Pricing & relationship between POJ & PurePearls?

[enbcfsobe]

So I was procrastinating and looking for a fun mother's day gift for myself. I've been looking at several of the recommended vendors and noticed something odd. POJ & PurePearls seem to have some of the same merchandise, down to identical pictures, but with very different pricing. I want to be clear -- this is not an accusation of ANYTHING -- it is just an inquiry from an inexperienced buyer trying to better understand the market.

Example 1:

http://www.purepearls.com/multi-grey-white-fwn-bq-opera-35-inch-endless.html

http://www.pearlsofjoy.com/36-Inch-Endless-Baroque-Pearl-Strand-60--130mm_p_400.html

While one says 35" and the other says 36" the stated sizes of the pearls are similar and the photos are identical. Why is the PurePearls one $104 more??

Example 2:

http://www.pearlsofjoy.com/18-Inch-Graduated-Pearl-Strand-60--110mm_p_401.html

http://www.purepearls.com/triple-graduated-white-fwn-6-11mm-18-inch-sterling.html

The PurePearls one lists as sold out but the price on the search results was $207 (a $75 difference).

Example 3:

http://www.purepearls.com/keshi-pearl-fwn-baroque-10-11mm-18-inch.html

http://www.pearlsofjoy.com/18-Inch-Genuine-Petal-Pearl-Strand-110mm_p_402.html

POJ lists the same item for $66 less.

I know that pricing takes a lot of things into consideration that buyers don't see, and I have no problem with sellers asking whatever they think is fair. I'm just trying to figure out if I am missing something. Are these sites related? Is it common to use stock photos? Are these less-expensive items actually made by 3d parties? Should I therefore be more wary of quality (obvs these are not top pearls -- more of a fun thing, but I'd still like to think I'm getting something slightly above costume quality)? Thanks for any insights!!

 

[pearlsngems]

My guess is that these are indeed stock items from a supplier, hence the same photo.

As all the vendors are holding sales, each has to decide how to price based on their inventory, what they are trying to move along, what they paid for it wholesale, etc. So-- good for you for checking. We should all check around before buying.

Offering jewelry at different price points meets the needs of a variety of buyers. Some items are going to be higher quality, some more for fun.

 

[Siameseroo]

I think that in this case, company size and buying power also affect price. From what I understand PoJ purchase in greater quantities and probably at lower prices. Hence they can pass the savings on to consumers. Pearl Paradise is larger again and often, but not always, stock similar items at lower prices, especially necklaces.

 

[pregcurious]

Wow, that is some impressive work! Here are pdfs of the webpages.

 

[pregcurious]

The last 2:

 

[pregcurious]

What's odd is that for the graduated strand, it says that it is a PoJ exclusive.

I wonder if PoJ makes these items and also offers them to PurePearls to sell?

I love these grey freshwater baroque pearls. Are they natural or dyed? Has anyone seen anything like this elsewhere?

 

[pearlsngems]

pregcurious,, the gray pearls are color treated (dyed.) Pure Pearls states this on their listing.

 

[katbran]

I can't comment on the OP as it's not allowed. I can comment on the grey pearls. All freshwater Grey or black pearls are dyed. Freshwater only come in white , pink/peach/salmon , lavender , purple. All shades of these colours . Grey and black freshwater pearls are dyed as the only way to get those colours for your jewelery is to go to the Tahitian range and that increases your costs most dramatically. So if you want to create an expensive look without the expense you use dyed pearls which are mostly very inexpensive.

I've never been a fan of dyed pearls but if you want a certain look without the cost of Tahitians it's the only way to go. And when I say they are inexpensive , I mean the vast majority are poor quality white pearls dyed to improve lustre . That said there are reasonably expensive dyed pearls ..where good pearls have been dyed to get a desired colour. I've seen dyed black 12mm round pearls that were over 200$ wholesale...they were gorgeous and I had to drag myself away.

 

[pregcurious]

I've seen dyed black 12mm round pearls that were over 200$ wholesale...they were gorgeous and I had to drag myself away.

Thanks Katbran, that sounds yummy.

 

[ennui]

Are silver freshwater pearls also dyed? I've often wondered. I know the deeper colors, yes, but not so sure about pearls that are slightly off-white. I know wSS can be a sort of platinum tone.

Kudos to the OP for comparison shopping. It can be time-consuming!

Aside from the difference in the sale prices, did anyone notice the differences in the retail value estimates?

 

[enbcfsobe]

Thanks for the thoughts! I figured it might be just a difference in pricing strategy, but it is so hard to tell.

Pregcurious -- I really like the color on those greys as well, even if they are dyed! It does look like they are pretty irregular, possibly with some flat sides. I liked the look of that strand because I honestly don't dress up that often, so I'd like something more casual and fun. I'm obsessed with the color of tahitians and the amazing shapes of the PP soufflé pearls but they are both WAY out of even the tiny imaginary budget that I've made up for myself.

ennui -- I've wondered the same thing about silver and grey. i think the lighter greys can be natural in freshwaters, including some freshwater keshi. i think the shiny silver are dyed, but i saw some crazy shiny silver tahitian keshi on one of the recommended ebay shops that claimed to be natural (but i guess those are saltwater?). i love grey and silver and silvery-blue-grey. i have a hematite bead necklace that I wear in the same situations where I would otherwise wear pearls (but I'm always a little sad that they aren't pearls, not the least because in the winter those beads get COLD).

 

[pregcurious]

enbcfsobe, have you considering buying a souffle just for earrings and a pendant? A large souffle on a pendant can have a lot of presence, and the smaller souffles are great for earrings because they are hallow and not too heavy. Here's my set:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/souffle-set.211680/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/souffle-set.211680/[/URL]

 

[enbcfsobe]

pregcurious -- your set is gorgeous! I have considered going that route based on seeing yours before (though I haven't gone as far as pricing it out with PP). i'm trying to make sure i buy something that has a totally different look to the delicate diamond solitaire i usually wear, so even though a single soufflé would have much bigger presence, i'm not sure i want to do another single-focus necklace that i would tend to wear in the same type of situations. i guess that's why i was looking at strands even though they are pricier than pendants generally. i'm considering some sort of baroque or keshi opera-length rope that i could double with a shortener. but i'm kind of all over and not really sure that i can justify any more purchases after buying martini studs earlier this year. i did get my pearl dangle jackets too, although i went a really inexpensive route for those (I'll update that thread at some point with pics). sigh. too much beautiful jewelry, too little [ETA disposable income]. first world problems though, i guess.

 

[katbran]

There are grey Salt Water pearls ... White South Sea pearls can sometimes be a silvery grey or silvery blue - Tahitians can be all shades of grey ... from white to dark grey and black ..... and Akoya I know are not naturally black - they are definitely dyed if they are black. The Akoya can be silvery grey or silvery blue . (though I don't know a great deal about the Akoya as I don't buy them)

But if you are talking about Freshwater pearls..they are not really Grey ... I've had some lavender ones that were very pale and actually looked grey ..until you put them on a grey background .. then you could see the lavender/grey . But if you are talking about a true solid grey colour .. then they are dyed, usually a light to mid grey is very common.

 

[enbcfsobe]

maybe a stupid question -- will the dye come off eventually? or does it depend on the process used?

 

[ennui]

I don't think the dye can come off (it's not like dyeing fabric). I have seen some comments from people who say the color fades or changes, but that has not been my experience. Maybe it has to do with whether people leave their pearls out, or store them away from sunlight.

There are some blue baroque Akoyas in the marketplace that are dyed, which is why I like our vendors who sell the natural blues.

 

[pearlsngems]

My understanding is also that the dye is permanent and non-transferable.