How much should I pay for a pair of South Sea pearl studs and a South Sea pearl necklace?

[Phoenix]

I saw a BEAUTIFUL SS pearl necklace and a pair of GORGEOUS SS studs today that I had me breatheless and am usually not this way at all about pearls, diamonds yes, but not pearls, at least not til now, LOL!

The studs are about 14mm in diameter. They're white in colour with a very slight silvery undertone (I hope that's the right way to describe them). The necklace is made up of pearls of graduating sizes. Again, not sure if I'm describing them properly, they're largest in the centre at the front and getting gradually smaller towards the back. The largest I'd say are about 16-17mm and the smallest about 10mm in diameter. Oh, and the necklace is about 16-17 inches long.

They all have a beautiful lustre, are very evenly round in shape. The studs are practically blemish free whereas the pearls on the necklace have very small marks but they're not noticeable unless you look very closely and they wouldn't bother me.

All my "important" pearls have been gifts and the only pearls I've bought are fresh water which are quite inexpensive, so I have no idea how much South Sea pearls should cost.

The necklace they were asking USD11k and the studs USD2k. Do these numbers sound right to you? I think pearls are generally cheaper in Asia (compared to the US or Europe) but I'd still like to know if they're in the "ball-park".

(P.S. I also saw some beautiful golden pearls. Are golden pearls more expensive than white ones, assuming they're both the same size and have similarly beautiful lustre?)

 

[Viola]

I''m def not a pearl-expert or anything, so I can''t offer you much advice from a personal experience, but I did a search on PearlParadise and found these SS studs

13.0-14.0mm

http://pearlparadise.com/130-140-mm-AAA-White-South-Sea-Pearl-Stud-Earrings792.aspx


Check out this link aswell

http://www.thepearloutlet.com/servlet/ProductView?commodityID=19639&command=cp&supplierID=490


So the price you''ve been given (given the quality of these pearls are similar to the ones you''ve seen), it seems about right.

Oh and here are their SS necklaces, didn''t find any with the exact specs you gave, but worth checking it out.

http://pearlparadise.com/white-south-sea-pearl-necklaces292.aspx?CategoryID=292

 

[bebe]

oh, gosh they sound gorgeous. I love larger SS''s. Price wise, can''t really say. Just keep comparing $$ with sites online.
If you get them, you know you have to post pics!!

Are you in China? Can''t remember where you moved to, sorry!
I know Beijing has a pearl center, but not sure about anywhere else.
I''m sure the major big jewelers like HW and such have some. Have you
looked there?

 

[innerkitten]

Try looking for similar pieces on various sites to compare prices
A few that have a good rep are pearlparadise, pearlsofjoy, the pearloutlet.com.... ugh can''t remember anymore. I''m sure someone else will though.
The set you''re talking about sounds pretty.

 

[simplysplendid]

Hmm.. it is hard to tell the price alone by the size and overtones because the lustre, thickness of the nacre and the complexion of the pearl all counts towards the price tag. I would also suggest that you take a look at pearlparadise.com and do some comparison there as the prices on the site is very reasonable. USD2K for a 14mm perfectly round pair of south sea pearl studs is not exactly a high price tag for the size. It is either that it is a fabulous price tag for the quality or the quality is good even AAA, but not gem quality.

 

[simplysplendid]

I forgot to add that if you are comparing the same quality and size, white south seas are more expensive than the golden ones. The price on the golden south seas is almost dependent on the intensity of the colour. Some are a lighter champagne colour, which are cheaper than the deeper golden ones.

 

[babysteps]

Phoenix, I don''t know enough to comment on price, but they sound GORGEOUS . . . you had better post pictures if you bring them home!

 

[coatimundi_org]

Like others have said, it's hard to say based on the mm measurements. We would need to know more about the quality. White South Sea pearls are priced on color, luster, shape, size, surface, and nacre thickness. Price is also contingent on supply and demand.

White South Sea pearls generally have a softer satiny luster--softer than golden SS, Tahitian, and Akoya.

I'd comparison shop with some of the online vendors. A strand that graduates to 16-17mm in gem quality is going to be much more than 11K. However, a white SS strand need not be top gem to be stunning, so the combination of quality factors on the strand you are looking at may be a great blend of nice quality and size for a good price.

The price for the studs sounds on par.

I would also visit other vendors in your area and compare white SS strands of different qualities to help you compare. Get familiar with the luster of the very best SS, so you have marker for comparison.

Also, on a large strand of SS, you can be a bit more lenient with surface imperfections (and it sounds like you are --fewer flaws command a higher price, but if the luster is high, the nacre is thick, and the color is what you desire, surface imperfections can be overlooked. I am also forgiving of shape with white SS. Off round works for me, as perfectly round SS pearls are rare.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Have you worn 14mm studs?
They should have huge butteflys - as on most people this size gets a bad case of droopy-woopy

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 5/24/2009 3:39:07 PM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)
Have you worn 14mm studs?
They should have huge butteflys - as on most people this size gets a bad case of droopy-woopy

Ditto to this...I don''t think many people can pull off 14mm pearl studs.

 

[Phoenix]

Thanks very much, everyone, for replying and providing such helpful advice and information.

I found out today that the SS studs are about 12-13mm in diameter and Garry, DS, I will be making them into dangles/ jackets for my diamond studs. I agree that my earlobes can't put up with pearl studs of that kind of size!

I've already purchased the studs, as of today, and am going to wait on the necklace for a while. After having purchased the fabulous BGD studs, my bling allowance has dried up somewhat, LOL. It'll be a while before hubby will let me make another purchase of that kind of magnitude!

In the meantime, I will read up on more on pearls and continue to look at this lovely thread so as to be better educated.

Will post pics of the dangles when they're done.

Thanks again.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Oh, great decision to have drops made! I would like that SO much better for the SS pearls!!! I can''t wait to see them!

 

[K9]

Phoenix,

Can I ask you how long you are making the "jacket" dangles to the base of the pearl? I''m in the process of doing this exact same thing with tahitian pearls to match my tahitian pendant I had made last year. I was thinking the dangle should be 1.5" to the base of the pearl, but I''m thinking that might be too short.

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 5/28/2009 6:45:23 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
Oh, great decision to have drops made! I would like that SO much better for the SS pearls!!! I can''t wait to see them!

Thank you, DS. I *HEART* your collection btw. They''re absolutely TDF!!

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 5/28/2009 7:55:31 PM
Author: k9muttlover
Phoenix,

Can I ask you how long you are making the ''jacket'' dangles to the base of the pearl? I''m in the process of doing this exact same thing with tahitian pearls to match my tahitian pendant I had made last year. I was thinking the dangle should be 1.5'' to the base of the pearl, but I''m thinking that might be too short.

I think this is personal preference really. I initially had my Tahitian pearls made into long dangles which were about 1.5-2 inches long (and I also had a bunch of long dangly diamond earrings but that''s another story altogether) and found out that long dangles don''t suit me. So I had the dangles shortened and now they sit *just* underneath my earlobes. My new SS dangles will be made exactly the same way.

They should be ready in a few days'' time. Will post pics so you''ll see what I mean.

 

[K9]

I agree it''s personal preference. I know that I tolerate dangles well, but I don''t have too many of them and I''m sure pearls will have a lot of "swing" to them. I''ll be excited to see yours so that it will help judge my preference.