Help me pick WSS from takahashi

[GeliL]

I have been in the market for a pair of WSS pearls, and saw that Takahashi posted some 13mm WSS pearls that I may be interested in.

I am waiting on photos from them after I mentioned that I'd like to see more photos of different pairs, but I would like extra eyes of the pearl experts to see if the pairs would be amazing, and if possible, help me pick an amazing high lustre pair I know it's hard to pick WSS, and that compared to akoyas they tend to be softer, but would still like to pick your collective brain.

Potential first ever purchase from them too, stay tuned for pics! I will post them when I receive them.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

How excitting !
I am watching with great interest !
Have fun and good luck

 

[GeliL]

I have asked for more photos in different lighting, but these 3 are the pairs that are matched for me. What do you think? I think the second pair seems to have the highest lustre?

 

[yssie]

Ask for more photos. Have them rotate the pairs, and see if they can put all three pairs on a single card.

From this one photo it looks like #3 has the superior pearls, but even slight changes in angle and lighting can make a huge difference to how a pearl looks in photos - which is why you really want them to mix the pairs up when they take extra pics.

 

[yssie]

Edit: I posted this thread as a PSA but Takahashi is a trustworthy vendor, nothing nefarious going on here. Just a concrete explanation of what I mean re. Small changes in angle of camera/lighting potentially making a huge difference.

https://www.pricescope.com/communit...tos-in-multiple-lighting-environments.265347/

 

[Cerulean]

Not to detail the purchase, but @yssie are you still selling your gorgeous WSS?

For Sale - Pearl Paradise - 13-14mm round White South Sea (Australian) pearl earrings

LT: https://loupetroop.com/listings/earrings/pearl-paradise-13-14mm-round-white-south-sea-australian-pearl-earrings Pearl Paradise website listing: https://www.pearlparadise.com/products/130-140-mm-aaa-white-south-sea-pearl-stud-earrings?_pos=5&_sid=c261686cc&_ss=r These pearls (as studs)...

www.pricescope.com

 

[GeliL]

I asked them for a video and it seems like all of them have some blemishes. No.3 has pretty significant blemish on the pearl so I have asked them if they have ones that are better in quality and a bit more expensive. These 3 pairs from their lot are very affordable.

Fyi I am also considering baroque pearls as well.

 

[yssie]

I asked them for a video and it seems like all of them have some blemishes. No.3 has pretty significant blemish on the pearl so I have asked them if they have ones that are better in quality and a bit more expensive. These 3 pairs from their lot are very affordable.

Fyi I am also considering baroque pearls as well.

How will you set them? If they’re going to be studs, then as long as the blemishes are at the back (can be drilled, or can be covered by the cup, or in this size even just *near* the cup even if not actually covered) they won’t ever be visible when worn. Can be a nice way to save $$.

 

[Crystal_Dreams]

3 from this lot. If you want something unblemished with the highest lustre they have, I would make those specifications very clear to Yy.

 

[yssie]

One word of warning. WSS are beastly to match. They’re like blue akoya. Much harder than white akoya, Tahitians, GSSs.

It does depend to some extent on your expectations, and how much you want to spend, and how long you’re willing to wait… But I think honestly even if you’re willing to wait a while and you’ve got a sizable budget, it’s very possible you still won’t find a perfect match!! I’m very very particular. I don’t personally have a single pair of WSS that is actually matched, by my own standard for “match”. Really close, yes, but a perfect “match”, nope! I do have perfectly matching (by my definition) akoya, Tahitians, and GSS.

 

[GeliL]

How will you set them? If they’re going to be studs, then as long as the blemishes are at the back (can be drilled, or can be covered by the cup, or in this size even just *near* the cup even if not actually covered) they won’t ever be visible when worn. Can be a nice way to save $$.

I plan to have them as a dangle earrings. Yeah I had considered that as well, but there are quite a few blemishes. Around. They sent me videos of them turning th pearls around. Here are some screenshots:

No.1 (seems to have small nicks here and there, has the least blemishes out of the 3)


No.2 (more blemishes but can be hidden with drill holes perhaps?)



No.3 ( Fairly noticeable blemish on one, seems to be faint lines on the other)

 

[GeliL]

One word of warning. WSS are absolute nightmares to match. Worse than akoya, worse than Tahitians, worse than GSS.

It does depend to some extent on your expectations, and how much you want to spend, and how long you’re willing to wait… But I think honestly even if you’re willing to wait a while and you’ve got a sizable budget, it’s very possible you still won’t find a perfect match!! I don’t personally have a single pair of WSS that is actually matched to my own specifications. Really close, yes, but a match, nope! I do have perfectly matching (by my definition) akoya, Tahitians, and GSS.

I think I am ok with it not being so perfectly matched, but I would like a high lustre pair even with a bit of blemishes. I imagine perfectly round extremely high lustre is $$$$, and while my budget is not huge, I would like to gain some experience looking at good pearls through photos.

I also don't have experience with WSS, I have more with akoya, honestly, so I'd just like to gain some new knowledge learning about how to pick them and compare them.

 

[Cerulean]

I’d get the ones @yssie has over these three, especially for dangles as they are much cleaner. Frankly you’re also guaranteed a great pair that went through a quality check like none other!

That is my two cents!

 

[lovedogs]

I’d get the ones @yssie has over these three, especially for dangles as they are much cleaner. Frankly you’re also guaranteed a great pair that went through a quality check like none other!

That is my two cents!

100% agree

 

[GeliL]

I’d get the ones @yssie has over these three, especially for dangles as they are much cleaner. Frankly you’re also guaranteed a great pair that went through a quality check like none other!

That is my two cents!

Oh I had no idea @yssie is still selling them. To be completely honest I wanted a pair to test the waters with takahashi and while I LOVE the pair that is listed by yssie (I don't think it can get better), it is stretching my wallet a bit. But it may just be a good price endgame pair and would actually save me money so...I'm torn haha, will tinker with the thought for a bit.

 

[elizat]

What kind of budget do you have?

Takahashi generally has grades. Number 1 is best, number 2, next, etc.

As someone that bought multiple akoya strands and sold them at a loss, I would not do a test the waters pair unless they are cheap.

The shipping and duties add up. And if you don't like them, the $500 or whatever would have gone to what you really wanted.

Personally, I would not be ok with those blemishes, but I don't know your budget or size goal.

 

[GeliL]

What kind of budget do you have?

Takahashi generally has grades. Number 1 is best, number 2, next, etc.

As someone that bought multiple akoya strands and sold them at a loss, I would not do a test the waters pair unless they are cheap.

The shipping and duties add up. And if you don't like them, the $500 or whatever would have gone to what you really wanted.

Personally, I would not be ok with those blemishes, but I don't know your budget or size goal.

Agreed that the blemishes do seem to be very obvious which I do not like. I have asked for better pairs and also a quote for those so I am waiting on their response. Would like to weigh my options after all.

The time difference makes it difficult to get a quick response. They messaged me back at 4am my time last time haha.

My budget is probably ~1k, but that's just set by myself because I have been trying to not buy everything.

 

[ForteKitty]

Takahashi's shipping is $100 now, plus duty. Speaking from experience, testing the water gets expensive fast! If the pair from Yssie is the right size, I'd jump on them. Far less blemishes than the ones you're considering, which can absolutely be visible from an angle as dangles.

 

[GeliL]

Takahashi's shipping is $100 now, plus duty. Speaking from experience, testing the water gets expensive fast! If the pair from Yssie is the right size, I'd jump on them. Far less blemishes than the ones you're considering, which can absolutely be visible from an angle as dangles.

Oh wow, it's rising fast! To clarify those were just the pairs matched for me, I didn't really finalize on them. They looked ok from the initial pictures, but this morning they responded to me asking about blemishes and sent me these videos which made me reconsider.

I think in my guts, I know that all of you are right, but the irrational part of me prefers spending in many small amounts than one and only big amount .I am stupid like that sometimes.

I'll communicate with Takahashi a bit more, take a gander at their stock and prices, and then make a decision.

 

[Crystal_Dreams]

IMO you won’t be able to find 13mm high lustre WSS without significant blemishes in your budget, even through takahashi. You could possibly get 11mm of that description, and likely 10mm.

WSS prices have gone up significantly in the last year. I purchased mine a year ago and at 12mm, they still came in over your current budget.

If you’re really keen on sticking to that size range, I would seriously consider Yssie’s WSS. They’re beautiful pearls and more than reasonable for the price!

 

[GeliL]

IMO you won’t be able to find 13mm high lustre WSS without significant blemishes in your budget, even through takahashi. You could possibly get 11mm of that description, and likely 10mm.

Thanks for your input, I really appreciate this info. I am definitely not expecting it to be top tier gem quality. The WSS market was just something I'm not familiar with, and if I can't find something that I am happy with within my budget, that's totally fine as well.

These pairs from Takahashi was very affordable, like I said, so I was just asking for more pictures and pick a potentially pretty pair, but if I find this is too good to be true (which it probably is), I will rethink about what I want and decide if I want to pursue something more expensive.

 

[elizat]

You may want to look at Ocean Rhyme on Etsy. She has a couple pairs of WSS in your budget and they are returnable. Nothing from Takahashi will be, so that could be a plus!

 

[GeliL]

You may want to look at Ocean Rhyme on Etsy. She has a couple pairs of WSS in your budget and they are returnable. Nothing from Takahashi will be, so that could be a plus!

I actually have their shop saved as well

 

[yssie]

I was debating whether or not to post again in this thread since I do of course have some WSS of my own listed, but heck, I love pearls, so I’ll just stay away from that topic

Takahashi is a very honest operation. That thread in CS right now describing how to buy from Sri Lankan vendors, outlining the myriad ways local market culture and customs enable suppliers to obfuscate reality to make the sale… Buying from Takahashi - many Japanese vendors actually - is a study in contrast!! Takahashi seems to take pride in selling forthrightly, and they want their international clients to be happy.

But they have many customers and only one English-speaking sales rep, and they judge according to their own standards. Your standards may be lower or higher than theirs - mine are always higher. The challenge is in conveying precisely what amount/degree of $Something is or is not acceptable to you.

You have a generous budget! But I’ll be honest, ditto @Crystal_Dreams, it’s not sufficient to achieve top luster in this size, in round/near round/symmetric drop shapes. I’m not sure about really baroquey baroques, I don’t have any feel for pricing in that niche. If you’re willing to drop the size requirement down to say 10-11mm your options will open up immensely.

The thing about aiming for baroques… Pearls spin inside the pearl sac as nacre is being deposited layer after layer - if they spin in random directions a circular pearl is formed, if they spin about a single axis (or a small few similar axes) a baroque/circled/shaped pearl is formed - the longest direction of the pearl indicates the axis about which the pearl was spinning. So when you’re talking about baroque akoya - you’ve got slow nacre deposition (which yields tighter nacre layers - higher luster) primarily around the axis of spin. You’ve got focused deposition of tight nacre layers around one axis. When you’re talking about baroque SS, though, you’ve got a much higher rate of nacre deposition (because the water where WSS are farmed is warmer than akoya waters), which yields less tight nacre layers - regardless of axis of spin. Baroque SSs aren’t generally more lustrous than round or near-round SS simply by virtue of being baroque. If you like baroques that’s an awesome way to get something you love at a lower pricepoint than rounds, of course.

If you’re mostly just wanting to try size and style - have you thought about shell pearls at all? I know, I know. Blasphemy! But… They’re pristine, they’re super glossy, and frankly these days they’re so well done the fact that they’re fake isn’t going to be obvious to anyone who sees you wearing them!! “The look for less” with really great ROI, IMO.

 

[GeliL]

I was debating whether or not to post again in this thread since I do of course have some WSS of my own listed, but heck, I love pearls, so I’ll just stay away from that topic

Takahashi is a very honest operation. That thread in CS right now describing how to buy from Sri Lankan vendors, outlining the myriad ways local market culture and customs enable suppliers to obfuscate reality to make the sale… Buying from Takahashi - many Japanese vendors actually - is a study in contrast!! Takahashi seems to take pride in selling forthrightly, and they want their international clients to be happy.

But they have many customers and only one English-speaking sales rep, and they judge according to their own standards. Your standards may be lower or higher than theirs - mine are always higher. The challenge is in conveying precisely what amount/degree of $Something is or is not acceptable to you.

You have a generous budget! But I’ll be honest, ditto @Crystal_Dreams, it’s not sufficient to achieve top luster in this size. If you’re willing to drop the size requirement down to say 10-11mm your options will open up immensely.

Pearls spin inside the pearl sac as nacre is being deposited later after layer - if they spin in random directions a circular pearl is formed, if they spin about a single axis (or a small few similar axes) a baroque/circled/shaped pearl is formed - the longest direction of the pearl indicates the axis about which the pearl was spinning. So when you’re talking about baroque akoya - you’ve got slow nacre deposition (which yields tighter nacre layers - higher luster) primarily around the axis of spin. You’ve got focused deposition of tight nacre layers around one axis. When you’re talking about baroque SS, though, you’ve got a much higher rate of nacre deposition (because the water where WSS are farmed is warmer than akoya waters), which yields less tight nacre layers - regardless of axis of spin. Baroque SSs aren’t generally more lustrous than round or near-round SS simply by virtue of being baroque. If you like baroques that’s an awesome way to get something you love at a lower pricepoint than rounds, of course.

If you’re mostly just wanting to try size and style - have you thought about shell pearls at all? I know, I know. Blasphemy! But… They’re pristine, they’re super glossy, and frankly these days they’re so well done the fact that they’re fake isn’t going to be obvious to anyone who sees you wearing them!! “The look for less” with really great ROI, IMO.

Thank you for the detailed explanation! I've read all your education threads about them and they are always so well thought out and well researched. If your WSS are still being sold when I make up my mind to go for it, I will send you an email

11mm is definitely in the consideration as well. I have my fair share of akoyas, and I just want something different so I now am gravitating towards very big pearls I think it would look great as dangly earrings. Baroques are ok as well, as I really like chubby looking baroques

I don't have issues with Japanese vendors, I am actually fluent in Japanese! I think there was a thread somewhere where I translated the web page for GranPearl and SuPearl, too bad there wasn't much educational information there. I have no issue in communicating with them should the need arise, but the rep seems to want to speak English

Haven't thought about shell pearls, to be honest haha.

 

[yssie]

FW Edisons are another option for #Big! Cost of nice WSS is insane these days.

 

[yssie]

I plan to have them as a dangle earrings. Yeah I had considered that as well, but there are quite a few blemishes. Around. They sent me videos of them turning th pearls around. Here are some screenshots:

No.1 (seems to have small nicks here and there, has the least blemishes out of the 3)


No.2 (more blemishes but can be hidden with drill holes perhaps?)



No.3 ( Fairly noticeable blemish on one, seems to be faint lines on the other)

#3 is def the nicest two pearls, of these three options.

 

[GeliL]

FW Edisons are another option for #Big! Cost of nice WSS is insane these days.

Ooo, Ocean rhymes has a nice pair of edison pearls that are ~12mm as well. I will definitely take that into account as well! I am definitely in the #Big group right now, and those may be nice without making my wallet cry.

 

[Crystal_Dreams]

Oooh Edisons are a great way to try out bigger pearls at low cost! I went backwards and got my Edisons after my WSS so they haven’t even been set, but I was just so curious about them

They have a very different kind of lustre to WSS I have to say, though they’re eye catching in their own way!

 

[GeliL]

They got back to me and many more options within the budget




Out of the rounds, I like the lower pair, i still need to take a closer look at baroques, but if anything seems more stellar than the other, let me know!