"Genuine Japanese Kasumi Pearls"

[Sueki]

It's been a long time since I was on here, but I am speechless at what I'm looking at so am posting this link in case I've completely lost the plot and have forgotten what I thought I knew about Kasumigaura pearls:

http://www.rubylane.com/item/600588-257-1965/AMAZING-LARGE-23-7mm-14mm-Genuine

 

[pearlescence]

Your plot is safe and not lost. Those are not Kasumi. They're just ugly.
Lots of words to spin the description and hide the fact that they are cheapo bead nucleated possibly dyed Chinese pearls.
The seller has clearly looked up kasuma and decided that that is what her pearls are, even though they look nothing like them.

(Hi Sue, good to see you)

 

[pattye]

Sent an email to the shop owner, so sad. Haven't we been shown examples from her shop before?

Sueki, great to see you!

 

[Sueki]

Hi Wendy and Pattye,
Thanks for the welcome !
And I'm so glad I'm not losing it.... What a downright dishonest seller. Mind you, I've been looking more closely at a lot of pearls for sale lately and it seems that this is a fairly typical example of a good many pearl sellers these days. Pattye, what about this one then:

http://www.rubylane.com/item/338449-RL2780/Estate-Tahitian-Pearl-Necklace-2-Strand

 

[pattye]

Good grief! $475???? Little dyed freshwater ovals on this 2-strand necklace. This one deserves bashing, doesn't it?

I did send a note to Mary advising her that we were discussing her necklace of "Kasumi" pearls, and advising her to come here for pearl info. In reply she asked only if I had complained about another of her listings.

Sueki, we could spend all day ferreting out these listings with false claims. Frustrating.

 

[pattye]

So I sent Rita an email also~

 

[Sueki]

Yes indeed, very frustrating.
And it's a crying shame that there are ladies wearing these things in the belief that they are Tahitian, Kasumi or whatever...
Ah well, I'm going back to the bead board before I blow a gasket.

 

[Sueki]

So I sent Rita an email also~

Nice one pattye !

 

[pattye]

My email and Rita's reply:

Hello Rita! Sad to tell you these are not Tahitian pearls. They
are inexpensive dyed freshwater pearls from China. This necklace
is being discussed on pearl-guide.com, an authoritative source
for pearl information. I hope you didn't pay much for this
necklace, because the pearls have very little value.
I have been studying pearls for a number of years and also
received my GIA Pearls Degree.
Pattye
___________________________________________________

Hi Pattye.
Thanks for your email.
I'll do some more checking with a local jeweler.
Regards,
Rita

(This is a situation when it can be a bit helpful to mention the pearl degree.)

 

[Sueki]

I sincerely hope that it's a genuine mistake and, once Rita has checked with the local jeweler, that she will come back to you with the findings Pattye.
But I won't hold my breath...
And, yes, I can see the usefulness of mentioning your degree. No arguing with that...

 

[Caitlin]

welcome back. Thanks for a great thread!

just for comparison, This is a genuine Kasumi from Kojima Pearls- one of the few sellers of this rare type of pearl.

And here, for educational purposes, thus copyrights do not apply, the original necklace. I like to do this so when it disappears of the seller's page, we can still use this to teach.

 

[pattye]

Here's another of Mary's listings, this time "Tahitian Pearls"

and "chocolate Tahitians"

and it goes on and on.

This is part of the story that accompanies each listing:

We obtained this necklace from a large jewelry lot that had been stored away since 1990. --We recouped our investment on the lot long ago, so we are able to offer these at such a great price, as we always love to pass on the savings when we can !

 

[JerseyPearl]

Pattye, for those of us who are relatively new to the pearl guide (pearl collecting) world, would you expand on why these strands are not what they claim to be? It would be immensely helpful for the untrained (ok, ME!) to learn what to look for in a false identity. Thanks!!

 

[pattye]

Jersey Pearl, that is certainly a fair question. At least 95% of what I know about pearls was learned right here on the forum over the past 10 years~supplemented with visits to gem shows and examining pearls of many qualities.

With the introduction of bead nucleated freshwater pearls from China, identification has gotten more challenging, for sure, and is more difficult from photos than in person.

So let's take a look at some of Mary's Timeless Treasures, Tahitian Pearls

So these are some of the red flags on Mary's Timeless Treasures listings:

1. Is the price too good to be true?

2. Are the pearls color treated? The blue/purple/aqua/copper is characteristic of dyed freshwater pearls. Color treated chocolate Tahitians are fairly new. High quality are not inexpensive~check out the beauties at PP! This is not the kind of color matching done with Tahitians.

3. Are the pearls bead nucleated? Even in a baroque pearl the bead can be apparent. If the pearls are slightly flattened to clearly oval and elongated, they likely are tissue nucleated freshwater. Mary has 3 strands of "Tahitians" (actually freshwater pearls) with sales pending all 3 dyed and of a size and shape that wasn't available until well after 1990, the year she gives as when these pearls were stored away. And note the copper strand of "Tahitians" at the bottom of the page, sigh. I haven't taken time to check out the other listings described as Tahitians , but until I do all are suspect.

4. Are the quality (& blemishes) and size typical of the type of pearl being offered for the asking price?

5. Consider the seller~are they someone known to be knowledgeable about pearls? Does the story they are telling add up? Mary MAY know vintage akoya pearls, but she is certainly misrepresenting Kasumi and Tahitian pearls.



Apologies for being away from home and working on a slow computer. Please, pearl friends, do add to this list as you see fit.

 

[Sueki]

I'm curious, too, about the "lavender pink salt water" pearls here:
http://www.rubylane.com/item/600588-257-1845/GORGEOUS-Luscious-Large-22mm-Lavender-Pink

And equally curious about the "Japanese Blue Akoya Cultured Pearls c. 1950's"

 

[pattye]

Sueki, The large lavender pink pearls are quite modern and freshwater from China, natural color, imo.

Are you referring to the blue akoya pearl items in the same shop?

 

[CathyKeshi]

MUCH appreciate all the information here; thanks!

 

[cyndayco]

Hi, Sueki.

If you refer to the Exquisite Japanese Blue Akoya Cultured Pearls Grapes & Leaves Sterling Bracelet, c. 1950's ! , the pearl shape and body color seem consistent with baroque akoya, but a few of those pearls (10+mm) seem too large for what is normally available.

While I like the setting, I wonder if baroque akoyas were in the market during the Fifties. Didn't Mikimoto and other pearl distributors of that period only sell perfectly round white pearls? I think this bracelet is of more recent vintage.

 

[Marianne]

Hi Sueki, Welcome back!!
And BINGO? she has misrepresented again. those are as fresh water as they come!

 

[pattye]

Pleased to report that Rita has adjusted her listing and sent me this reply:

It seemed strange that these pearls have been listed for months with no mention from anyone and then your
email today and Ruby Lane moving the listing from my shop to my ‘backroom’ an hour later.
I went ahead and made changes to the listing so hopefully there won’t be any confusion now.
I find pearls baffling myself and don’t know how you could tell from photos what they are or aren’t.
Still, I do appreciate your bringing this to my attention because I don’t want to sell something only to have it
be returned by an upset customer.
Rita.

I did let her know someone had posted a link here. Kudos to Rita for doing the right thing.