New to Pearls

[kama_s]

Hi guys,

I am relatively new to pearls - I just have a few strands that were passed on to me by family and a Tahitian pearl set I bought when we were in French Polynesia. I bought a pair of small studs from a high end jewelry store (Canadian version of Tiffany) a few years ago, but to my horror, the nacre is peeling off.
'
Hence, I'm in the market for new white everyday studs. I'd like to get two: a pair pf tiny (approximately 5.5mm) studs and another around 7-8mm (not entirely sure, but I think I'm leaning towards 7-7.5mm. I haven't tried various sizes so I don't know how they would look on me).

Sooo, I have a few questions for you ladies:

1- Where to buy? I was looking at Pearl Paradise, but they don't care any Freshadama in the 7-7.5mm range. Nor do they carry anything in the 5.5mm range.
2- Akoya or Freshadama? What are the difference?
3- Anything else i need to ask/look out for?

Thank you!!

 

[kama_s]

This must be a PS record. A total of 44 views and no responses. I guess I'll take my chances then

 

[movie zombie]

hi, also relatively new. hopefully, someone will answer your specific questions.....

how long have you had the pear/s that are shedding nacre? seems odd to me but, hey, i'm also new to pearls.

 

[jeweln]

Hi KAMA S ,
you can email pearl paradise about what you are looking for ,sometimes they have items that are not listed .I read about white metallic fresh water pearls and I emailed them about a necklace ( it was not listed on their site ,only colored metallics are ) they emailed back saying they have 1 strand left so I bought it for the same price as the colored ones .it is beautiful . then recently I was interested in a mixed south sea pearl necklace and I asked them to mix half of 2 strands from their site for me and they did ,again beautiful .
as far as I know Akoyas are bead nucleated ,and freshadamas are pure nacre .but the Akoys have a sharper luster and are much more expensive .personally I prefer fresh water or freshadamas because there is no issue of peeling ( only nacre underneath) .

 

[portoar]

I'm not a pearl expert, but here goes:

Akoya vs Freshwater. Akoya pearls are cultured saltwater pearls from Japan. They are bead nucleated, and the better the quality, the more luster (sharp shininess they will have). Also, the better quality pearls will have thicker nacre than poor quality Akoyas. For example, if you go to PP's website, they have Hanadamas, which are supposedly the highest grade of Akoya pearl. To be a Hanadama, they have to be near perfect (no pearl is perfect) and have nacre of at least 4 millimeters thickness. If the nacre on your pearls from the "high end" store (Birks?) is peeling off already, they weren't very high quality pearls.

Each saltwater oyster only produces one bead nucleated pearl.

Freshwater pearls are grown from freshwater oysters. Most of the freshwater pearl farms are in China. Unlike Akoya pearls, freshwater pearls are not bead nucleated. A small amount of tissue is inserted into the oyster, thus they are 100% nacre. The highest quality of freshwater pearl is called Freshadama (not sure if that's a universal term or a Pearl Paradise term). They can rival Akoya pearls for luster and quality. As I understand it, up to 30 pearls can be grown in a single oyster. Freshwater pearls are less expensive than Akoya pearls.

I would call/email PP and ask if they have anything in the size you want. They have a lot of inventory that isn't on their website.

I have Mikimoto Akoya pearls (not their top quality), Pearl Paradise freshwater pearls, and freshwater pearls from a high end jeweler here in the US. I love the PP pearls, prices and service can't be beat.

 

[NacreLover]

kama s, PP has pearls that are not on their site. I would call and inquire. You could also ask for a photo of Freshadama and Hanadama or akoya/freshwaters in the same shot. Their photographer is wonderful and you could see the difference for yourself prior to taking the plunge and buying.

 

[kama_s]

Thanks for reading and responding! I appreciate all the advice/recommendations.

MZ: I've had this old pair for around 4 years now. Not too old, but not recent either.

Jeweln, NacreLover: I did end up e-mailing PP, they said they could find some in my size range! Thanks for the information on the differences between the two. I think I'm leaning towards freshadamas, but will request for a side-by-side shot.

 

[kama_s]

I'm not a pearl expert, but here goes:

Akoya vs Freshwater. Akoya pearls are cultured saltwater pearls from Japan. They are bead nucleated, and the better the quality, the more luster (sharp shininess they will have). Also, the better quality pearls will have thicker nacre than poor quality Akoyas. For example, if you go to PP's website, they have Hanadamas, which are supposedly the highest grade of Akoya pearl. To be a Hanadama, they have to be near perfect (no pearl is perfect) and have nacre of at least 4 millimeters thickness. If the nacre on your pearls from the "high end" store (Birks?) is peeling off already, they weren't very high quality pearls.

Each saltwater oyster only produces one bead nucleated pearl.

Freshwater pearls are grown from freshwater oysters. Most of the freshwater pearl farms are in China. Unlike Akoya pearls, freshwater pearls are not bead nucleated. A small amount of tissue is inserted into the oyster, thus they are 100% nacre. The highest quality of freshwater pearl is called Freshadama (not sure if that's a universal term or a Pearl Paradise term). They can rival Akoya pearls for luster and quality. As I understand it, up to 30 pearls can be grown in a single oyster. Freshwater pearls are less expensive than Akoya pearls.

I would call/email PP and ask if they have anything in the size you want. They have a lot of inventory that isn't on their website.

I have Mikimoto Akoya pearls (not their top quality), Pearl Paradise freshwater pearls, and freshwater pearls from a high end jeweler here in the US. I love the PP pearls, prices and service can't be beat.

Thank you so much for the info! I did, indeed, get my crappy little pearls from Birks. And I paid almost 2x what I would be paying for bigger, better pearls from PP. My first and last purchase at Birks. I have a Mikimoto pearl pendant I received 10 years ago on my 18th birthday and it was heavily abused. Still looks just as lovely as it did when I first got it. Ah well, you live you learn.

Thanks, once again, for the great advice.

 

[movie zombie]

if its only been 4 years and you didn't wear them 24/7 i'd take them back to Birks if indeed it was Birks you got them from. but that's me, the pushy californian! been into Birks and think they are overpriced on so many things.

 

[kama_s]

if its only been 4 years and you didn't wear them 24/7 i'd take them back to Birks if indeed it was Birks you got them from. but that's me, the pushy californian! been into Birks and think they are overpriced on so many things.

I thought about doing that, but I don't have the receipt and I don't see any markings on the earring post either. So not sure how I'd prove it to them.

 

[movie zombie]

no box? what about credit card statement? grasping at straws here i know.......go in and see if they're still selling the same thing?

 

[kama_s]

no box? what about credit card statement? grasping at straws here i know.......go in and see if they're still selling the same thing?

I don't think my online CC statements go back that far! I will check for box...I may have kept it given it's a fairly sturdy box. I actually never keep the original jewelry boxes (not even my Tiffany or Hermes, I hate clutter). Silly, I know. I'm thinking I'm probably going to have to chalk it down to a life experience. Thankfully it wasn't too expensive a lesson - they were around $150.

 

[movie zombie]

yes, sometimes there are life learning lessons.........at least this one wasn't "expensive"!! good attitude, kama