PEARL PARADISE & TAKAHASHI LIVESTREAM!!!!

[lovelygemgem]

No, they gave me the pricing over instagram before I visited or told them I was buying multiple pieces.

In person, I did do some light negotiation and if I recall managed to get like 5% off. I’m pretty sure I only got that because of buying over 12k of items and doing it in person at their office. They even told me they don’t do discounts on Instagram sales, so I don’t think people will have a lot of luck remotely.

thanks! that's good to know

 

[m-cubed]

It was too rich for my blood, but I enjoyed looking at the pretties. That button pearl with basically one color with depth on the top and another color on the bottom was something else!

 

[lovedogs]

It was too rich for my blood, but I enjoyed looking at the pretties. That button pearl with basically one color with depth on the top and another color on the bottom was something else!

Ooo I think I missed that one!

 

[m-cubed]

Ooo I think I missed that one!

It’s t-25 at about 1:19:20 on recording.

 

[PinkAndBlueBling]

Don't worry @lovedogs I got that one, too.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Haha I’m a repeat buyer and only once asked for a discount somewhat cheekily since I was debating between one or two of the baroque akoyas that i was admiring and just needed a reason to get two. Mr Kan offered me a 5% discount which wasn’t hugely significant since it wasn’t a huge purchase, I think it was more him humoring me as a repeat patron haha. Also he knows I’m Chinese and I can’t help asking, it’s the way my mom raised me!

But yeah all to say I don’t think discounts or haggling are a thing with them as wholesalers. Though I will say I think they reach out to some of their repeat clients if they get something in stock they think that client would like. I likely wouldn’t have nabbed my supearl if they hadn’t alerted me that they had one since I don’t check instagram super often.

 

[NY_Resonant]

Haha I’m a repeat buyer and only once asked for a discount somewhat cheekily since I was debating between one or two of the baroque akoyas that i was admiring and just needed a reason to get two. Mr Kan offered me a 5% discount which wasn’t hugely significant since it wasn’t a huge purchase, I think it was more him humoring me as a repeat patron haha. Also he knows I’m Chinese and I can’t help asking, it’s the way my mom raised me!

But yeah all to say I don’t think discounts or haggling are a thing with them as wholesalers. Though I will say I think they reach out to some of their repeat clients if they get something in stock they think that client would like. I likely wouldn’t have nabbed my supearl if they hadn’t alerted me that they had one since I don’t check instagram super often.

Kan deals with Chinese clients a lot so he is used to having that light haggling. My wife is Chinese and you should have seen him chuckle when she started negotiating in Kobe with him — he knew it was coming!

 

[newtojewels]

I just got my order! 7-7.5mm gem luster with light kizu bracelet and 8-8.5mm gem studs. Here are some photos alone and next to my Moline AAA 7.5-8mm natural white pair and 6.5-7mm strand from a B&M store. Now I need to choose a bracelet clasp and decide what to do with the earring pair. I have tiny earlobes so am not convinced that studs are the right call. The Moline pair are set on jump rings to dangle from huggies. I think I like the Takahashi color better on me. They said these had silver overtones on the livestream if I recall correctly.

I'm lucky my wrist is small, I would need to get a big clasp or have big knots otherwise.

 

[NY_Resonant]

I just got my order! 7-7.5mm gem luster with light kizu bracelet and 8-8.5mm gem studs. Here are some photos alone and next to my Moline AAA 7.5-8mm natural white pair and 6.5-7mm strand from a B&M store. Now I need to choose a bracelet clasp and decide what to do with the earring pair. I have tiny earlobes so am not convinced that studs are the right call. The Moline pair are set on jump rings to dangle from huggies. I think I like the Takahashi color better on me. They said these had silver overtones on the livestream if I recall correctly.

I'm lucky my wrist is small, I would need to get a big clasp or have big knots otherwise.

Beautiful!!!

Personally I like the Takahashi pieces more than the other two. Better luster, etc.

 

[newtojewels]

Beautiful!!!

Personally I like the Takahashi pieces more than the other two. Better luster, etc.

Well the other two were definitely cheaper! You get what you pay for, right? It's Moline's AAA vs Takahashi's gem for the studs, too.

 

[NY_Resonant]

Well the other two were definitely cheaper! You get what you pay for, right? It's Moline's AAA vs Takahashi's gem for the studs, too.

Yea, I was surprised to see the gem studs beat the AAA moline that clearly on luster, especially since they are a bigger size. The general rule of thumb is same luster on a larger pearl means the larger pearl is higher quality.

My guess is one reason for the luster difference is because the AAA moline is a natural white? NW is rarer and it is hard to find NW pearls that match the luster of non-NW without going even higher the quality spectrum. I love the whiteness of NW on my wife’s skin tone though!

 

[newtojewels]

Yea, I was surprised to see the gem studs beat the AAA moline that clearly on luster, especially since they are a bigger size. The general rule of thumb is same luster on a larger pearl means the larger pearl is higher quality.

My guess is one reason for the luster difference is because the AAA moline is a natural white? NW is rarer and it is hard to find NW pearls that match the luster of non-NW without going even higher the quality spectrum. I love the whiteness of NW on my wife’s skin tone though!

I tried to take some photos side by side of the pair after giving everything a quick wash -- but it's so hard! This is the best I could do. Again, this is Moline AAA 7.5-8mm NW vs Takahashi Gem 8-8.5mm with standard treatment.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Wow the Takahashi take the cake. Makes me wish I wore earrings.

If you’re not convinced by studs, there’s lots of enhancer/drop designs out there! Added benefit that some of those type of designs allow for them to be worn as pendant charms too

 

[newtojewels]

I was looking through pearl earring settings and like both of these, though I recognize they're very different from each other!

Pearl Earrings E125

<p>14k white gold 0.16ct. VS G-H Diamond Pave Stiff Dangling 19mm Gypsy Pave 19mm Pearl Earrings With Gems for 8 - 10 Mm pearl size</p>

konigjewelry.com

Pearl Earrings E226

<p>14k white gold 0.28ct. VS G-H Diamond Prong Setting Stiff Dangling Pave Post &Back High End Tight Setting Diamond Pearl Earrings for Any pearl size</p>

konigjewelry.com

I already have a pair of cluster diamond and Paraiba studs so could make drops/enhancers to hang from them maybe...I don't own other studs in white metals.

 

[newtojewels]

Since no one has said they're sick of me yet, I just knotted up the bracelet! I had a small 18k yellow gold clasp that wasn't in use but will get something nicer in a white metal once I decide what to do with the earring pair. It was a nightmare to hook it on myself but the good news is that the bracelet length is actually great with knots! In case it's helpful to anyone else, this was 21 7.5-8mm pearls and my wrist is around 5.75"/14.6cm. I didn't measure the actual strand length but they said it was 6" on the livestream and I had no extra pearls. The clasp is a standard necklace lobster clasp and I can just get two fingers between the bracelet and my wrist.

I'm still a novice knotter, this was only my second time doing pearls and my 4th or 5th knotting project, so I'm pleased with how it came out! I used Beader's Secret #30 in Ivory and Medium Gold in the French wire, both from @Pattye's Etsy shop. How fun to get the pearls in the mail yesterday and have a finished bracelet a day later!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I could look at those all day!