admiring this supearl necklace from generalpearl

[catintern]

found it on the generalpearl jp website. I can't afford anything like this right now, but *sigh* I'd thought you'd all appreciate how beautiful it is. costs ¥ 1,600,000 but blows mikimoto, moline, takahashi and literally anything else out of the water i'd say.

I'd been trying to figure out how to use buyee/tenso for necklaces, but I might as well buy a ticket to japan at this point

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Japan does look like a fascinating holiday destination

 

[dk168]

That necklace costs nearly twice the amount of my spec'ed holiday to Japan in 2025!

I shall continue to play the lottery!

DK

 

[dk168]

I like to wear nicer clasp on the side too, rather than at the back.

DK

 

[nojs]

It’s gorgeous!! But unfortunately I don’t have an extra 12000 USD laying around for a nice strand of pearls

 

[athenaworth]

Holy cow those are amazing!

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

Wooooooweeee! Now this is spectacular!

 

[finerthings]

That is a beautiful pearl necklace!

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

Whoooaaaaaaaa.
I was confused thinking, well, where's the pearls?!
I thought those were metal beads at first.

 

[lucida818]

Jaw dropping
The mirror like lustre is so unbelievable
It’s always nice to have a beautiful diamond clasp

 

[yssie]

OMG sorry to jump ship for a mo but Supearl tahitian!! From 2020 apparently!! So THIS is where that photo is from, I’ve seen it in a whole bunch of places over the internet!!

【認定番号S5833】特選真珠サパール認定品 黒蝶真珠ルース11mm | GENERAL PEARL

 

[Kim N]

Outrageously beautiful.

 

[diamondyes]

Outrageously beautiful.

This is my new favourite description term.

 

[lovedogs]

Question for experts like @yssie and those who have gotten insanely gorgeous strands lately (e.g. @Boom ), do you think something like this is higher quality than what is offered from Takahashi? @Boom 's necklace is one of the prettiest things I've ever seen, and it's hard to tell whether this is of similar quality.

【先行予約販売・シルバー製クラスプ仕様】特選真珠グランパール認定品 越物アコヤ真珠6.5-7mm | GENERAL PEARL 大卸の真珠ショップ本店

 

[yssie]

I’ve never seen PEPCA certed akoya before so I don’t know

I will say that my Granpearl GSS is nice but not top tier. Which makes me leery of Granpearl anything. Whereas MTG’s Supearl WSS really IS special.

Confounding factor: SS and akoya are obviously different and Japan is the akoya motherland, so maybe PEPCA is harder on akoya than other pearl types (meaning that even Granpearl akoya are genuinely incredible)….

No idea!

 

[dk168]

I'd better start a saving plan for my trip to Japan in 2025 if I were to get anything nice!

DK

 

[catintern]

Question for experts like @yssie and those who have gotten insanely gorgeous strands lately (e.g. @Boom ), do you think something like this is higher quality than what is offered from Takahashi? @Boom 's necklace is one of the prettiest things I've ever seen, and it's hard to tell whether this is of similar quality.

【先行予約販売・シルバー製クラスプ仕様】特選真珠グランパール認定品 越物アコヤ真珠6.5-7mm | GENERAL PEARL 大卸の真珠ショップ本店

I'm sooo glad everyone is enjoying this much as I am!! <3

I'm no expert but I just wanted to add my 2 cents. From my own research on the eastern pearl market in general. The most valued color is an almost blue/silver-pink tone which they call pure white followed by pink-green, pink, and cream (hints of yellow). The more translucent the pearl the cheaper it is. I bought some small pearl farmers in Japan through etsy, and also inquired through takahashi. While the pearls they sent me were nice, and good quality compared to what you can find on western pearl sellers...it is nothing like you'd find locally through japanese pearl wholesalers. Takahashi offered me a pretty "tennyo" quality necklace (pink with tones of green/yellow, average teri or luster), but for the same price at this wholesaler I could get an even better quality tennyo for 40% less price. Even the pearl farm on etsy sells better quality pearl on their rakuten page compared their etsy page. So I think part of this is just demand in the japanese market for perfection.

Also after some thought, using an exporting service is probably not the best idea for such an expensive item. Generalpearl will ship it to the exporter, but makes no guarantee of its safe delivery. I tried a small test purchase and they cancelled my order saying they will ship it if paid directly via debit or bank transfer, not credit card.

If my Japan 2023/2024 trip comes into fruition, I'll definitely stop by ginza and generalpearl and share my pearl adventure with everyone

Someone who knows Japanese feel free to correct me on the following:
From what I've read I think this company, generalpearl has a few members through the Japan Pearl Export Processing Cooperative Association that do PEPCA certification and the PSL certification process. In that hierarchy I found that it seems to be koshimono* <hanadama/madama < aurora hanadama <tennyo < granpearl < supearl.

*This is gp's branding of budget akoya focusing more on durability, quality, and price. They sell "koshimono" which are pearls harvested after 2 years instead of one, which tend to have a thicker nacre. I think they are possibly naturally enhanced but it's not mentioned on the website. They are "hanadama" from afar in terms of luster/quality but may have slight imperfections. But any grade of pearl can also be called koshimono.

Hanadama for them seems to be the baseline, but there are some hanadama as expensive as the lower quality tennyo. But at least these have some quantitative assessment (e.g. narce thickness, "teri" or luster measurement). From granpearl on it is more subjective in grading, but have at least graded above tennyo. As they describe granpearl as " [the highest quality category]. It is the [highest quality] recognized by the pearl industry that has cleared much higher quality standards than [Hanadama Pearl, Aurora Hanadama Pearl, Aurora Tennyo] of private discrimination organizations." The process is some pearl experts get together and pick out which ones to grant the granpearl title. They comprise 0.03% to 0.05% of all akoya production in Japan. According their website only 163-286 items/500k pearls are deemed supearl yearly. In 2020 Special Pearl Examination: 2371 items contended for granpearl. 42% passed.

Supearl is likely granpearl but waaay more exclusive. Only 1% of the 2371 items passed in 2020.

 

[icy_jade]

I buy lots of things through Rakuten through Rakuten Global Express. It’s a forwarding service and basically once you have an account, you enter the RGE address into your Rakuten account and the item you buy will be delivered to the RGE warehouse. Then you can choose to ship immediately or to consolidate a few purchases together. For jewelry, I typically opt for the Super Express service which is actually FedEx and delivery is within 4 days from Japan to Singapore including customs clearance.

If you use this RGE referral link you get 500 points to offset some shipping costs (I get some points too):

[Rakuten]Login

I use Chrome to browse Rakuten and the auto translate works well. And yes the pearls on Rakuten are amazing though I do prefer to buy my pearls in person at Jewelry/gem shows in Asia.

Edit: I think I also do not mind buying online from some regular wholesalers that typically sell at shows… like Eiko and Hinata (omg such gorgeous Tahitians). Have seen them in Hong Kong but going to a Japan trade show is on my bucket list.

 

[yssie]

in person at Jewelry/gem shows in Asia.

I NEED to do this.

 

[icy_jade]

I NEED to do this.

You know, the way/amount you buy, I think it’s cheaper for you to fly over and buy in person…

 

[catintern]

I buy lots of things through Rakuten through Rakuten Global Express. It’s a forwarding service and basically once you have an account, you enter the RGE address into your Rakuten account and the item you buy will be delivered to the RGE warehouse. Then you can choose to ship immediately or to consolidate a few purchases together. For jewelry, I typically opt for the Super Express service which is actually FedEx and delivery is within 4 days from Japan to Singapore including customs clearance.

If you use this RGE referral link you get 500 points to offset some shipping costs (I get some points too):

[Rakuten]Login

I use Chrome to browse Rakuten and the auto translate works well. And yes the pearls on Rakuten are amazing though I do prefer to buy my pearls in person at Jewelry/gem shows in Asia.

Edit: I think I also do not mind buying online from some regular wholesalers that typically sell at shows… like Eiko and Hinata (omg such gorgeous Tahitians). Have seen them in Hong Kong but going to a Japan trade show is on my bucket list.

Have you ever had any problems with lost items or have any info on like insurance?Also how would would you go about finding the item in rakuten global, not that I'll buy now but maybe for smaller purchases later. I see it in regular rakuten though

【テリ評価100点満点・最高品質中の最高品質を先行販売】越物花珠真珠ネックレス8.5-9mm | GENERAL PEARL

https://item.rakuten.co.jp/sinju-jp/id5367/

 

[icy_jade]

Have you ever had any problems with lost items or have any info on like insurance?Also how would would you go about finding the item in rakuten global, not that I'll buy now but maybe for smaller purchases later. I see it in regular rakuten though

【テリ評価100点満点・最高品質中の最高品質を先行販売】越物花珠真珠ネックレス8.5-9mm | GENERAL PEARL

https://item.rakuten.co.jp/sinju-jp/id5367/

So far no lost items. Not sure re insurance too. There is no Rakuten Global in my part of the world now. There was a few years ago but sadly no more so I shop through regular Rakuten and browse through Chrome.

I search in Rakuten using a mix of Japanese and Chinese characters. E.g

天女 真珠 Means Tennyo pearl

タヒチパール Is Tahitian pearl or can also search by 黑蝶 etc

There are also various filters so you can looks for specific items like earrings or necklaces, also filters for used vs new items, etc.

Sometimes I use google translate to find the Japanese characters for whatever I want to search. After a while it’s quite easy after getting the hang of it. You also get a sense of which vendors are more affordably priced, etc.

At one stage when I was actively looking I actually maintain a list of terms on my iPad in Japanese for tahitians, ssp, hanadama, etc.

Tennyo pearls:

https://search.rakuten.co.jp/search/mall/%E5%A4%A9%E5%A5%B3+%E7%9C%9F%E7%8F%A0/?s=3

Sorted by price high to low

 

[MakingTheGrade]

. According their website only 163-286 items/500k pearls are deemed supearl yearly. In 2020 Special Pearl Examination: 2371 items contended for granpearl. 42% passed.

Supearl is likely granpearl but waaay more exclusive. Only 1% of the 2371 items passed in 2020.

yikes. I’ll consider myself very lucky to have one Supearl, and it’s the only white south sea I own haha. Honestly though I would have probably preferred a supearl akoya. I just haven’t been able to find one. And I sadly can’t afford a whole strand of them. Harrumph.

 

[yssie]

Question for experts like @yssie and those who have gotten insanely gorgeous strands lately (e.g. @Boom ), do you think something like this is higher quality than what is offered from Takahashi? @Boom 's necklace is one of the prettiest things I've ever seen, and it's hard to tell whether this is of similar quality.

【先行予約販売・シルバー製クラスプ仕様】特選真珠グランパール認定品 越物アコヤ真珠6.5-7mm | GENERAL PEARL 大卸の真珠ショップ本店

Takahashi sends some of their strands to PEPCA!! They had some Supearl akoya strands apparently, but all were spoken for before I got wind of them So Takahashi definitely has Supearl quality pearls!!

I don’t know what the criteria are to send to PEPCA. Takahashi rep mentioned that the certification is pretty pricey, so it makes sense that they’d only send more valuable specimens and strands… I wonder what constitutes “valuable”, though.

I’ve got a mental note to ask Takahashi about Supearl akoya later this year. I simply must see one for myself…

Edit - I agree, Boom’s strand looks AMAZING. I don’t actually know if I have any akoya that compare. I think a baby gem strand a few PS pearls girls split could hold their own… They were the same grade from Takahashi, anyway. And “my” (my mother’s) 9.5-10 studs?

 

[yssie]

*This is gp's branding of budget akoya focusing more on durability, quality, and price. They sell "koshimono" which are pearls harvested after 2 years instead of one, which tend to have a thicker nacre.

Some additional information and clarification from a Japan based expert (Takahashi, who is a supplier to a number of retailers!) on Koshimono:

Pearls are implanted around summer, and harvested around winter. Harvest almost always in winter because lower temperature makes for a better (more lustrous) outer nacre layer. Koshimono refers to pearls harvested during or soon after winter - usually 18ish months after implant, occasionally within the year if the oysters are ready. Never more than 18-20 months for akoya (so - never 24+ months).

Key point there was that the pearls are harvested as soon as possible: Keep oysters growing pearls too long before harvest and the nacre tends to deform - you get lumps and bumps, discoloration, and out-of-roundness.

This timeline matches what I’ve read in various journal papers.