Help Me Find Pearl Earrings Please!

[alamana]

Hello Pricescopers! I would like to buy a pear of pearl earrings (studs) and I have no idea where to start as I know nothing about buying pearls. I'm thinking anywhere from 7 to 9 millimeters. My inclination with regard to budget is to keep it under $200, but if I need to up the budget to get something nice please let me know.

Can I get some help from y'all who know pearls? Thanks!

 

[Queenie60]

Hi Alamana: Nice to have you back! I would try Pearlsofjoy.com. I know that they are honoring their 20% off Mother's Day sale through tomorrow. Good luck.

 

[alamana]

I'm afraid I just don't understand how to buy pearls. There seem to be different types, different grades, all kinds of stuff I don't understand...

 

[pearlsngems]

For education, **edited by moderator, please read our policies**

Do you know what color pearls you want?

Freshwaters come in white and shades of pink, peach and lavender. They are also dyed dark to resemble Tahitians. (Sometimes they are sold as Tahitians by unscrupulous sellers, so be careful and only buy from a vendor who has a good reputation. There is a recommended vendor list stickied on this forum.)

Freshwater pearls will give you the best value-- that is, you can get more for your money when buying freshwaters. They are usually solid nacre (no bead inside). However, they will have a softer luster than akoyas, which do have a bead inside.
If you buy freshwaters, buy the best grade your vendor sells. These top of the line freshwaters will fit your preferred price and size range and will be round, have nice clean surfaces and lots of luster. An example is the Freshadama grade at Pearl Paradise, but other vendors also sell high grade freshwaters under other trade names.

Akoyas come in white (most common, and what most people think of when they think of pearls), color-treated black, and silver/blue. The silver/blue is a natural color but these may also be color-treated, so again, know your vendor. Some akoyas are also light yellow.

If you are looking for a darker pearl you could check out Tahitians, but these will likely push you to a higher price point. You can find these in range you mentioned. Think 8.5mm and up primarily.

South Sea pearls come in white and golden, but these will be larger and higher priced than $200.

 

[ennui]

This could be one of those situations where too much information can be overwhelming. I would be sad if someone is so confused they don't buy any pearls at all.

I suggest:

Since you have a budget:
Are they a gift, or for yourself? How often do you plan to wear them? Are they for work, casual, or special occasions?
Choose a size that suits your earlobe and your lifestyle.
Choose a shape (stud earrings are available in round or button shapes).

And go from there.

I'm reluctant to say you can only find nice stud earrings from our online vendors, but I don't know if you have time for all the legwork of looking and shopping and looking and shopping and ...

 

[pearlsngems]

It's true that you will get better prices from the online vendors, but if you have never shopped for pearls it actually might be a good idea to visit a local jewelry store so you can see what 7mm, 8mm and 9mm actually look like. It may help you figure out which size looks best on your ear.

A 9mm pearl will be twice as large as a 7mm pearl.
And an 8mm pearl will be about 1.5 times as large as a 7mm pearl.

 

[NacreLover]

I agree, go to a jewelry store and try on the sizes mentioned if you can find them. Many ladies would not wear pearls that large in the beginning. Larger pearls do have a tendency to tip forward unless stabilizers are put behind the ear. Most ear nuts are not big enough for this job.

 

[cmd2014]

I with a $200 budget I'd look to get a classic pair of 7.5 - 8 mm AAA white akoya studs.

If you wanted a larger pair of white studs, then I'd suggest going for gem grade freshwater studs (different vendors have different names for them: freshadama, elite, gem quality, etc.). But when most people think 'pearls' they are thinking of akoyas as they are classic.

 

[pearlsngems]

Good suggestion from cmd2014, and here is a AAA akoya pair in the 7.5-8.0mm size, $191, and there's also a 20% off code still in effect (MOM20):
http://www.pearlsofjoy.com/Akoya-Pearl-Earrings-75-80mm_p_26.html

Or if you'd like to go a little larger. the 8.0-8.5mm size are $228, but with the discount you are still in budget:
http://www.pearlsofjoy.com/Akoya-Pearl-Earrings-80-85mm_p_28.html

I have a pair of 7.5-8.0mm studs that I find very useful. They are small enough that they won't bother you if you talk on the phone a lot.

 

[cmd2014]

They are small enough that they won't bother you if you talk on the phone a lot.

+1! I have a number of 11 - 12 mm studs and while they are beautiful, they are really too large to be comfortable when talking on the phone. If I'm making a call I have the luxury of taking my "talking ear" earring off, but there really isn't time when you are answering one. Smaller studs are much more comfortable for this.

Those are great prices at POJ. PP's prices were a little higher when I was looking there. It just goes to show that it's good to comparison shop a bit as every vendor will have slightly different deals on different things.

 

[alamana]

Good suggestion from cmd2014, and here is a AAA akoya pair in the 7.5-8.0mm size, $191, and there's also a 20% off code still in effect (MOM20):
http://www.pearlsofjoy.com/Akoya-Pearl-Earrings-75-80mm_p_26.html

Thanks so much! I see these come in rose, cream and silver luster ... I get that this is a matter of taste, but is cream the classic color? Is rose subtle? It's so hard for me to tell looking at a computer screen...

 

[alamana]

Thanks for the help, everyone! The earrings are for me. I'm planning on using them for basic everyday wear -- I've been wearing a pair of diamond studs for over 10 years now and I'm tired of them. And all the "cool kids" seem to be wearing pearl studs now.

 

[pearlsngems]

The overtone you choose depends on your skin tone and personal preferences. I can't wear cream colors or overtones in pearls...they don't flatter my skin tone. (Do you avoid wearing shades of yellow? If so, probably cream isn't for you either.)

Rose is just an overtone, and yes it is subtle. (The earrings will look white, not rose.)
Silver will look white-white without rosy overtones.

 

[cmd2014]

Rose is the classic overtone at Mikimoto. Silver is what has historically been favored by Tiffany's. Most vendors have guides to skin tone vs overtones. The differences are subtle (both will look white on), but might make a difference if you strongly pull to bring either warm toned (choose silver) or cool toned (choose rose) in terms of your skin. I'm fair with pink skin, so the rose looked best on me.

Here are my 7.5 - 8 mm rose Akoyas:

 

[alamana]

I just ordered them with rose overtones. I can hardly wait until they arrive! I'll post a picture when they do.

 

[pearlsngems]

We look forward to seeing your photos!

Be prepared, though...pearls are like potato chips-- it's hard to stop after just one.

 

[alamana]

Be prepared, though...pearls are like potato chips-- it's hard to stop after just one.

Yeah ... I'm kinda sensing that, ha ha. I was on the Mikimoto site last night looking at necklaces, god help me. I definitely can't afford THAT kind of a habit, ha ha.

I do have two strands already, one from each grandmother, one rosy of about 18" and one cream of about 30" -- but I'm not even sure they are real or what so maybe I'll have them appraised (although I'm afraid to do this -- I had them restrung and I think one strand was switched out on me and I'm afraid to find out ... but that's a whole separate issue).

 

[pearlsngems]

If you post some clear, in-focus photos of your two strands on a white background, no flash, with some close ups of the pearls, including some of the flaws, we will probably be able to tell you if they are imitation.

Also, are there any marks on the clasps indicating karat (for gold) or 925, sterling etc. for silver?

What makes you think that one strand was switched out?

 

[alamana]

If you post some clear, in-focus photos of your two strands on a white background, no flash, with some close ups of the pearls, including some of the flaws, we will probably be able to tell you if they are imitation.

Also, are there any marks on the clasps indicating karat (for gold) or 925, sterling etc. for silver?

What makes you think that one strand was switched out?

I'll post some pics this afternoon.

I had the clasps switched out when I had them both restrung -- they were both tarnished. Now I wish I hadn't, but I did it. I think it might have been switched out because it had a rose tone to it, and ever since I picked them up it seems to be gone. Also, they were just shinier or something ... I'm super pearl-ignorant, but I'm guessing I mean luster. They seemed a lot more full of luster than when I picked them up and brought them home. I'll add that they told me they'd call me when they were ready, and that it would be a couple of days, but over a month went by and I had to call them and ask if they were ready. They claimed to have called me, but I checked my phone -- they definitely never did. I'll add that this was a "Fast Fix" place at the mall. I know, I know ... I should have gone somewhere more reputable.

 

[ennui]

Did they clean your pearls when they restrung them? Maybe your pearls just need to be worn. Pearls do pick up oils from our skin, and they tend to dry out when sitting in a box. I hope they didn't switch them on you! I look forward to your photos.

But I guess this is another reminder-to-self to learn how to string pearls.

 

[alamana]

Did they clean your pearls when they restrung them? Maybe your pearls just need to be worn. Pearls do pick up oils from our skin, and they tend to dry out when sitting in a box. I hope they didn't switch them on you! I look forward to your photos.

But I guess this is another reminder-to-self to learn how to string pearls.

I'm sure they did clean them. I'll go take pictures now, and start a new thread.