3 strand fresh or akoya?

[bright&shiny]

Hello - I''m searching for pearls for my upcoming wedding. http://www.pricescope.com/idealbb/images/smilies/36.gif I''ve found a good deal at a B&M - but only if they are akoyas and not freshwaters. The store says they are akoyas, and though I know the sales person, she''s not the most informed when it comes to pearls. Does anyone know how to tell the difference between them visually?

Here are the details:

3 strands
graded 6mm - 10mm
nicely matched in color (white - with cream overtones)
virtually free from any surface imperfections (really clean)
Nacre seemed good
Luminosity varied from pearl to pearl, but was consistent within each pearl itself.
when I looked at Mikimoto studs to match, the necklace pearls came close (a little below, but not my much) to his A grade (some surpassed it, most did not).
The price point is about 1K.

Does anyone have an idea of how I can tell, with reasonable certainty, what I''m looking at?

 

[cushioncutnut]

Was it a graduated pearl necklace? Have you looked elsewhere for comparison? It is too hard to advise according to your description, but I would check into Pearl Paradise. com I am thrilled with the Akoyas that I purchased from them and they have a wonderful 90 day return policy...free ground shipping.

 

[bright&shiny]

Yes, it is graduated - 6mm to 10mm.

What could I add to the description to help?

I''ve been on all the sites listed in the forum threads, but this still can''t answer my question about being certain about what kind of pearls are in this necklace. As you might guess, I''m not certain they are akoyas - so I''m trying to find a way to discern the type of pearl - if that is possible.

Any help is gratefully accepted!

 

[pearlie]

What is it about this strand that makes you think they are not Akoya''s?

Akoya''s are known for being very round and very well matched, freshies are not. Akoya''s are bead nucleated, loup the pearl and look down the drill hole for the bead nucleus. Freshies are tissue nucleated.

Regardless, if you cannot believe the sales person when they tell you the type of pearl, that''s a trust deficit that cannot be over come. Why would they tell you otherwise, except to deceive?

The price is in the Akoya range. The size is in the Akoya range. It has been my experience that most jewelry stores only carry Akoya.

good luck

julie.

 

[Indylady]

Sometimes you can tell by the types of imperfections that akoyas and freshwaters have. On akoyas, sometimes the imperfections look a little like someone painted on the nacre, and there will be swirls and sometimes there will be a tail (though the tails are on barqoues). Freshies have different imperfections and tend to have rings...spend about 20 minutes looking at baroque akoyas and baroque freshies online and you''ll get an idea of what I''m talking about and might be able to tell the difference in your stand. That, or post a pic on here to see what others think.

 

[bright&shiny]

Excellent points! I''ll bring my loup when I look at them this week.

I don''t believe there is a deliberate attempt to deceive - simply a matter of the vendor being woefully undereducated in this matter - and I''m concerned they may be unintentionally misrepresenting the pearls.

Your question was excellent. I''ve had to put it into concrete terms to answer.... My concerns are:
Lack of documentation
Lack of lustre - as compared to my better pearls
Their main line is freshwater
Not all of them were perfectly round (but I know this can happen is lesser grades)
Gut feeling (completely not scientific, but sometimes it is informative)

Thank you for the feedback & question - it will definitely help me as I inspect them again!

 

[cushioncutnut]

I see... Is there any certification stating what kind of pearls they are? I guess that should have been my first question since you were concerned that the salesperson didn''t seem well versed when it came to pearls. My feeling is that when in doubt.......... I would go with someone who is a true pearl expert...and that is why I suggested Pearl Paradise.

 

[pearlie]

You do have some major points of concern.

Lack of documentation from the seller is nothing to be concerned about. When you make a purchase, the receipt will state the item. If you want an appraisal on these, it is best to have one done by an independant jewelry appraiser, and not one from the seller. Seller''s tend to write "feel good" appraisals by over-inflating the value, and then the buyer just ends up paying too much in insurance to cover the item.

Lack of luster is also not a telling point, as this can change dramatically from strand to strand, within the same pearl type.

However, if their main line is freshies, the salesperson is unsure, and they''re not round - now you have some serious concerns.

Lesser quality Akoya''s will have a very thin nacre coating (as seen down the drill hole), but they will still be round, because the nacre cells have something spherical to adhere to, unlike freshies.

Lower quality Akoya''s may display some surface imperfections, usually you can see what look like little bubbles under the pearly surface - but they will still be round.

Round-ish, kind of squished, off round.......this better describes freshies. Your gut is telling you something, trust yourself on this.

best of luck

julie.