Luster of Tahitians vs Akoyas

[tara3056]

Hi everyone!

I have a pair of 7.5-8.0mm Natural White Hanadama studs from Pearl Paradise, and I love them. With the Mother's Day sale they were running recently, I ordered a pair of 8.0-9.0mm Tahitian studs with a Peacock overtone.

In comparing the two pairs, the luster and play of color on the Hanadamas kind of blow the Tahitians out of the water. The Tahitians I ordered were AAA quality with "intense" luster, but I'm not blown away by them. My Hanadamas look like shimmery balls of light on my lobes; the Tahitians look pretty but they don't quite have that mirror-like shine... more satin-y. I don't have very much experience with good Tahitians (this is my first pair). Is it an issue of having too high of expectations because of my other pair - i.e. do Tahitians not generally compare well to Akoyas in terms of luster? Or should I return them and try to find a 'better' pair?

Thanks for your input!

 

[NacreLover]

I don't know where you purchased them and there is no universal grading system. That being said Tahitians many times are more satiny and only higher quality will have a glossy luster. Here is a link of Tahitians and akoyas together. Do yours look like this?
http://www.pearlparadise.com/AltView.aspx?id=4742&LargeWidth=709

 

[tara3056]

NacreLover - Thanks for your reply. Both pairs came from Pearl Paradise. My Tahitians do not look as good as the ones in the pic you posted, but my Hanadamas certainly do. The Hanadamas are super-shiny and I can pick out the different colors that play across their surface. The PP Tahitians are satiny and the colors less obvious.

 

[NacreLover]

Tara, I have satiny Tahitians and also glossy luster. I really am drawn to Tahitians with obvious overtones of other colors. The Tahitian/akoya strands have obvious overtones. Perhaps you could call and ask for a glamor shot of three strands to consider. If you want overtones of a certain shade you will have to ask if they have that in stock. They want you thrilled with your purchase because happy customers are their best advertising. Let us know what happens. NL

 

[alice87]

I asked for pictures when I ordered earrings. I've got picture for three pairs, in the same peacock overtone, with AA and AAA quality. All three pairs were very different from each other.
It is weird with Tahitian's color, but I could see the pictured color only in bright light.
I like my earrings, they are AA quality. But they are more darker than the color on the picture, if it is not sunny outside. And Seattle is not a sunny city...
I was happy with their shape, color, size and everything, but I was experimenting, just to find out how did they look greenish on PP photo, and not so much on my photos (and when I look at them). As I mentioned before, in one of the sunny days I catch the exact same color that I saw on the PP photo.
My understanding is the color on the photo is lighter compare to the actual color. Because the photo was made under the bright light.
My earrings are kind of satiny looking too. But they are AA. I choose color and I didn't want blemishes, at least not many of them.
The pendant I got initially had a great luster, and a great peacock color, almost as good as I can hope for. But they had several blemishes, and it was a baroque pearl.
I looked at other earrings at brick and mortar stores, and the pendant I got before them and they had much more luster, but were AAA quality.
I guess if you want everything in one package, high luster, great representative color, no blemishes, they would probably cost much more. When I looked at Mikimoto Tahitian's they look as I would like them to look, but the price point is very different.