I want to spend about $1,800 on a string of pearls

[hmwrk]

Hello all,
I thought I would get some opinions here on a string of pearls for a Christmas gift. I have done a little research and seems like my posibilities are Akoya or Fresh water. Freshdama seems like pretty nice stuff. Prolly better than most stuff at the jewery counter no? My wife is discriminating and I would like this to be something that looks great for her whole life and fought over when she dies. 18 inch string of some standard type pears for $1,800, what would be the best value for the money?

Thanks for such a cool site.

 

[NacreLover]

http://www.pearlparadise.com/9095-mm-White-Freshadama-Freshwater-Pearl-Set757.aspx
Looks like you could get a whole set for under your budget price. 9-9.5mm are huge and will be statement pearls.

 

[hmwrk]

That looks like an awesome set of pearls. I really like the classic look and the sound of them being show stoppers or making a statement. The 18 inch is just a little more. Do you think these will look good next to an Akoya set of pears? Before I pull the trigger do you think I should look at any other places for comparison?

 

[innerkitten]

You can. I like Pearl Paradise. I know some people have used Pearls of Joy and The Pearl Outlet. There are more but I just can't think of any right now. But other people might have more suggestions.

 

[NacreLover]

Does she already have pearls you are trying to match these into?

One thing I love about shopping at PP is the accuracy of their grading scale. If they say they are round and spotless they will be. I know their team goes over each strand of the Freshadama and Handama to make sure each pearl is perfect.

If you are trying to match your strand into a pair of akoya earrings she may already have, you may want to buy a akoya strand. If so, are the pearls pinked with a rose`overtone, silver overtone or cream.
http://www.pearlparadise.com/18inch-7075-mm--White-Hanadama-Akoya-Pearl-Necklace-2253.aspx

The nice thing with a set, they are already matched.

You can see the different types of pearls here and colors that akoyas come in .

http://www.pearlparadise.com/pearlqualityguide.html

 

[chipahoy]

I would suggest pure pearls as another option. Ashley has a great eye and picks up very pretty pearls based on your requirements. I highly Pearl paradise too!

 

[hmwrk]

This is really helping me! She does not have any pearls at the moment so this will be her first set!

 

[NacreLover]

Perhaps you should learn more about the pearls before you buy. Here is the link to Pearl Guide. The types are catagorized for easy reading. http://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/index.php

 

[innerkitten]

Those akoyas are really nice ones. But I'm thinking if you really want them to last a lifetime that freshwater pearls might be easier to take care of.