Pearl authentication help

[Scarlette]

Hello all!

I am new to this forum! I have been trying to educate myself regarding pearls and have found this forum to be so helpful. I am currently looking at an auction on eBay for Mikimoto pearls and am wondering if it can be authenticated reliably on pictures. This is the link to the auction. http://www.ebay.com/itm/141060882853?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

Many many thanks in advance!p

 

[pattye]

Hi Scarlette, welcome,

The pearls in the photo do have a Miki clasp and appear to be high quality akoya. However there are some big questions in my mind~
Why aren't the box and certification pictured if they have them? Showing these will raise buyer confidence and mean lots more $$ in the sellers pocket. Ebay doesn't charge for photos and one can put up 12. Also raises some doubt for me.
9-10mm is very large for akoya.
Also don't like that the items sold previously are blocked from view, buyers mostly have low feedback, meaning they are fairly new buyers.

There is a 14 day return policy and of course, paypal claim if they don't send the exact item.

Please do let us know what you decide.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Here are some of seller's completed listings:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/zf196800/m....&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&LH_Complete=1&rt=nc

The feedback is concerning.

A recent negative says "Received wrong item. Seller lied about location. STILL NO RESOLUTION!!!!! I wonder whether the seller is actually in the USA, or if they are one of those sellers that ship from China but have a US address for eBay so they can say their location is USA.

One positive feedback says: "cool ring, its silver but thats ok quick shipping considering the distance" That also makes me wonder if the seller is actually outside the USA. Returning an item back to China would be costly if it was not as described.

Still another feedback (neutral) says: "Tracking number does not track. Promised delivery date 12-7-12. Still not here" Tracking might not work if the item was being shipped from outside the USA.

Another feedback is positive but states "Nice seller, Thx for the compromise and resolution. Appreciate it." So there was some problem but they reached a resolution.


All in all I would say this seller is sketchy. The pearls may also not be what they appear to be. Miki clasps are sometimes counterfeited.

 

[pattye]

The other thing in looking at the 3 listings for sale currently is that the photos don't appear to be taken by the same person, there is no consistency one would expect if the same studio was used.

 

[Ramona]

I personally would never buy from sellers like this. Even if the pearls looked like the best deal. The feedback is too concerning. There is always a chance of stingy or picky buyers, but this feedback is substantial and, like others said above, smells of a Chinese seller with less than ethical standards. There is always a chance of course that this is not true and the seller is very honest. But why risk your money? For this price you can buy a very nice necklace of real value from a reputed online store in the US.

 

[Scarlette]

I personally would never buy from sellers like this. Even if the pearls looked like the best deal. The feedback is too concerning. There is always a chance of stingy or picky buyers, but this feedback is substantial and, like others said above, smells of a Chinese seller with less than ethical standards. There is always a chance of course that this is not true and the seller is very honest. But why risk your money? For this price you can buy a very nice necklace of real value from a reputed online store in the US.

Thanks so much to all who replied. That's why I joined this forum - to get real, honest opinions from the experts. I will pass on this as I've learned a lot from reading posts in this forum - i.e. Mikimoto clasp might be real but pearls may not be. I think as much as I want a bargain, Mikimoto pearls are too risky to buy on-line in the secondary market. Again, many many thanks for all your thoughtful responses!