Has anyone else felt disappointment......

[ladyzee]

when they have opened the box of their new pearls and felt the colour was so different than what they had seen in the photo? I find specifically with lighter colour strands that they just seem so pale IRL. I love deeper, more vivid shades and they tend to look like that in the picture yet totally different in person. Any suggestions? Should I ask the vendors to do outdoor shots, indoor shots? Does any camera savvy person know what setting would make the pearls look very close to what they should be so I can avoid that moment of disappointment when I open the box??

 

[NacreLover]

Are you a member of PearlGuide? They have a thread on this subject where ladies posted the glamor shots given by the vendor then they took photos of the same pearls to show the difference (if there was any difference) . The type of light in the room and the bulbs used can be a factor. I do know I can rarely get pearls to look like they do in when set in the light box at Pearl Paradise for glamor shots for instance. Although I can set my pearls in their lightbox at Pearl Paradise and use my own camera to make similar shots.

I have seen vendors on ebay which had to have digitally color enhanced their photos. There is NO way they were naturally that color.

 

[ladyzee]

Thanks so much for that suggestion, I will go over and register! I guess in the future I should just assume that the colour could most likely not be as deep and vivid as the photo suggests, therefore I won't be disappointed.

 

[baby monster]

I never received pearls that looked exactly like vendor photos. It helps to look at other posters' pictures showing comparison between vendor and regular photos. There are threads here and on other forum, as NL suggested. Actually buying and seeing IRL also helps calibrate expectations, even if you have to return some.

 

[ladyzee]

Great advice, just a little difficult because I don't live in the US where most of the vendors that I purchase from have their showrooms.
No question that reading these forums gives valuable info and I will adjust my expectations of colour when I order. Thanks again!

 

[Pattye]

Ladyzee,

So many times when buying on the net, particularly on ebay, I had this same experience. What I learned:

The photo may not be of the actual item for sale. If the seller is offering 10 or 20 of the same thing, you know it is a stock photo.

Pearls do show different color/overtones in changing light conditions. I use a light box too, but always hope the pearls look better IRL.

Especially with colored pearls, communicating with the seller via chat or phone when possible, increases your chances of getting what you want, and understanding if they can meet your expectations.

Baby Monster's suggestion to see as many pearls as possible IRL is excellent.

 

[Begonia]

All. The. Time.

Drives me crazy. Happens to everyone who gives glamour shots it seems. I'm tempted to ask them to just take them outside and use their cheapest camera, cuz that's what they are gonna look like when I open the box!

Somewhat misleading when it comes to pearls.

I've had glamour shots where my pearls have not once looked (in real life), under any lighting conditions, like the shot. This, from the big names that are mentioned here too.

Just sayin'

 

[pearlsngems]

I agree with the above posts. Pearls are hard to photograph well and vendors need a way to photograph that produces consistent lighting results no matter what the weather and natural lighting is that day in their studio. The light box gives consistent results.

But we don't live in a light box; the light in our homes is bound to produce different results visually, particularly for colored pearls, which may seem lighter or less varied as to overtone colors (e.g. green tones over lavender, which some pearls show). In addition, black velvet is quite unflattering to many pearls. So that moment of opening the box can fizzle. That moment is not the time to think about returning the strand!

The thing to do is to take them out of the box and look at them in different kinds of lighting. Go all around your house with them as well as outdoors. Look at them in difuse light. Look near an open door. Look on a cloudy day, or on a bright day in the shade. Take a drive and see how they look when you are someplace else. Give yourself at least a few days to see how they look under different lighting conditions.

Only then decide whether they suit you.

When I received the multicolored strand that is now my favorite necklace, I thought about sending it back the moment I opened the black velvet box. It didn't take long for my opinion to change, though!

 

[HHPmom]

You've received lots of good feedbacks from the others already. I'll just add a little of my two cents. I've always compensate for the website shots by expecting the IRL product to be lighter, or not as saturated. So I sort of put the picture in my head that the product is couple shades lighter IRL.

 

[icy_jade]

I was often disappointed when I first started buying online too! But over time, I do understand that glamour shots being what they are, tend to show the best side. There are some vendors who do take more true to life pics, especially the smaller outfits so I agree it takes some practice to read the pictures as more experienced PS-ers have mentioned - I've learnt to discount most of the vendor pics that I see. When I shop online, I also try to look out for signs of photoshop/colour enhancement/etc in the photos.

Also based on past experience, I find that in pics the surface blemishes and off-rounds may not be as obvious due to camera angle and lighting. IRL could be really disappointing, so the description really really matters - if the description says off-round, then expect off-rounds and not rounds no matter how nice the vendor pic is. And vendor pics rarely will show how bad the blemishes are. E.g. pits for tahitians. Also overtones vs body colour makes a diff. I think IRL, the overtones are rarely as gorgeous since we can't replicate the right lighting conditions? Body colours tend to be more consistent tho.

To be fair, even in pics that I've taken vs IRL, I do find that sometimes the colors seem more intense, perhaps cos I am more careful re: taking in decent lighting condition. Also the pearls can look wildly different in artificial vs natural lighting. And I am just using iPhone without any photoshop, what more those with professional equipment?

 

[ladyzee]

Thank you all for your feedback and suggestions. Everything I have purchased over the years have been with wonderful vendors who have outstanding quality and reputation. No issues whatsoever. I have just recently started purchasing more metallic strands and am fInding with the lighter shades (vs darker Tahitians) there is more of a discrepancy in the depth of colour from pictures provided then with the strand in person.

 

[alice87]

With PP my experience is the photo I get from PP is much lighter in color than the item I receive in the mail.
With tahitians I could not even see the color from the photo on any photo I made myself in any possibly light (day light, night light, table lamp, flourescent light, any). The closest resemblance I got to the PP photo was on intense sunny day, making photos outside. Even when it was not an exact match.
With metallic pearls it worked great for me, because I already knew the the color I will get would be much darker.
On ebay I purchased "golden" pearl earrings. Well, the seller sent me a pink one. Because of the price it made no sense to send them back, but the photo did not even resemble earrings real color. They were obviously gold, and described as gold. In reality they were plain pink earrings. No match.
I don't know what to recommend here.
I find it hard to photograph pearls. Actually iphone and daylight seem to be better for pearls than macrolense and a good camera. Funny, yes!

 

[pearlsngems]

...
I have just recently started purchasing more metallic strands and am fInding with the lighter shades (vs darker Tahitians) there is more of a discrepancy in the depth of colour from pictures provided then with the strand in person.

Yes, the colored metallic pearls look much less saturated and different from each other in strong light than they do in diffuse light. I have one strand that looks more or less uniformly silvery in anything other than subtle lighting-- but in subtle light all the Easter egg-like colors pop out.

I think this must be because, being metallic, they reflect light-- whereas colors show more when light is absorbed.

 

[seaurchin]

when they have opened the box of their new pearls and felt the colour was so different than what they had seen in the photo? I find specifically with lighter colour strands that they just seem so pale IRL. I love deeper, more vivid shades and they tend to look like that in the picture yet totally different in person. Any suggestions? Should I ask the vendors to do outdoor shots, indoor shots? Does any camera savvy person know what setting would make the pearls look very close to what they should be so I can avoid that moment of disappointment when I open the box??

Definitely. I think photos taken in natural filtered sunlight look closest to the real thing. It helps also when they try to describe the color accurately in words as well. I believe Catherine Cardellini (Australia, freshwaters) is one who takes her photos that way rather than doing the glamour shot lightbox thing or representative photo. I haven't bought any pearls from her myself, though.

http://www.catherinecardellinipearls.com/

Also, Indosea Pearls, (Indonesia, south sea pearls) who I have bought from and been very happy with. I know there are more but I can't think of them right now. Maybe someone else can.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/IndoSeaPearls

 

[ladyzee]

I agree, that Catherine does give a full description of the colour along with many photos. I just wish, and Catherine if you are by chance you are reading this, would it be possible to get one of those neck and shoulder mannequins showing how the strand looks on the neck. Catherine's pictures do show a more accurate colour. Anything I have received from her is very close to her photos.

 

[mrs taylor]

I've been quite lucky in this regard and everything I've received has been very close to photos. If not close, better. I absolutely understand the frustration though.

 

[bsomlo]

Pearl vendor pictures are a challenge, indeed.

I bought a multi-color strand which showed as having a wide variety of very contrasting colors in the picture. When it arrived, I opened the box and at first glance the whole strand looked pale pink. My first thought was that the wrong necklace had been sent.

Then I took it out, put it on white paper, walked around with it -- and voila! There were the colors! But more subtle and muted than in the pictures. It's a lovely necklace that I wear and enjoy -- but it's the pale sister of the necklace in the vendor photo.

However, a lavender triple strand I ordered was darker than I anticipated.

For me, it goes both ways -- some strands are lighter, some are darker, and all have been different than I anticipated.

I've decided it's part of the fun and intrigue! You can always return or exchange...

 

[Begonia]

Pearl vendor pictures are a challenge, indeed.

I bought a multi-color strand which showed as having a wide variety of very contrasting colors in the picture. When it arrived, I opened the box and at first glance the whole strand looked pale pink. My first thought was that the wrong necklace had been sent.

Then I took it out, put it on white paper, walked around with it -- and voila! There were the colors! But more subtle and muted than in the pictures. It's a lovely necklace that I wear and enjoy -- but it's the pale sister of the necklace in the vendor photo.

However, a lavender triple strand I ordered was darker than I anticipated.

For me, it goes both ways -- some strands are lighter, some are darker, and all have been different than I anticipated.

I've decided it's part of the fun and intrigue! You can always return or exchange...

Well yes, and no.

Most of my orders are from outside of my country, and it is a pain to pay the taxes and duty, return the merchandise and then have to collect that back from the gov't.

It is part of the charm, but...

 

[bsomlo]

Begonia, yes, that makes it much harder.

 

[seaurchin]

Just speaking for myself, I am very much less likely to purchase in the first place when I can't get that natural daylight photo of those particular pearls. I find returns rather annoying, disappointing, and expensive. Pearls are tricky, but also I think there are just far more so-so pearls out there than wonderful ones. I have so many now that I've gotten pickier. Sometimes I'll buy three, thinking I'll send the "lesser" two back. But that's usually only if it's a unusual pearl and/or close-out price to begin with, and I factor the return cost in. I trust more with white pearls, since in my experience, less has "gone wrong" with them.

 

[ladyzee]

The return factor is a pain. By the time you claim back taxes and duties it can be upwards of 2 months, and then you have couriers like Fedex charging their brokerage fees etc.... I think the most realistic pictures are of people wearing the strands in different types of lighting. That for me is the best frame of reference of colour and size. i really appreciate seeing all the modelling pictures on this forum.
Bsomlo, your lavender triple strand is gorgeous!! If I may ask, what were the size of the pearls and was it a purchase from PP??

 

[bsomlo]

ladyzee -- It's funny that you are referencing that triple strand. That is the very necklace I went to bed saying "I'll return them tomorrow". Then I woke up, saw them on my make-up table and laughed knowing I would NEVER return them!

I didn't know this at the time -- but you can choose from three shades of lavender. Light, medium and dark. Mine are dark and sometimes even look brown (and blue and pink). They are AAA (not gem or freshadama), 7.5 to 8 mm and I bought them at PP. I chose a yellow gold clasp and have wished I'd chosen white gold ever since.

 

[ladyzee]

Bsomlo I think you made a great choice, they would make my heart sing!! I suspect the gold clasp is quite complimentary to the deeper shade of lavender, but at any time you can have it changed. Thanks for mentioning about the different shades available, I will keep it in mind!!

 

[alice87]

Pearl vendor pictures are a challenge, indeed.

I bought a multi-color strand which showed as having a wide variety of very contrasting colors in the picture. When it arrived, I opened the box and at first glance the whole strand looked pale pink. My first thought was that the wrong necklace had been sent.

Then I took it out, put it on white paper, walked around with it -- and voila! There were the colors! But more subtle and muted than in the pictures. It's a lovely necklace that I wear and enjoy -- but it's the pale sister of the necklace in the vendor photo.

However, a lavender triple strand I ordered was darker than I anticipated.

For me, it goes both ways -- some strands are lighter, some are darker, and all have been different than I anticipated.

I've decided it's part of the fun and intrigue! You can always return or exchange...

Well yes, and no.

Most of my orders are from outside of my country, and it is a pain to pay the taxes and duty, return the merchandise and then have to collect that back from the gov't.

It is part of the charm, but...

It is true. After my order from ebay from a vendor, who got raving reviews all other internet, I am not willing to order pearls from ebay again, because of the shipping charges (I believe they are reasonable), and inability to make a return too.

 

[eloisegirl]

I have to say, I did not think the PP metallic white pearl pictures do justice to the reality of them. So this is an opposite experience, where the pearls look BETTER than the photos. But I also hear you all on the buying online thing - shipping and customs to Canada is a huge pain in the rear. (What happened to Free Trade?) I would not want to have to ship things back and forth and pay all those extra charges.

 

[alice87]

Just an example of vendor photo and actual photo.
I got one pearl initially, and have a pendant. Love it!
When I decided to make a ring out of the second one. It turn out to be a disaster. PP was great about return, but I would of really appreciate if I would of been warn about pearl condition per se (this is the only photo of all pearls together I saw before purchasing it). I consider it very unattractive and I would definitely not even consider purchasing it if I saw "the side" pictures.
The pearl I have - i am basically in love with it.
The Edison pearls were described as button pearls.
This "Saturn" type of ring around the pearl does not really make it a button shaped IMHO. Call it baroque, free form...
To be precise I don't exactly remember it is H or I pair. It is one of them.

 

[alice87]

one more photo.
I think it is "I" and pearls are different in color too.
Think about glamour shots after that

 

[baby monster]

PP does have a redeeming quality, which is ease of returns. I'd agree this pearl is not a button.

I'm also feeling a bit peeved at this moment at PP. I asked for earrings to match my tahitian strand and they were going to ship them without even showing me the pictures of the pair they picked. Seems to be an odd way of selling matching earrings with no advance feedback from buyer.

 

[bsomlo]

baby monster -- Did you end up getting photos? What did you think of what they'd chosen? That sounds very unusual for PP...

 

[baby monster]

Yes, I got a picture after I asked for the package to be pulled back from shipping, but no, I don't think it matches my strand, unless the lighting is off. Haven't gotten any response to my follow-up yet.