What do you think about this necklace?

[want_to_buy_pearl]

This 3-strand necklace are 17" 18" 19" long. With 7.5" long matching bracelet. They are not from Ebay, but they're what I bought from Phuket, Thailand (I live in Bangkok, Thailand). Bought from internet, just got them today. Price is around US$ 160 for the set of necklace and bracelet. Is it reasonable price? Could you tell if they can be in "A" grade pearls or worse? Most of them have visible blemish and not perfect round. They are saltwater pearls.

 

[want_to_buy_pearl]

Another pic, closer look.

 

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi,

These look like hyriopsis cumingii and as such are with near 100% probability from China and not from Phuket. I see definite offroundness and cercl?. But clean surface, decent matching, and good color probably in the 7mm range. On a A-AAA scale they would just barely make the A grade cut. On a retail price level they are o.k. but you also have to keep in mind that not many sellers deliver to Thailand. That somewhat limits the selection. It is not the world's greatest bargain but a decent deal. You also have to figure in the cost of the clasps. If the have 14k clasps that would account for a substantial part of the price, if they are made of silver, it would not. I did not see knots between the pearls. That may be due to the picture or to the fact that they are not knotted. I consider this a serious value detractor. You certainly could not sell it again for materials and get the same price but you also did not grossly overpay on a U.S. retail comparison. The key point is that you like it. Return it and shop around until you find something that you do like. Jewelry is not all about price.

Zeide

 

[jshepherd]

Zeide just pointed something out to you that I think should be a bit more clear. The pearls are from the hyriopsis cumingii mussel. They are freshwater pearls, definitely not saltwater - Chinese freshwater.

You did not overpay too much, more or less high-average retail. If the pearls were knotted it would make a big difference. And I am assuming the clasp is not gold. Unknotted strands like those are usually sold in China with a cheap metal clasp or simply a plastic clasp.

 

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Jeremy,

At this price level I would actually consider that a good thing. A triple strand set of 7mm akoyas for $160 would be abysmal quality and a total waste of money. At least these are attractive and durable solid cultured pearls. Not to mention that most of the Phuket stock went bust in the December 25, 2004 Tsunami and even before that their prices were astronomically higher. Here's a link.

http://www.iran-daily.com/1383/2195/html/ieconomy.htm#39528

Zeide

 

[Caitlin]

Hi
Here are some good rules of thumb for a less experienced buyer:

When you see that visible off-roundness such as these pearls have, it is a good guess there is no bead nucleus inside.

No bead nucleus = not saltwater or marine cultured pearls. Cultured sea pearls are always more uniformly round due to the bead inside.

No bead nucleus = Chinese cultured freshwater pearls (CFWP). Maybe someday that will change, but for now it is the rule.

CFWP are solid pearl- no bead inside! I think this makes them the best choice for frequent wear.

You have a total of 4 1/2 strands there. That's about $36 a strand. That is a little less than for similar CFWP in a Chinatown store in San Francisco. They were going for $39 per strand before stringing last time I visited.

You should get them restrung with knots for the most classic look. If they were mine, I would restring them so I could wear one strand at a time as well as all of them at once. Then I could wear at least one everyday. I think the full set of combined strands would be for dressier occasions.

Let me repeat: You have a neklace and bracelet with pearls that can be worn daily for years, generations even, so ENJOY them!

 

[jshepherd]

Hi Zeide & Caitlin.
It is good to be back.

I certainly agree that $160 would not be possible for a decent set of Akoya. But the buyer was apparently misled into believing they were saltwater.

I am interested to know if they were purchased from a Website. The only Website I know about claiming pearls from Thailand is thapearl.7p.com or something like that. They used to sell Chinese freshwater and advertise them as Akoya pearls from Thailand. Now they just advertise them as South Sea pearls from Thailand. They probably caught too much grief from Akoya producers and the South Sea pearl producers just do not care – a buyer that cannot distinguish between small Chinese freshwater and South Sea does not really want South Sea pearls.

 

[Caitlin]

Good AM, Experts!
On the subject of circle`. How do they develop? How do they affect value? They seem to acceptable in some cases-

Also, what major mussel species are being used for pearls in China right now? Other than hyriopsis cumingii ? More than one?

And how do you tell a pearl from hyriopsis cumingii from a pearl from other species of freshwater mussel?

 

[jshepherd]

Just caught your edit - great link. This quote in particular should help people determine whether or not their $100 pearls from Thailand are actual CSSP from Thailand:

Some of the more luxurious Southsea species of pearl cultivated here measure more than a centimeter in diameter. They take up to five years to grow, and are priced in the company showroom at 230,000 baht ($5,900) for a pair. Necklaces of grey-black pearls cost five times as much.

 

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Caitlin,

That is an interesting question inasmuch as that one can wildly speculate about that. Cercl? is basically a given in large naturals and not considered a value detractor. In cultured pearls it is considered a devaluing surface flaw when it affects less than 30% of an individual pearl's surface and considered a shape variant when it occupies more than 30% of a pearl's surface. Cercl? of less than 30% surface cover is often but not always drilled so that the maximum amount of smooth surface shows and if more than 30% of cercl? is present, the pearl will be drilled showcasing the cercl? as a shape variant. In akoyas, cercl? practically never occurs because the nacre is too thin to even come near the necessary accretion level. If the pearl farmer implants too much growth hormone, however, akoyas do develop cercl?, too, and are discarded. In general, cercl? devalues pearls proportionately to its presence down to about 20% of the price of a smooth pearl with corresponding shape, color, and luster. I happen to like cercl?, especially in very high luster pearls because it increases the surface area and thus shows orient better. It also screams "We're real" in a way that smooth big rounds don't. If I have the choice between a high luster cercl? pearl with orient and a smooth round of the same price level (i.e. lackluster and opaque) I will always prefer the cercl?.

Zeide

 

[Caitlin]

When you have solid nacre pearls such as CFWP, the standards are different. I agree with you about the "less than perfect round principle". Roundness is a high priority criteria for some, but not all, solid nacre pearls.

I love to have an expert confirm my opinion that luster is the first criteria in solid nacre CFW pearls and I too, will pick high luster over shape. Orient is the magic luster quality of pearls that I like best, and orient is easier to find on the irregularly shaped parts of pearls, such as the circle'.

And what bargains you can get for off round! I bought 2 strands of 8+mm white potato pearls in a retail bead store in Tucson (Strung out on Beads) for $18 a strand because the luster really caught my eye. And the orient. These pearls have rainbows sliding around them on at least part of many surfaces.

I strung them up in one piece and wear it often. Because it is so long, I can see it as I wear it and enjoy the play of iridescence across the pearls. Because they are off round, I know many of the pearls on this necklace by heart, and could pick this strand out of a pile of similar ones.

 

[want_to_buy_pearl]

Thank you for all replies. The clasp is cheap metal, not silver or gold. No knots between pearls. The seller doesn't has website, bought from webboard.

Please go to this link.

http://202.183.214.244/webboard/topic.php?id=401677

All price are in Thai Baht, US$1= around 38฿. Could you tell if they are all Chinese pearls?

For the first pic, the oval pearl is Baht450 per piece and round pearl is Baht 2,000 per piece. I'm quite interesting to get a pair of round pearl for earrings. Should I?

If the seller sell all Chinese pearls, I should warn other buyers.

 

[jshepherd]

You are looking at all Chinese freshwater pearls - all of them.

In the US we would not consider the prices to be too dramatically high, but in Thailand, with a GDP per capita 1/5th that of the USA, I think the prices should be considered very high. There is not a piece pictured that the seller paid more than $10 for (if purchased retail in Beijing).

Personally, if the seller is lying to you, claiming the pearls are from Phuket or saltwater, I would not want to do business with them.

 

[want_to_buy_pearl]

There is not a piece pictured that the seller paid more than $10 for (if purchased retail in Beijing).

REALLY?

should I send pearl strand to lab for certificate/appraisal? And if the certificate said they're Freshwater, I can claim for money, report to that board webmaster and warn other buyers.

 

[jshepherd]

Unfortunately that would cost more that the piece is worth, unless certs are much less expensive in Thailand.

But there really is no need. There is absolutely no question that the pearls are Chinese freshwater. Just take your pearls to any reputable jeweler in Bangkok that sells saltwater - the difference will be stark.

I would ask the seller to explain before doing anything else. It is possible (but not probable) the seller does not know anything about the pearls they are selling.