This Husband needs Help!

[DavidGD]

Hi - I’d like to get my wife (32yrs old) her first real pearl necklace and matching earrings. I’ve been doing research for two months now and I’ve decided on 7.5-8mm Akoya pearls with white/silver tones.
Now the issue. This whole non-standard grading and massive variance in pricing has got me frozen.
I don’t know who to trust or where to buy from. I’ve looked at all the big sites, Pearls of Joy, PurePearls, Pearl Paradise and American Pearls. Right now it seems like the first three all are about the same price, American is about double. Oh, I’m looking at AAA rated ones. I can’t afford the ones from Mikimoto, but I want to make sure for her first real set she gets ones that are good quality and beautiful.
Can anymore point me in the right direction? I’d like to buy them before Christmas.
Sincerely, David

 

[seaurchin]

I've bought from the first three you mentioned and found them all to be trustworthy etc. Pearl Paradise is the largest of them so they may have more in stock.

AAA is a solid choice because it's high quality without paying the extra for the hanadama certification.

You could just order and return if not to your liking or ask them to email you photos of a few different strands to choose from first. If you request photos, feel free to post them here if you want for some of the pearly ladies to weigh in on. I personally have a hard time discerning differences in luster from photos but some of us here have a great eye for it.

A few more things to consider:

- 16 or 18 inch? 18 inch is probably the most common length and a safe choice if you're not sure. Unless you notice that your wife typically wears necklaces that are closer to choker length (but not that tight. If you google "pearl necklace lengths" you'll easily find examples, if you haven't already). In that case, you could also get the 16 inch length but ask for the matching pearls that would make it an 18 inch strand so she'd have that option and the pearls would match, if her preference ever changes.

-Metal color? For the clasp and earring metal, if you're not sure what she'd prefer, I'd go with whatever color her wedding set is (white, yellow or rose gold).

- Earrings- Just my opinion but if budget allows, I'd go up a size on the earring pearls. I think the set looks a little more substantial when the earrings stand out from from the strand a bit.

- Size- With pearls, bigger is nearly always better lol and we ladies tend to want larger pearls over time and with age. (Not sure if it's a status thing or a er changed body size thing or just a... thing). So if funds easily allow, I'm sure you wouldn't be amiss to go up a pearl size. However, 7.5-8.0mm is also fine and, I believe, the most common size sold. So just a thought there.

Good luck and please let us see what you get!

 

[DavidGD]

Thanks for the feedback.
I am looking at the 18” length with a yellow gold clasp.

Right now these are the prices I’m seeing for just the necklace.

Paradise - 1730
POJ - 1087
PurePearls - 959
PearlSource - 949
American Pearls - 2250

such a big variance for the same AAA rated 7.5-8mm Akoya necklace

 

[yssie]

Tell us more about her.

such a big variance for the same AAA rated 7.5-8mm Akoya necklace

It is. Unfortunately - as you already know - AAA from one vendor may well not be comparable to AAA from another vendor!

Tell us a bit more about your wife.
What colour is her skin and her hair?
How tall is she?
Does she wear a lot of yellow jewellery, generally? Or white metals? Rose gold?
Is she a #StudEarring sort of woman or does she always reach for dangles?

Agree with @seaurchin - I also like earrings to be a size or two larger than a necklace.

 

[DavidGD]

She’s fair skinned. Natural blonde hair and blue eyes. She enjoys wearing silver and yellow gold. Not a lot of rose gold. She’s 5’6” with a medium build. She wears both studs and dangle earrings.
Does one of these sellers typically have a more strict grading scale? Meaning I might get a better AAA.

 

[seaurchin]

They are not necessarily all the same though because there is no standard grading system for pearls. Instead, each vendor grades their pearls by their own system, so they'd assign their top grade to the best pearls they stock. One vendor's AAA might be another vendor's AA+.

So you really want to start with a trustworthy pearl vendor. I'm not a pro but have just bought a lot of pearls and would stick with any of the top three on your list. Yssie might have more suggested vendors for you. (I've only bought a couple of pairs of akoya earrings, both from Pearl Paradise, which I've been happy with).

You could ask more than one vendor for photos or even order a strand from each and send back the two you like the least. Or since it's Christmas time, it's possible they won't all have that size and quality in stock and that will narrow your list too.

It does get confusing! But I'm sure you'll end up with a lovely strand.

 

[yssie]

Of the vendors you are considering, I will suggest eliminating American Pearl. Between myself and multiple friends who have tried to purchase from American Pearl online only one transaction had no problems, and unfortunately when there is a problem you are liable to wind up with ignorant and pushy customer service. My understanding is that people generally have much better experiences purchasing in-person from this vendor.

I have bought from Pearl Paradise, Pure Pearls, and Pearls of Joy and been very happy. Pearl Paradise is my personal go to. They're the largest and therefore generally likely to have most inventory to select from.

Whichever vendor you choose to buy from, be sure to call or chat in - don't just buy off the website. If you tell the rep you speak with what your priorities are all these vendors will be happy to look at strands for you, and send you photos for review. In general the human eye values luster above all else - "luster" meaning "when you look into a pearl - how sharp are the reflections, and how contrasty are the reflections", so I strongly recommend specifying that you want the most lustrous strands available.

 

[seaurchin]

I don't understand the Pearl Paradise price because their 7.5-8.0mm size is quite a bit more than the other vendors but then it's only $178 to go up to 8.0-8.5mm. Or you could go down to 7.0-7.5mm and get a double strand for only $51 more. If you go with them, I'd consider one of those. A double strand looks a good bit more substantial imo. It looks like they also have some kind of special, $100 off or some such. Or maybe start with POJ and Pure Pearls.

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

That's so sweet of you! i have a Pearl Paradise AAA Akoya bracelet and I think it's very pretty and great for every day wear.

 

[bludiva]

I don't enough about pearls to help but just wanted to say it's very sweet that you're on here to make the most of this purchase

 

[lovedogs]

You came to the right place to ask for advice! Definitely listen to @yssie , she knows her stuff!

 

[DavidGD]

Thank you everyone! This is really terrific advise. She’s an amazing mother of 3 and a military veteran. She spends all her energy on the kiddos and her work, I just want to surprise her with something nice to show her how much we appreciate her.
I’ve reached out to Pearl Paradise so hopefully I can work with them to get a lovely set.
Im new to this forum, but you all have been so incredibly helpful, it means a lot.

 

[yssie]

Let us know what they come back with!

 

[Cinders]

What a wonderful thing to do for your wife---mostly coming to this forum for real-life advice! I will concur that @yssie is an amazingly sharp-eyed pearl expert.

I have many strands from Pearl Paradise & I've liked them all.

 

[DavidGD]

Ok. Paradise has been very responsive and helpful so far. They sent me some pics of 7.5-8mm AAA Akoya with white:silver tones like I asked. I’ve attached those.

The 7.5-8mm 18” is $1730 but the 8-8.5mm is $1908. I’m thinking the larger size is a better deal. What do you think @yssie ?

 

[yssie]

Yup. @seaurchin observed that the price for the 7.5-8 size is strangely high compared to the 8-8.5 size - or a 7-7.5 double strand.

1. The 7.5-8 strand looks very nice. If you have them pull 8-8.5, be sure to ask for at least one photo comparing this 7.5-8 with that new strand.
2. What do you think of going slightly larger (larger than the strand) on the studs?
3. Even if you decide to stay with 7.5-8 on the studs, have them pull an alternate pair. See how the right stud pearl is more pink than the left? This is an “overtone” (iridescence) difference. All pearls have a body colour - body of both of these is the usual akoya white. Nice pearls also have a soap-bubble like halo of colour termed “overtone”, and in this pair one pearl’s overtone is stronger pink than the other’s. Sometimes things that show up in photos won’t be nearly as noticeable in-person, but given the lighting these pictures were taken in we know that this overtone colour difference is likely to be visible in-person (depending on vision and colour perception of course). Easy to find out what else they’ve got.

 

[DavidGD]

Wow... thank you for that feedback. Geez I didn't even notice that difference!

I will definitely ask them to pull picture of the 8-8.5mm and compare against the other strand. I will also ask them to pull new earrings.

Is it typical to have the studs larger than the necklace? I'm really at your guidance here.

I'm also waiting to hear back from POJ. The cost is a lot lower on their AAA necklace.

 

[yssie]

I know that vendors often sell sets of necklace/bracelet/studs in the same size and I always wonder why! I personally MUCH prefer the look of slightly larger studs. Think 0.5-1mm bigger - so 7.5-8mm strand and either 8-8.5mm or 8.5-9mm studs.

Both Pearl Paradise and Pearls of Joy offer free returns. Unfortunately it can be incredibly challenging to compare nuances of quality between vendors, who have different stock and whose photography setups differ, so if you’re in a position to (and have time and energy to!) potentially buy both and choose in-person and return the other - that’s ideal.

 

[DavidGD]

POJ responded and let me know they will put in a request to pull some pictures for me. They did say it might take 24-48 hours though.

They pointed me to this set: https://www.pearlsofjoy.com/collect...-earring-set-7-5-8-0mm?variant=31735809409085

In total it would be nearly $1000 less than the same size set at Paradise

 

[lovedogs]

I agree that my preference is for studs to be larger than a pearl strand (if they are supposed to be a set). And of course @yssie noticed the difference in overtone of the studs, which NEVER would have occured to me until she said it. Now I can't unsee it haha.

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

Ok. Paradise has been very responsive and helpful so far. They sent me some pics of 7.5-8mm AAA Akoya with white:silver tones like I asked. I’ve attached those.

The 7.5-8mm 18” is $1730 but the 8-8.5mm is $1908. I’m thinking the larger size is a better deal. What do you think @yssie ?

I love it! I agree that I'd go slightly larger for the studs, but the strand is beautiful and I really like the silver tones!

 

[Bron357]

Don’t fret too much. You really can’t go wrong with following the experienced voices of advice here.
Trust me, you will astounded when you see them in person, as will your wife. A whole world of difference from what the local jeweller has on offer.
With the earrings, be mindful of her ear lobe size.
Me I have meaty ones and even a 12mm pearl looks lost. My daughter on the other hand has wee ear lobes, 6mm would be her max size.
How exciting.
What a wonderful husband you are, and I’m sure your wife already knows that!

 

[Cinders]

POJ responded and let me know they will put in a request to pull some pictures for me. They did say it might take 24-48 hours though.

They pointed me to this set: https://www.pearlsofjoy.com/collect...-earring-set-7-5-8-0mm?variant=31735809409085

In total it would be nearly $1000 less than the same size set at Paradise

The price of pearls varies wildly because there is no standardized grading across the board. That means each vendor is free to give their pearls any "grade" they choose. So, AAA vs. AAA is not actually comparing apples to apples. (I hope this makes sense & I hope it helps.)

 

[yssie]

POJ responded and let me know they will put in a request to pull some pictures for me. They did say it might take 24-48 hours though.

They pointed me to this set: https://www.pearlsofjoy.com/collect...-earring-set-7-5-8-0mm?variant=31735809409085

In total it would be nearly $1000 less than the same size set at Paradise

PP’s pricing for this size is pretty weird. I’m wondering if they’re of better than usual quality and are being priced as such or if… Pricing is just weird.

 

[molinePDG]

So.... for whatever it's worth -- 7.5-8mm is a popular size, for good reason. It's the second/third-ish most common size for akoya pearls to be, and is just "common" enough to be more affordable than 8mm+ sizes and also give a classic, wearable look on size.

Common recommendation is one size bracket larger for studs vs strand, but two brackets to be about 1mm larger on the earrings is a very nice look as well, if preference/budget dictates.

Along with earring size, pretty much anything under a 9mm stud is totally worry-free for ease of wear with a reasonably sized back.

Just wanted to chime in and say that you are a very thoughtful spouse to put effort and research into a purchase for your wife. Good luck!

 

[Pearlescence]

Prices for stock change...new stock at a higher or lower price depending on the market at the time of purchase, international currency exchange rates.

 

[DavidGD]

Got the pictures from POJ. As a whole I like customer service I’ve gotten from Paradise better. Don’t know if that just the person I’m working with or indicative of the company.
The pics are of AAA 7.5-8mm Akoya with the requested white and silver tones.
It might just be the quality of the photos, but these don’t look as nice as the Paradise ones to my untrained eye. What do you think?
The biggest difference remains price and determining if the Paradise set is worth the extra $900

 

[DavidGD]

Ok. Got the new pics from Paradise for their 8-8.5 necklace and earrings.
What do you think @yssie ?

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

As a complete Pearl newb, if you can swing the 8-8.5 size in your budget, I’d definitely go for that.

 

[DavidGD]

Just wanted to let everyone know I ordered the 8/8.5mm set from Paradise. Hope she likes them!!