South Sea Pearl Opinion

[PearlFinder]

I am new to SS pearl buying. My wife likes them and I like the process of learning about them and then trying to buy them but I have no concept of value on these things. I know mark-ups on wines (non-collectible) and watches - where the manufacturer really controls the market but I have no idea about SS pearls. I have contacted a person on a recommendation of a friend and was provided the attached image and am wondering if anyone can tell me what the approximate "retail" value might be and what I should expect to pay if I did some searching. They are 12-13mm. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

 

[Raisondetre]

It looks pretty lustrous but this is not a closeup and until I can see what kind of reflection it shows I'm afraid that's just not going to cut it. Nothing about the surface either.

 

[PearlFinder]

I have added a zoom of the pearls - hope this helps - thank you.

 

[laurenb]

With the price you'd be paying for South Sea pearls of that size, I urge you to purchase from an extremely reputable source. I am not an expert on this topic by any means, but photos of that resolution cannot even convince me those aren't shell pearls or fine freshwaters.

Here is a slightly smaller strand of superb quality. The difference between AA and AAA at that size translates into thousands of dollars. If you don't have photos so good you can feel the pearls in your hands and an ironclad money-back accord, I say pass.

 

[dkan 168]

IMHO, they look too glassy and shiny to be real South Seas. Can't really tell if the surface is clean either from the close up, sorry.

However, if they are real, and the surface is clean with little blemish, then you are talking about 5 figures easily, just look at the one Lauren found on Pearl Paradise! Take a look at PP's other strands on offer to give you some idea of the market value of good quality and size South Seas

If I were spending that much money, I would take the advice and buy from reputable vendors frequently mentioned on PG for the excellent quality of their pearls and services, not to mention their no quibble 90d return policy!

Good luck!

DK

 

[Pearl Dreams]

SSP have a satiny luster rather than a very shiny one. Not so sure from the photo that those are SSP. They could be, as others have mentioned, cultured FWP or shell "pearls" (i.e. imitation).

Caveat emptor.

 

[KAC]

The bottom line is the picture doesn't have enough detail to give an appropriate assessment. The luster isn't typical of SSP but I doubt they are shell or FWP either.

I think it is just the picture that is skewing things, cameras can play funny tricks on pearls. If you can provide some better pictures we could help more.

 

[Miriam Reed]

It's hard to give you a precise estimate of the strand's worth without seeing the pearls or a very clear photo that can be enlarged to see what kind of surface irregularities are present. Pearls vary so much in surface quality, luster, roundness, overtone, etc. A strand can be graded AA or AA+ by one company and be called AAA by another. Some may claim to be AAAA quality, whereas the same strand would be considered AAA by a more reputable retailer. So check out the technical details of each strand very carefully and compare them. Ball park price range, allowing for variations according to the quality of the individual pearls - the price could run anywhere between $9,000 and $19,000 for AA or AA+ quality and for AAA quality a good price could run between $13,000 and 45,000 for the size pearls you mentioned.

When you're investing that kind of money I agree with Lauren. Buy from a dealer you know is reputable. You want to make sure you get the real thing and you absolutely need to have a money back guarantee from a reputable source. There are several here on the forum that you can trust.

 

[waimeamomi]

Such good advice from everyone. Photos are hard to read, and when you reduce them to fit in the forum you lose a lot of quality as well. Since you have them in your hand, I would echo the others and say click on strands that are similar on the many fine sites listed on this thread and see if they compare. Also if you are in the market, you could easily see something you like better. You want to look around if you are spending the kind of money that a strand of that size should be worth. Should is an important word here, because there is pretty much a bottom line that a good strand is going to be worth. If your strand is priced significantly lower than any other strand of that size and presumed quality that you see, than that's a red flag. Remember, there's no such thing as a free lunch, especially when you are dealing with quality items. Hope it works out!!

 

[eric-anandia-pearls]

The pictures look inconclusive to me... could be south sea. Like others have mentioned, a reputable source which does a lot of SS is key, as you're looking at 10K+. If you have more questions, please feel free to PM me... SS pearls are our specialty.

 

[pattye]

Hi Sheryl,

Since you have them in your hand,

After rereading PearlFinder's post, I think he just has the photo--not the actual pearls-------

 

[laurenb]

SS pearls are our specialty.

You've got a fine handle on Tahitians too. This may be the most delightful pearl pendant I've ever seen. It's an arched Pearlhambra.

 

[dkan 168]

Oooooo, I'd like that with ruby instead of the sapphire for certain!

DK

 

[waimeamomi]

Hi Sheryl,


After rereading PearlFinder's post, I think he just has the photo--not the actual pearls-------

Oops. Well, all the advise that still applies. Especially the tnstaafl.

 

[PearlFinder]

Thank you all for your responses. I appreciate your input.