Advice needed - is this golden south sea chipped?

[otoro]

I’m new to pearls and bought a pair of golden south sea pearls from Macy’s (I know - not exactly the best place to buy jewelry) on sale for 180.

When I inspected them closer at home, it looks like the nacre is chipped (near the post cup). Is this possible? How badly does it affect the pearls integrity?

I was a bit surprised since I thought it would be golden underneath and not white. Is it worth an exchange or should I do a return and keep looking?

Thank you for your help!

 

[pearlsngems]

In the photo it doesn't look like a divot or chip in the nacre but a natural surface characteristic. But it's a 2-dimensional image so I don't know.
Nacre is not uniform in all its layers. There can be a layer with a lighter color.

If the nacre is actually chipped and you can see a gouge, then return them. Otherwise, return them if you are unhappy with them, but realize that many pearls will have natural blemishes.

 

[mtsapphirelovingannie]

Welcome otoro. I can't tell from the photo if it is a "chip" or a natural blemish. If the flaw bothers you, I would see about exchanging the earrings.

 

[otoro]

Thanks so much for the advice and welcome! It is hard to capture in the photo - the area is not on the same level as the golden part but seems like a "layer" underneath/it's not a smooth surface. I'll see about exchanging it.

 

[pearlsngems]

Here is one vendor's article about common south sea pearl inclusions, with photos.
https://www.purepearls.com/pages/south-sea-pearls-grading#southseapearlinclusions

 

[otoro]

Here is one vendor's article about common south sea pearl inclusions, with photos.
https://www.purepearls.com/pages/south-sea-pearls-grading#southseapearlinclusions

Thank you so much! I was looking for common pearl blemishes and didn’t find one that matched what I had. After reading this, it looks like it’s a pit.

 

[pearlsngems]

There are pits one can live with, and there are pits that are unsightly or may lead to chipping. If your eye will always be drawn to the pit, it's best to exchange them.

 

[ennui]

There are other factors to consider. What's the millimeter size of the pearl? Are the earrings well-matched for size, color, tone? Are they 14K? Does the blemish show when the earrings are worn?

At that price point, I'd ask about exchanging them if the blemish bothers you. If it were me, I'd probably keep them.

ETA, some people call those little flaws "fish bites." I consider that they are a sign the pearl is real.

 

[kikoko]

After reading your dialogue, I learned more about pearls!!! Thank you all!