PearlsAmerica.com ? Freshwater or Akoya

[jshepherd]

Pearl Professor was involved in earlier direct dialogue. He/she posted here to demonstrate wider support for his assessment re: freshwater versus Akoya.

I see what you mean now. He actually sent an email to the administrator of Pearl-Guide and Admin posted the question.

 

[Caitlin]

LINK to PP 3 strand freshwater 8-9mm. Around $1,000. If you really know the difference between AA and AAA, you may be charging market value with your sale price.

A double strand akoya in AAA is around $1k too.

even the freshwaters are pretty round for 8.5 and 9.5 pearls.

That's another thing. 9mm cultured akoyas are rare and very expensive so that is a good clue to indicate it is CFWP.

I think your heart is in the right place, now just become expert on pearls. You can learn more than most jewelers know right on this forum!

 

[pearlguy]

The "new, higher quality pearls" I added were just that, higher quality pearls, more round, and clean surfaces with very little in terms of unmagnified flaws--just a distinction between my regular but decent quality and my higher quality.

On Ebay, space is very limited for the titles. I expect people to read the listings. Listing obviously has much more detail. Essentially, my "regular" quality pearls are AA/AA+ and my "better" quality is AA+/AAA.

So sorry, did not know that the word "natural" was regulated. Here I was using English language and punctuation where when you put quotes around something, you are not talking about the word in the traditional sense. I know law and would love to read the cases from France you mention and the FTC regulations. Can you provide references? I can check Lexus/Nexus, but not sure they do all French court reporting in the cheaper version I have.

 

[pearlguy]

As in suppliers for you to buy from? I think if you are pitching yourself as a reseller of quality pearls, you should be able to find yourself a good supplier... you should know the market before you jump into it!! I guess my earlier point was that not only does the buck stop with you, but that if ANYONE is going to sell pearls, then they need to do their research first... otherwise that would be the same as me suddenly deciding on my trips to China that I could sell industrial machinery because I could get great markups on it if I buy directly from China - the fact that I know nothing about the products or the market is irrelevant.. really?? Of course not! You owe it to your consumer to know as much about your product as possible!

Of course I was "educated", but not as well as I should have been. That's why I am talking with you and others now.

 

[pearlguy]

Ps

I disagree with that. Paying akoya prices for freshwater is just plain fraud. Even with a high appraisal, if the appraiser was not a pearl graduate from the GIA they are talking through their hats. Those pearls will never get a higher price than your customers paid.

That's another topic. Not all appraisals are the same. Sure, they all know diamonds, but are most U.S. appraisers even qualified to evaluate pearls? I'm not even sure that most know gemstones other than diamonds.

 

[Caitlin]

Leonard Rosenthal, the most important natural pearl dealer in the late 19th and early 20th century. The Pearl Hunter (p114) one of the group who brought the case in France against Japanese sellers using the word "pearls" for their cultured creations. He won. Book available through Amazon and others.

This incident is also in Pearls by Elisabeth Strack (p38) The first real textbook about pearls- excellent- around $130 with shipping. Many of us have this book at arm's length.

are most U.S. appraisers even qualified to evaluate pearls?

No. Most stop at the diamonds course. GIA graduates should know pearls, but I am not sure the Pearls course is required. It is a separate GIA certificate.

 

[pearlguy]

LINK to PP 3 strand freshwater 8-9mm. Around $1,000. If you really know the difference between AA and AAA, you may be charging market value with your sale price.

A double strand akoya in AAA is around $1k too.

QUOTE]


I believe I have seen these pearls in-hand and would rate at least the ones I saw as only AA/AA+ at best. I'm selling this quality too, but for under $300. I believe my AA+/AAA are better, hence the present $750 price tag. Hope I am not stepping on any toes here.

 

[pattye]

pearlguy,

I believe my AA+/AAA are better, hence the present $750 price tag. Hope I am not stepping on any toes here.

That remark just made you look really ignorant and childish. We have many vendors here, and no one goes around doing the "one-up" thing.

 

[laurenb]

While the pearls I offer undoubtedly are high quality pearls, I unfortunately have some freshwater pearls here.

Glad to see you here! Would you mind telling if the pearls were sold to you at prices you wouldn't have paid for freshwaters?

 

[Raisondetre]

I believe I have seen these pearls in-hand and would rate at least the ones I saw as only AA/AA+ at best. I'm selling this quality too, but for under $300. I believe my AA+/AAA are better, hence the present $750 price tag. Hope I am not stepping on any toes here.

Do you mean to say you have ordered from PP the exact same strand, chosen AA+ or AAA and only got a AA/AA+ strand? You have to be careful what you are saying here. We have been buying pearls for years on this forum, and PP does not sell AA CFWP retail as far as I know. The luster and shape simply do not compare. I personally do not buy AA and below. PP personnel are GIA certified. You are not.

While there is no standardized grading system for CFWP, if you use a stated set of criteria, AA+ is AA+ - even with variations it will not suddenly become a better AA+ strand, or an AAA strand. If it is AAA, say so with absolute confidence. If you have a strand with both AA+ and AAA pearls, I'd call it AA+ to err on the side of caution. You make customers happier this way.

You are of course free to price your pearls whatever you want. But you cannot say that your pearls are better than others. PP is the pioneer of standardizing pearl grading and consumer education in pearls. You need to be very careful what you're trying to say. As much as I admire your sincerity in trying to improve your site, I need to point out that you still have not done enough homework.

 

[Caitlin]

I believe I have seen these pearls in-hand and would rate at least the ones I saw as only AA/AA+ at best. I'm selling this quality too, but for under $300. I believe my AA+/AAA are better, hence the present $750 price tag. Hope I am not stepping on any toes here.

Where did you see them in-hand? Did you go to PP in Santa Monica or did you order them?

How do you expect me to believe that assertion about quality when you didn't even know what kind of pearls they are? Jeremy's AA and AAA are absolutely in-line in quality.

 

[pearlguy]

So sorry, Pattye. Rather than ignorant and childish, perhaps it's about my simply not understanding the rules here. I was only trying to handle this in as professional a manner as possible. I was directly criticized RE: my own pricing, so I had to assume it was permissible to respond to that criticism. Since I was given the link as a direct example of why I was charging too much, I had to respond to that particular comparison. I was just stating honestly why I did not believe it was the best comparison and gave the reason.

 

[pearlguy]

Where did you see them in-hand? Did you go to PP in Santa Monica or did you order them?

How do you expect me to believe that assertion about quality when you didn't even know what kind of pearls they are? Jeremy's AA and AAA are absolutely in-line in quality.

I thought I saw them in person a year ago. I do a lot of traveling. If it was another shop, I really should just end this now for everyone's benefit. Perhaps I got my facts wrong and if so I deeply apologize. Again, my intent is not to create a hostile exchange here.

 

[Raisondetre]

PP is an online store. Unless you made an appointment to go to their vault in Santa Monica, in which case you would have most likely met Mia, Jeremy or another staff member, it is not possible to just randomly look at one of their strands in a storefront.

Seriously, do your homework, rehaul your website and we'll be more than happy to help you out here. Do not make it seem like it's one-sided hostility on our part when most if not all of your facts are erroneous.

 

[pearlguy]

You need to be very careful what you're trying to say. As much as I admire your sincerity in trying to improve your site, I need to point out that you still have not done enough homework.

Again, no malice implied or intended here. I was responding to a post and given the link. Despite my junior status, I wanted to defend my own product a little. I deserved being thoroughly trashed early on in this thread, but wanted to defend my present practices. I am sure that PP employs the highest standards.

 

[pearlguy]

I thought I saw them in person a year ago. I do a lot of traveling. If it was another shop, I really should just end this now for everyone's benefit. Perhaps I got my facts wrong and if so I deeply apologize. Again, my intent is not to create a hostile exchange here.

I fear I was caught off-guard in my original exchange, I responded with a half-baked comparison, and have only dug myself deeper since then. Clearly I was thinking of another retailer who will go unmentioned here.

 

[Caitlin]

You did not see Jeremy's pearls. He doesn't have a little shop nor does he sell his brand in little shops.

I went back nd looked at the closeups of the necklace. It has very poor luster in all three photos. I have seen much better luster in almost any of the photos posted here by buyers. We often look at photos to discuss someone's strand. Your photos show no real mirror or iridescence. Even in poor light, we should be able to see reflections on the pearls, not just a dull light, if they have AA+ or AAA rating.

Take a few minute to look at the member's photos and their collections.

I apologise if you think anyone was being rude, but you really don't know enough about pearls to make any kind of judgements and you have demonstrated that clearly, both in your listings and in your posts.

I have seen your pearls and I do not think they have AAA luster! They are chalky. That fitting is cheapo. There are lots of nice 3 strand clasps and the clasp does usually tell you something about the value of the pearls. Those just aren't good enough for anyting over commercial grade pearls.

Read up on the forum and you will be much better prepared to choose an honest merchant. The best way to do that is to go to Chinese processing plants and visit the farms and buy a few hundred thousand to a million dollars of stock at a time-as Jeremy does several times a year. He also went to the trouble of learning Mandarin so he can comunicate directly with the sellers.

We have several smaller buyers who go to China to buy. They get good prices, but no where near the ones the big buyers get.

I agree with Raison, most of us would help you to get your website and facts perfect. Just quit defending your knowledge of pearls to us.

 

[pearlguy]

I agree with Raison, most of us would help you to get your website and facts perfect.

Thanks for this and future feedback. Defense is now off.

 

[Nerida]

And I still maintain that your pearl education should occur BEFORE you start selling pearls.. particularly if you are going to make claims of very high quality! You need to handle many, many strands of pearls (more like thousands, rather than hundreds) before you can make claims like the one you made above regarding a comparison between your pearls and those of another vendor. And be very sure of the accuracy of your statement!

 

[Caitlin]

Hey y'all and pearlman, did you check out Jeremy's fllickr site? It's at the bottom of his posts. All those photos from the Dubai Pearl Conference and the Dubai Pearl Museum are treasures! I especially like the ones where he is with the top echelon pearl world people.

Jeremy is in them, because he has earned his place there. Not only through his success as the foremost online seller of pearls, but his scholarship in pearls is some of the best!

He gives an answer, and it is always accurate and trustworthy. He is the glue that built this site and he keeps setting higher standards and thus has a brilliant array of experts posting here.

I have known Jeremy longer than most other posters here and he has always been honest, ethical and correct. Now I am a fan rooting him on. I've been called his "Pearl Mom". Get to know him and you will trust his opinion too- as many of you have found out.