looking for information on how to buy a pearl necklace

[slhpearlguy]

greetings Pearl people,

i am totally new to the site and this is my first post. i am trying to figure out and learn some stuff about pearls so i can buy a nice pearl necklace for my wife.
i understand that i would rather have cultured pearls and that after going to a few jewelers, i would get a 6.5-7 millimeter size necklace.
does it matter about the color, are the ones with a pink hue good or is that bad. am i looking for a pearl with a clear color.
i am a total beginner and looking for advice.
i have heard of the Mikimoto pearls, i would imiagine that they are the best, but i only have a limited budget.
this is what i would like. 16 inch chain necklace. i understand that there are ratings of pearls.... do i only get AAA or can i still get AA or no.

any advice appreciated. are the pearls certified like a diamond..

thanks in advance

jeff

p.s. yes i am a total beginner so any advice and help appreciated

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Welcome!

Just a few things off the top of my head to get this started:

• With a limited budget (and really, don't most of us have one?) you can get more bang for your buck by shopping online. Any of the sellers you will see here on P-G are reliable sources. I've bought various pearls from PearlParadise.com and can recommend them if you are in the USA. There are vendors in UK and "down under" here too.

• Unless your wife is very petite/young, consider going larger. 6.5-7mm is rather on the small side, and there is such a thing as pearl size inflation-- all us ladies want larger pearls as time goes by!

• Generally CFWP (cultured freshwater pearls) will cost significantly less than similar quality cultured Akoyas. In addition, the CFWP are all nacre in most cases, so are very durable. And those nice pink and lavender colors are found in CFWP; in the case of Akoya, there are natural blue-ish and yellowish colors but the black ones are dyed.

• I personally find that I use my (naturally) colored freshwater pearls more than my white ones anyway. They seem to go well with more casual clothing which is what I mostly wear. Consider where your wife wants to wear them (formal wear, less formal?) as you choose white vs. color.

• Mikimoto is an excellent brand but remember that you are paying for the name and the Miki clasp. You can get equally beautiful Akoya, Tahitian and South Sea pearls online for much less. I do not know if Miki sells freshwater pearls; I don't think I've seen them.

 

[Caitlin]

Pearl Dreams- What a perfect post! This is great advice.

 

[pearlescence]

Hi and welcome
When it comes to what colour of pearls to me you can't beat the natural colours freshwaters for skin flattery and versitility.(what Pearl Paradise calls 'exotics') Here in the UK there are lots of white fake pearls around, even in the supermarkets so wearing something like natural colours does make it subtly clear you are wearing the real thing. A mixed shades strand will also show that, more than a close matched strand. In a mixed you will always get some colours which are fabulous against your wife's skin
While Mikimoto is a very successful brand it is just a brand and has different qualities of pearls.
I would go for AAA if you can. There isn't a massive price jump but AAA is the best. I would also recommend you think about larger pearls. If you have been looking at akoya pearls that is not so small but for freshwater you can go much bigger!
I'm in the UK but have seen the massive attention to detail paid by Pearl Paradise when selecting pearls so can recommend them.

 

[Amanda]

If you were in the UK, I'd highly recommend Wendy's site, great choice and customer service.

 

[slhpearlguy]

ok thanks to all that have responded. this is a huge daunting task... holy cow, buying a car or house is easier than this, and learning about it is even more overwhelming....
so i have a budget in mind and i looked at a jewler and she told me $1500 US for a 16 inch necklace of cultured pearls with a pinkish hue. then i went to another place and she told me $2000 USD for a AAA rated 16 inch pearl necklace.

now i go onto the pearlparadise site and i can get a Full Set of 7.0-7.5 mm White Akoya Pearls AAA for $1043 USD. earings, necklace and bracelet that is not bad at all. should i focus on rating, the color or what..... if i want to get a nice set she can wear out to dinner at a nice place and getting dressed up for events.
she is not old, 43 and a petite girl. 5 foot 3 inch and 130 pounds. so not a big woman by any means. nice small neck if that helps.

any more help appreciated.

thanks again

jeff

 

[Caitlin]

Online dealers have the advantage over Stores, because they have huge inventories compared to stores and many fewer wholesalers between the farm and the customer. It is by far, the best pearl deal you can find.

I too, would buy the largest size possible. If you buy from the Freshadama line, you will get the best bargain for the money and they will be exquisite pearls! Plus you can get pink, peach or lavender as well as white.

 

[pearlescence]

<blush>
The other great advantage - at least for Jeremy, Nerida and I I know for sure - is that we schlepp off the Hong Kong to buy pearls - them for longer than me.
That means we can pick out the very best and because we are cutting out the supply chain we can very happily charge less than B and M suppliers. We know a bit more about the pearls too.
On size, I would think carefully about what your wife likes to wear now - which is her favourite necklace, that will give you a clue. She sounds petite but is her personality petite or big?

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Re: White pearls with a pinkish hue-- what is her skin tone? People with pink undertones to their skin may like the way rose-overtoned pearls look against their skin, while people with olive skin may prefer cream colored pearls; there is no single better color for every skin.

Is this purchase a surprise, or she taking part in the decision? If it's not a surprise, it would be good for her to try different pearls on and see what tones look best on her, before buying.

Re: Your question in the original post about whether pearls are certified like diamonds, no, it's not quite the same. Vendors use their own grading standards, and you would do well to look at the specific vendor's definition of what AA or AAA (etc.) mean.
(For example, see this page on Pearl Paradise: http://www.pearlparadise.com/pearlgrading.html)

There is an exception and that is for Hanadama pearls. Vendors can, if they wish, submit their best AAA strands to a lab in Japan where (if they meet certain standards) they receive Hanadama certification. The certificate comes with the pearls and of course these pearls will cost a bit more.

Remember that pearls are organic jewels made by living mollusks and even AAA pearl strands can have some small flaws.

As to Akoyas vs. Freshwaters, Akoya pearls have a more metallic luster than CFWP-- most white freshwaters have more of a softer glow (although there are very metallic freshwaters out there too, especially the naturally colored ones); both are nice. It's a matter of personal preference, but remember two things:

1. Akoyas have a bead inside (and the nacre may wear off in time, exposing the bead), while this won't ever happen with freshwaters that are nacre all the way through, and...
2. Akoyas will cost more than freshwaters for similar quality and size of pearls.

This is why so many of us favor freshwaters. But if you and she like the metallic luster of Akoyas better, and Akoyas are within your budget, the AAA set is very nice. It is easiest to match pearls if they are bought at the same time, so if you are sure you want to get all 3 (necklace, earrings and bracelet) you can match them best by buying them all at the same time.

Or you could get matching necklace and earrings now in a larger size, and defer a possible bracelet purchase for later. Since the bracelet is worn far from the neck and face it is not so essential that the exact overtones match (while you would really want earrings to match the necklace.) Personally I would rather get 7.5-8mm or larger. However, she is petite and can get away with smaller pearls.

Again, if she is involved in this decision, have her try different size pearls on and see which size makes her smile. That is the right size to get!

Look at it this way: You can always buy more pearl jewelry pieces later, but a strand that is too small now (for her taste) will always be too small....

 

[Amanda]

ok thanks to all that have responded. this is a huge daunting task... holy cow, buying a car or house is easier than this, and learning about it is even more overwhelming....
so i have a budget in mind and i looked at a jewler and she told me $1500 US for a 16 inch necklace of cultured pearls with a pinkish hue. then i went to another place and she told me $2000 USD for a AAA rated 16 inch pearl necklace.

The colour issue is really about your wife in particular, not an objective question. It depends on her skin and hair colouring, and what colours she likes, and what colour clothes she often wears.

For example, I don't like yellow, orange-y etc pearls on me, and I'm not that keen on absolutely white ones. I'm fair-haired and very pale skinned, and on me, the natural lavender and pink shades are particularly flattering (so I like to think, anyway).

But if she's ginger, neither lavender nor pink is likely to be ideal.

For that type of budget, I'd definitely go for pearl paradise online. I've not bought from them myself (I'm in the UK) but I've seen universal appreciation from others on this site, and they post here regularly, too.

I'd go for something like these:

http://www.pearlparadise.com/7580-mm-Lavender-Freshadama-Freshwater-Pearl-Set-2885.aspx

http://www.pearlparadise.com/8590-mm-Lavender-Freshadama-Freshwater-Pearl-Necklace754.aspx

 

[pearlescence]

Yes, for pale skins the blue in the lavenders is what makes the lavender pearls really stand out...peach blends in (but looks great against dark skin). This nearly always applies but sometimes it doesn't! (sorry!)

 

[Amanda]

Yes, for pale skins the blue in the lavenders is what makes the lavender pearls really stand out...peach blends in (but looks great against dark skin). This nearly always applies but sometimes it doesn't! (sorry!)

That sounds very Russian - I remember being told that all long-distance transport in Russia runs on Moscow time, no matter where it is - unless it doesn't.

 

[est190]

Slpearlguy,

Welcome to the forum! It sounds like you're looking for high quality akoyas for your wife. Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of freshwaters and they have advantages, but if your honey has her heart set on akoyas and she is just starting out with pearls, gorgeous high quality akoyas will be a cornerstone piece in her jewelry box (second maybe to her diamond engagement ring and wedding band). There are gorgeous high quality freshwater strands out there with loads of luster, but the best freshwaters will never duplicate the glow and luster of the best akoyas. That said, akoyas are more delicate than freshwaters, but high quality akoyas with thick nacre will be a family heirloom if they are cared for properly.

If you're have a $1,500 budget, you can certain find a gorgeous 7x7.5mm strand of akoyas (frankly, you can probably find a gorgeous strand for a lot less than that if you take your time with your purchase and do your homework). I would also suggest buying the highest quality you can afford, even if it means stepping down a half mm in size. As a reference, 7x7.5mm is probably the most popular size and offers the best balance between size, quality and value. The price jumps quickly with each half mm increase in size above 7.5mm (and any strand over 8mm really jumps in price).

As others have noted, there is no standard grading system out there. I wouldn't rely on any vendor's grades when cross shopping price. One vendor's AAA pearls may be the equivalent of another vendor's AA. The grading system is only helpful to the extent it allows you to compare quality for that specific vendor's inventory. The only real way to compare strands between vendors is to buy two or more strands, compare them side by side and keep the one you like best, while returning the others. Most online vendors have very liberal return policies--no questions asked returns within 30 days or more, making this type of comparison feasible.

As for your question regarding certifications, they are available, but not very common like they with diamonds and high end colored gemstones. There are several organizations that provide reports for pearls, including GIA and EGL (which you may be familiar with if you purchased a diamond engagement ring). The Pearl Science Laboratory of Japan (JPSL) is another company that provides certificates for Pearls. Unlike GIA Reports, which start from perfect and work backwards, JPSL has set it's own standard for what it believes is required for a strand (or pair) of pearls to meet to obtain the classification of "Hanadama" (which is a designation they give for their highest category of pearl quality). Any strand or pair of pearls that meets or exceeds that minimum standard is certified as Hanadama. It's certainly helpful to know that a strand has met the standard for certification as Hanadama by JPSL, but when cross shopping, it is important to realize that all Hanadama strands are not the same--some will be of much finer quality than others (and are often priced accordingly). It is equally important to note that just because one vendor is selling strands that are not Hanadama certified, this does not mean that vendors best strands do not equal or exceed the quality of a strand that is Hanadama certified. For example, Mikimoto relies on its reputation for quality to back its internal grading system--it does not sell pearls with a Hanadama Certification from JPSL (nor does Tiffany for that matter). Again, if you want to make sure you are getting the best strand for your money, I would suggest buying from several vendors and compare the strands for yourself and keeping the one you like best.

Edited: If you going for akoyas, as I suspect, the most popular overtone in the US is rose, while silver is more popular in parts of Europe and the mid-east. My wife was very used to seeing pearls with rose overtone and when she sees a strand with no overtone or a silver overtone, she isn't as attracted to it (she described lower luster--although that wasn't the case). Rule of thumb is that rose overtones work best for those with fair skin and silver is better for those with darker skin. My wife has darker skin, but I bought her pearls with a strong rose overtone because she associates that look with higher quality pearls. In reality, I don't think it makes much of a difference because the overtone really isn't noticeable once she is wearing the pearls.

Good luck with your search!!! Cheers!

 

[lisa c]

I love Wendy's remark about multicolored strands always having some colors that flatter the skin tones.

I had Akoyas, a graduated strand that I wore out over about 8 yrs, wearing every day. Plus it yellowed a bit. Veeeery sad. I don't like things to wear out.

I'd want a strand of white Freshadama, at least 8 mm, with a triple strand bracelet so I could see them without breaking my neck.

OR, Multicolored Freshadama!