Gem Quality CFWP vs Akoya

[pktshc]

Greetings from a pearl novice-

I am in the market for my wife's first adult strand of pearls (she has one from when she was about 10-12yo). As I know her to be a traditionalist, I am thinking that the first strand should be a simple white strand. Initially I was all set to purchase a 16 inch, 7.0-7.5mm AAA akoya from Pearlparadise. However, after a great IM chat with one of their reps, she got me thinking about the freshadama line.

Honestly, I was never really considered CFWP because I always heard my mother speak highly of her akoyas and speak poorly of the freshwaters. Apparently pearl technology has come a long way since we was buying her pearls. Anyway, I am very interested in the freshadamas, but I do not want my wife to be disappointed that they are not akoya. I think that she may suffer from the same lack of knowledge that I did before becoming a daily visitor to pearl-guide.

So my specific questions are as follows:
1. akoya vs freshadamas for a first strand...which one should I choose?
2. Is 16 inch a good length or should I go with an 18in? She is 5ft 1in and medium in build.
3. Is 7.0-7.5 a good size or should I go bigger or smaller? I do not want the strand to look to small, nor do I want it to look like Mardi Gras beads (too big).
4. Are there any other questions that I should be asking that I do not know enough to ask?

By the way, I have had a great time learning from ya'll about pearls and really think that I am going to have fun purchasing various strands, rings and bracelets in the future. I think that pearls have a ton of personality and are quite diverse.

Thanks for your help and guidance...

Jeff

Ps. The chat feature on Pearlparadise is brilliant.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

I am posting a photo of the 7-8mm Freshadama strand I bought from PearlParadise.com in November; I specified silver rose overtones and I bought this clasp because it is easy for me to manipulate and I love the look. It looks too large in the photo but not in person-- it's not really so very big.

1. I really would go with the Freshadama strand. Since they are her first, she will love the fact that they will last and last and no bead will ever be exposed (the nacre of Akoyas wears out over time.) It would be so disappointing if her first pearls wore out!

2. Personally I like 18" better than 16", but some like 17"-- this may actually be better since your wife is petite. PearlParadise.com can customize your order.

3. I am 5' 4 1/4" and medium build and I think this size pearl (7-7.5mm) would look just fine on someone 5'1", but if she likes larger pearls, 8-9mm would look great as well (but there is a significant price jump.) They would not look too big, no.

And the earrings are 8-9mm.

 

[gravityalwayswins]

Jeff,

MANY kudos for educating yourself and putting such effort into a gift for your wife! I'm also a beginner, so I'm going to defer on the Akoyo vs Freshadama question to our more knowledgeable folks, except to say that if she has her heart absolutely set on Akoyos then it may be best to start there. Sometimes us women folk aren't rational about not getting what we expected, regardless of the fact that what we're getting might be better than what we expected.

As for size, I'll freely regurgitate many comments I've read from others in threads here at P-G: Many posters have mentioned being 5'-5'6" and still wearing larger pearls very happily, and they seem to indicate that 'too big' is often an unfounded fear in the realm of sizes folks here talk about (maybe... 7-13mm?). My personal fav (8-9) was determined based on my desire to compromise quality and quantity within my spending allotment.

As for length, think about what she wears most often. If she wears a lot of turtlenecks, mock tees, or high-neck items, 18" might be more versatile to wear over the shirts. If she wears a lot of button-down shirts or v-necks, etc, 16" would sit above the shirts more often. If she wears a lot of low-cut shirts, I imagine either would be great!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I think the reason many people think they have to get Akoyas if they want great luster is that they've only seen lower-quality freshwater pearls in the stores.

Indeed, most brick and mortar jewelers I've visited only carry lower quality freshwater pearls. Maybe they realize that the best freshwaters would compete too well with their higher-priced Akoyas?

The fact is, freshwaters have come a long way in the past decade. The best ones have great luster and roundness, as well as clean surface, and are an incredible bargain compared to the price of Akoyas. The Akoyas may have a shinier appearance, but I think you can see from my photo that Freshadamas are plenty shiny!

 

[Raisondetre]

Akoyas do have their place - some people will always prefer the metallic luster even though it doesn't last very long. However, I wouldn't buy it as a starter strand. If I were to get PPBs I'd start with South Seas - the nacre is much thicker and it'll last much longer. However, once I have a collection built-up and have some spare cash I would get some Akoyas just to complete the collection. The untreated baroque Akoyas were an exception, of course - the nacre was uber thick on those and they are just magnificent. Unless the round Akoyas can guarantee that nacre thickness, they're just going to have to wait. I'm a freshadama convert.

 

[Nerida]

Hi Jeff,

Personally I would go the CFWP because I understand their quality and recent history, and as you've seen, there are several fabulous online sellers who offer exceptional quality in CFWP. BUT I do also agree that sometimes what a woman has her heart set on is the only thing that will suffice!

I can offer you some better advice though on the pearl size/length issue. I am 5'1" and pretty small and I will wear anything up to an 11mm pearl very comfortably. My faves are 9-10's for everyday wear. If I were a little younger, the 8-9's would probably be enough. When it comes to length, I find anything that sits too high up has a poor visual effect on someone so short - the "cutting you in half" look - I think it is important that the length allows a little drape. I always ask for my own pearls to be made to 17.5 inches including the clasp - 17 inches of pearl is what that usually equates to. 18" I feel is a little too long to sit inside shirt collars, over scoop neck Tshirts etc. If I wanted to wear pearls over turtle neck sweaters or high neck T's, I would wear 20 inches (or 32), and exaggerate the difference. Hope this may be of some help. I think you are a pretty fabulous husband to be going to so much effort to make this gift "just right" - hope your wife loves whatever you choose!

 

[airdancer]

Greetings from a pearl novice-

So my specific questions are as follows:
1. akoya vs freshadamas for a first strand...which one should I choose?
2. Is 16 inch a good length or should I go with an 18in? She is 5ft 1in and medium in build.
3. Is 7.0-7.5 a good size or should I go bigger or smaller? I do not want the strand to look to small, nor do I want it to look like Mardi Gras beads (too big).
4. Are there any other questions that I should be asking that I do not know enough to ask?

1. FWP. Akoyas for the second strand.
2. I am 5ft 2in. I find that 17" is the goldilocks zone for strand lengths.
3. Bigger is always better for cultured FW/akoya pearls since they never go up to mardi gras size
4. Body colour. Some prefer a rose tint.

 

[jerin]

Hi Jeff,

I just want to give you something to think about the size and lengths of a strand, whether it is CFWPs or Akoyas:

From the beginning I bought 7-7,5 mm strands but as one gets older it might be a good idea to have a little larger pearls - my advice - 8-9 mm, then they are in the range of 8 mm to 8,5 with perhaps 2 or 3 pearls reaching 9 mm. This size always looks great, the pearls do not look too large - no matter how short a person is.

Length of strands: At least 17" without the clasp, if your wife should put on weight later, a 16" strand sits too tight on the neck and it may be difficult to get extra pearls in the right bodycolour and overtone!

Personally I like 17,5 - 18" the best and if you are going to buy more pearls in the future you or your wife might learn to knot yourself, join the Lowly Beaders Club, excellent advice on many topics and you will be able to save a lot of money as well, being able to restring, add or take away pearls from a strand and doing it all by yourself.

 

[lisamla]

I have to agree with gravityalwayswins about getting your wife what she wants, not necessarily what you learn to be best. Is she aware she is getting pearls? Has she said she wants Akoya?

Although I have learned a great deal about Freshwater pearls from this site, I am not totally convinced Freshwater is the way to go. I love the look of nice Akoya's, but also understand the nacre issue.

I am just under 5'3 and of small build. 16" looks good on me, but I worry that as I get older I would want something a bit longer, say 17 inches. You can always purchase an 18" strand and have it shortened. This way your wife will have the ability to increase the length if she decides it is necessary. As for the pearl size, I think 7-7.5 is great. Not too small, not too big. I tend not to wear a lot of jewelry and believe less is more. Will these be everyday pearls or dress up pearls?

As for the overtone, discuss with the people at PP her coloring and I'm sure they can help you pick which would be best.

Happy hunting!

 

[pktshc]

First off, let me say thank you to you all for your great advice! I love that I now have advice streaming to me from as close as Connecticut and as far away as Singapore.

For clarification, my wife has no idea that I am investigating pearls. I am sort of a dork that way. She commented on her sister-in-law's pearls over Christmas and I made a mental note. I am not thinking about giving these to her for any special occasion, just because. I like to give big gifts randomly because I like the surprise factor. So, that said, she does not have her heart set on anything. I would just hate for her to learn that they are CFWP and feel like I took the cheap way out because she does not know about how far CFWP have come.

In terms of how I hope she will where them, I hope she wears them quite frequently (at least once or twice a week). She does not wear turtle necks and wears a good deal of cardigan sweater sets. Does that make a difference? (Also, don't tell my friends that I know what a cardigan sweater set is...)

I did not see an option for rose overtone with the CFWP. Is that an option? Is rose the way to go for a nice, somewhat pale (don't tell her I said that) midwestern girl?

Again, thanks so much for your advice. I really don't know what type of pearls I would have ended up with had I not found P-G. Ya'll rock!

Jeff

PS: I already have my eye on the NEXT pearl purchase...Tahitian!

 

[pktshc]

earring follow-up

earring follow-up

I forgot to ask about earrings. Should I go with a larger pearl for the earrings. Assuming that I go with a 7.5mm strand, should I go with an 8.0 mm earring? Why or why not.

 

[gravityalwayswins]

*sigh* A man who makes mental notes about his wife's off-the-cuff comments on someone else's jewelry? WOW!

I just got a pair of 8-9mm lavender freshadamas from pearlparadise to go with my exotics. They are stunning pearls, but I feel they look the tiniest bit goofy on my ears for every day wear b/c they're big and round. My attitude on that is I need to wear them more often to get used to it! Again, tho, it's all about personal preference and what I usually have in my ears are diamond studs, which are substantially smaller than a 9-mm pearl, so think about the size earrings your wife usually wears and perhaps 8-9 isn't too big.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Surprise gifts are great!

You don't want to get anything less nice than the sister-in-law's pearls!
Even if she isn't a competitive person, I think most women would not want to be on the lower side of the comparison!

So I would say go for larger size. I love 8-9mm and I actually like it better than 9-10mm (lots of people would disagree with me, but when I've tried both on, I just liked the way the 8-9mm looked better.) How big were the SIL's pearls?

If you do decide on FWP, Since you are concerned that they not look like you were trying to save $, I'd go with the highest quality of fwp, the Freshadamas. I would guess that many people seeing them wouldn't know they weren't Akoyas. When I took mine to the mall one day and compared them side by side with Mikimoto (the strand was A1) they looked about the same in luster. Higher grades of Akoya would have a sharper luster, but not a bettter glow from within the pearl.

The great thing about FWP is that you can get so much more bang for your buck. If you have more to spend, you have all sorts of options-- multi-strand necklaces, ropes, sets (necklace + bracelet + earrings-- and yes, PP can make up earrings even if she doesn't have pierced ears) etc. I bet she'd love a set-- and if you do that, get slightly larger earrings than the necklace.

There is no drop down menu for overtones but you can indeed request a specific overtone. Call PP and talk with Kirsten-- you can place your order over the phone after deciding what you want. Fair skinned people often look good with rose overtones (I have fair skin.)

And if you do get Akoya, the best grade is Hanadama grade and PP has that too.

I don't wear sweater sets but others will chime in about that.

And earrings-- dangles are comfortable and it's easier to talk on the phone when wearing them. Studs are uncomfortable when talking on the phone.

 

[Casey.R]

Hi, I'm kind of late here but I would probably go very high quality freshwaters over akoyas just because they will last longer and look just as good ( some mighnt even say better ). For a first strand I think 7 to 7.5 is a good size. It's classic. Also if she wears a lot of sweater sets maybe 16 is a good length or 17.

 

[jerin]

I forgot to ask about earrings. Should I go with a larger pearl for the earrings. Assuming that I go with a 7.5mm strand, should I go with an 8.0 mm earring? Why or why not.

In the necklace I prefer somewhat larger pearls, for earrings I like button shaped ones, then you can buy larger pearls, if they are round, they will "stand out" if the are larger than 7,5 mm AND ROUND. Button means only the half pearl is round, the other half is flat, which is very complimentary to the ears!

If you decide to buy freshwaters, just let the vendor know that you want rose overtone on a bodycolour that is white. There is also silver overtone or a more creamy one = ivory to choose from. Personally I like rose or ivory best, the silver on the white can be rather "white".

Good luck and let us see pictures and hear comments from what your wife said, once you have surprised her...

 

[silverseajewelry]

I just want to echo what was said about length. There are pearl shorteners available in gold and white gold that could work if she wants to wear them shorter for a particular outfit, but shorter than 17 to 17.5 is a bit limiting. Of course, if her hair is really short, a pearl shortener would show...

I also always equated CFWP as lower quality, but this forum has convinced me otherwise. When I am getting ready to spend money on pearls for myself again, its going to be freshadama. The lower and varying nacre quality of today's akoyas scare me...

 

[pearllove]

I second everything jerin said in her email about strand length and size. The 18in. strand is more versatile and you can wear an enhancer on it. I am 5ft. tall and about 108lbs. I have a 16 inch 8-8.5 mm. akoya strand that I bought 2 years ago and while I still like the pearl size I regret not getting it in 18 inches. I am planning to lengthen my strand to 18 inches.

If your wife is going to wear the pearls everyday, I recommend getting CFWPs rather than akoyas as akoyas may wear out with wear. Also, there is a difference in luster of CFWPs and akoyas. The akoyas have a more mirror-like surface where as CFWPs have a more diffused luster. This was my experience as I examined my AAA akoyas with some Freshadamas I bought my mother for Christmas.

Your wife is a lucky woman to have such a thoughtful husband.

 

[airdancer]

In the necklace I prefer somewhat larger pearls, for earrings I like button shaped ones, then you can buy larger pearls, if they are round, they will "stand out" if the are larger than 7,5 mm AND ROUND. Button means only the half pearl is round, the other half is flat, which is very complimentary to the ears!

Gasp! I never thought of that! 10-11mm fw into my wish list....

 

[GemGeek]

16" will definitely sit above the sweater set "jewel" neckline. 18" will go below. 17" depends on the size of your beloved's neck and how the sweater fits. Remember that because pearls have more volume than a chain, they will "wear" shorter than a chain. (If you use a chain for reference)

As for earrings, does she need to talk on the phone a lot? If so, get smaller studs or simple dangles. If she doesn't use the phone a lot, go for the next bigger size of pearls.

I would suggest Freshadamas - they are very beautiful.

Every woman should have a guy like you!

 

[pandaexpress]

Jeff-
Figured you could use a guy's point of view too since seems like you have gotten plenty of ladies point of view. I bought my GF FW's instead of Akoya's because I wanted them to last a lifetime and then some. I have bought all my pearls for her from PP since I live in LA and can drop by their office and personally select what I want. Also it was such a better value buy than Akoya's which are very expensive - especially when looking at the top Hanadama grade from PP.

My GF has pale skin too and Kirsten at PP recommends that rose overtone is the best for that skin type.

As for pearls, if she doesn't have any pearl studs - then that is a classic, timeless look to go with the necklace. However, for practicality purposes the dangles work better if she is on the phone a lot at her work. If you have a new born baby - note that the dangles give the baby something else to grab onto and pull, while the studs don't.

As for size, my GF is taller than yours (5' 9") so I went with 8-9mm - my GF takes particular pleasure in noticing how her pearls are noticeably bigger than other ladies she see with pearls on. There is an appreciable size difference between 7-8mm and 8-9mm. Personally I feel that the 7-8mm while very classic would have been a little too small for her - the 8-9mm on her says "I've arrived, I've made it" and that's what I wanted her to feel and the look I was going for. Especially since you know, we live in LA. Out in the mid-west well - it may be different out there. It took me forever to determine which size to go with (I had Kirsten at PP modeling it back and forth for over an hour).

Lastly, if Freshadama's are out of your price range, you can consider getting gem quality you need to private message Jeremy since this is not usually available. The main difference I saw was that the Freshadama's were a little shiner, more orient but were not as clean as the gem quality. The gem quality were the cleanest (i.e. very minor pits, dimples) pearls I've seen in my entire life but were just a tad less shiny than the Freshadama and didn't have orient. Because my GF's mom would closely examine the pearls one by one - I wanted to make sure I got a super clean strand so that she couldn't point out any blemishes and make a big deal out of it (you know how mother-in-laws can get).

Jeremy's gem quality at Pearl Paradise are better than his AAA they are in-between AAA and Freshadama. I felt it was worth the price over AAA. Here are pics I took of the Freshadama and the gem quality - see how the Freshadamas have a sharper, clearer reflection - I call them HDTV pearls.

Gem quality from PP 8-9mm

Jeremy's exotics + January special

I can't wait for Jeremy's exotics Tuesday, in the meantime, I have his January special to keep me company. These are the cleanliest pearls I've ever owned and I mean it is amazing to me to see how clean they are, basically I can't see anything on them - like seriously!! The only thing is that...

www.pearl-guide.com

Freshadama from PP 8-9mm

Freshadama 8-9mm silver rose overtune earrings

Whatcha think?

www.pearl-guide.com

Also on this link E Curley took pics of Freshadamas vs. AAA from PPP and in different sizes

AAA or Freshadama / Freshwater Elite etc.

Sooooooo...as you know been spending ENDLESS time reading everything on this forum - like seriously check out the time I'm typing this. Anyway, I so enjoy it - love the passion all of you have!!!!! I think I am turning into a pearl junkie - he he he... So I have a specific question for those of...

www.pearl-guide.com

On the 2nd set of pearls I got my GF - she decided to make the earrings dangles. I got Freshadma earrings since they are not that expensive and just have the best shine and reflection. I can't stop staring at her when she wears her pearls.

Happy shopping and very thoughtful of you to get her pearls. Please be sure to let us know what you decide and her reaction and take pics!