacre grown around a shell bead. The thickness of the pearl layer depends upon the amount of time spent in the critter, and how talented it is in laying down the nacre layers.

Even the best Akoya will wear down, but it takes time. There are tradeoffs - Akoyas can have quite brilliant luster, and if perfect roundness is very important...

For some of us, the wearing out is a deal breaker. I'm one of the HUGE fans of CFW because of the longevity factor. I wear pearls every day, and I was very sad when I wore out my Akoyas.

That's all, just my two cents.

(Gads, I miss having a 25yo neck...)

 

[Isabelle35]

Hi sk1er,
First of all, buying pearls for your significant other: EXCELLENT IDEA! She will be thrilled with it, i'm sure. My opinion: white freshadamas are worth it. They look superior in luster and shape. I also believe that you should buy the best you can afford for the price. Especially for what will probably become a classic piece in her jewelry collection. FWP are indeed all nacre and will last for decades if well taken care of. For size: unless she is petite I would go for your first option. The trend lately for young women is "the bigger the better". The size of the first one is a good average size and versatile. She can wear them with a t-shirt, a dress, at work or any formal occasion! For length, depends on size of her neck. I have a relatively slim neck, so the shorter 16" suits me well. Like Renna said, If you want the necklace to show when wearing a t-shirt or round neck shirts, it has to fall just at the base of the throat. Concerning PP, you can trust them completely. They have great service/ return policy and you will not be disapointed. Dont hesitate to have a chat with the staff or mention any requests you might have.
Well, hope that helps! Please let us know what you decide and maybe later show us a neck pic of your significant other wearing the necklace!

 

[LitGeek]

I think the size of pearls depends more on her physical size rather than age. If she is thin the smaller size will be perfect, but if she is heavier they might be kind of small for her. The length of the strand is also dependent on her size. I suggest calling PP and chatting with one of the sales associates who will be able to ask the right questions in order to help pick out the perfect gift.