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Is this a good deal on a strand of pearls?

jstarfireb

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 24, 2007
Messages
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I'd love to help, but I can't make this link work for me. . . :confused:

Maybe you can just give us the details?
 
Sure! It's a Groupon for an 18" strand of 9-10mm pearls at mypacificpearls.com. $79 for pearls that supposedly are $450 normally on their site.

Here's the description from Groupon:
"To secure their glistening baubles from sneaky pearl divers, oysters hide all their necklaces in treasure chests disguised as sleeping sharks. Sport the attractive spoils of shark defiance with today’s Groupon: for $79, you get an 18-inch pearl necklace in a choice of eight colors from My Pacific Pearls’ online store (a $450 value).

My Pacific Pearls gathers pearls from the Pacific region that go on to live above-sea-level lives as opulent necklaces, earrings, and other classic and contemporary pieces. The Maria-Theresa Reef Collection's 18-inch princess-style necklace carries 9- to 10-millimeter pearls and comes in eight naturally acquired colors, including classic white, tahitian black aubergine, tahitian black peacock, peach, gray, pink, golden, and multicolor. A 14-karat white-gold clasp unites the precious fabrics of land and sea. After a long day of neck draping, a complimentary satin or velour pouch securely tucks necklaces in with a kiss and a bedtime story. The pearls, which hail from oyster villages that stretch from the South Pacific to the Celebes Sea, link to form a bauble whose versatile length is intended to complement any neckline. Each necklace comes with high ratings for luster, nacre, surface, shape, and pearl matching.

Groupon customers also receive two $50 vouchers toward future purchases of any item of $100 or more among the wide array of jewelry on the My Pacific Pearls website. As with actual princesses, each princess necklace comes with care instructions and a certificate of authenticity and valuation."

And here's a link to the necklaces in their Maria-Theresa Reef Collection:
http://www.mypacificpearls.com/shop/pearl-categories/maria-theresa-reef-collection/81
 
I keep reading the copy and I still can't tell if they're freshwater pearls or what . . . :confused:

Pearl value is all a matter of type (rarity), size (bigger is better), roundness, color and luster (nacre coating).

IF these are white freshwater, that $80-$100 seems like the going rate for ordinary luster. You can get very low-end white freshies at bead shows for $15 a strand. BUT white freshwaters can be extraordinary if the luster is excellent and can cost several hundred dollars.

Pearls are a lot like car value; it's a long way from a Chevette to a Maybach, with different degrees of quality in between.

Peal value tends to go ; freshwater, akoya, tahitian, south seas. It's all in how long it takes to "grow" the pearl.

I also don't understand the color references on the site since I see only white pearls, and then the website stops working and goes away. Weird. Maybe tons of people are cashing in on the deal?

I think it's a good deal for a first pearl necklace as a fashion accessory.
 
Hi,

My only question here is they do not state the color as being natural. Pink, pastels, gray , aubergine, and black could be dyed.
Imperfections on the surface also count in value. The description s given sound fine except for the natural color thing. I would buy a strand for 79,oo if they were not dyed. Pearls are plentiful. The chinese are growing good pearls now as well. Ask the question of natural color.

Annette
 
Ah, OK. I'm pretty sure they're freshwater pearls. How does that change their value/desirability?

I would definitely want natural color, not dyed.
 
Well They are no doubt Freshwater pearls. A few things about the strands on offer are concerning though, the biggest being the fact they call these freshwater pearls "Tahitian" http://www.mypacificpearls.com/shop/pearls/maria-theresa-reef-collection---9-10mm-tahitian-black-peacock-princess-necklace-with-14k-white-gold-clasp/210 - They are clearly being dishonest about that particular necklace, using the term "Tahitian" to reference the color of the pearl, hoping people get confused and mistake them for their more expensive counter parts.

Also they do not list the pearls with any pearl grade, so one can only assume they are low grade pearls. Even at just $79 my feeling is they aren't worth your time, stick with a reputable dealer that doesn't try to confuse customers with shady marketing.
 
I'd stay away from them too, or if you order them, don't expect too much in the way of quality. If you want these as something to throw on with a pair of jeans to go shopping or to a movie, and treat them as cheap fashion pearls, o.k., but it you're expecting something you can wear and would look nice for dressier occasions (out to dinner, to a wedding, etc.) then I'd pass. I wouldn't expect flawless surface, high luster, or great color.
 
OK guys, that's what I was concerned about. Too good to be true. I'll pass on these and come back if I want to look into pearls more seriously later!
 
in eight naturally acquired colors, including classic white, tahitian black aubergine, tahitian black peacock, peach, gray, pink, golden, and multicolor.
I don't like sellers who use the truth recklessly. Yes Tahitians come in black , peacock and augergine among other colors, but these appear to be freshwaters and they don't come naturaly in those colors. I hope no one got taken by this seller.
 
That's why I love PS! You guys can sniff out a scam a mile away.
 
I also purchased from them. It takes FOREVER to come to you and when you get them they will
1.) Not be real pearls
2.) Be damaged. They came in a regular envelope with no protection
3.) Come in REGULAR mail (i.e. can be stolen)
4.) Not have a real gold clasp. They claim to have 14K gold clasp
5.) When you go to ask for a refund they will ignore you
6.) when you follow up on your refund order they will ignore that also
7.) When you go to dispute it with Groupon they will ignore you
8.) When you go to dispute it with your creditcard company they will send you a stack of paperwork and make it a big hassle to get the dispute started

Buyer beware
 
Oh yikes! Thanks for the update emily. Hopefully people avoid them in the future.
 
This Groupon offer was repeated today ( 21st Oct 2011) in the North East area.

This is the exact description as per the website:
Hope this helps with your evaluation.

Pearl Color: White
Pearl Size: 9mm – 10mm
Luster: Very High
Nacre: Very Thick
Surface: Very Good
Pearl Shape: Near-Round to Round
Matching: Very Good
Number of Pearls: Approximately 50
Species: Freshwater
Design: Classic, Elegant, Timeless
Occasion: Formal, Evening Wear, Business Wear, Weekend, Bridal / Wedding
Rarity: Popular
Clasp: 14K White Gold Filled Safety Clasp
Stringing: Double-Knotted Double Strand Fine Silk
Necklace Length: 18 inches

Average Retail Price: $1550
Our Price: $450
Your Savings: 71%

Re: CLASP
The clasps are genuine 14K Gold filled and contains approximately 1/20th solid white gold. A 100% solid gold clasp on its own would cost considerably more than the total price of this $79 Groupon. All necklaces come with a detailed certificate of authenticity and valuation. The clasps are guaranteed never to tarnish and are just as beautiful and resilient as solid 14K Gold, however at a far more affordable price. We have found that a vast majority of our clients prefer more affordable 14K Gold filled clasps, therefore we use them in our popular designs and enables us to keep our prices as low as possible. $79 is the total price including free shipping, storage pouch, pearl care card, 2 $50 vouchers to be used towards future purchases of $100 or more, and a certificate of authenticity and valuation for insurance purposes.
 
The www.mypacificpearls.com is a rip off and I would advise stay away from it.

The products are substandard and worthless.

Their customer service is non existent. You never reach a live person and always are dumped into a voice mail box.

Their refund/return policy is a cruel joke. You need to carefully read their website to stumble upon the fact that they charge a 20% restocking fee which is deducted from your payment.

Terms & Conditions for returns are as follows

 All item(s) must be returned within 15 days of the date you received your item.
 Returned items will not be accepted without this completed form.
 Refunds will be processed after receipt of the returned item.
 Postage costs relating to refunds will be borne by the customer.
 In all cases, the returned item must be unworn and in its original condition.
 Please return your necklace in the silk/velour pouch that was provided to you.
 All printed materials must also be returned.
 Kindly make sure that the item you are returning is well packed and securely insulated in a padded envelope to prevent damage during transit.
 We recommend that you ship your parcel via Registered Mail or another mail service that will allow you to track your returned item. Please keep the tracking number for your records. My Pacific Pearls cannot be held responsible for lost, misdirected, or delayed mail.
 We also recommend that you return any item(s) with enough insurance to cover the amount you paid originally. This is to ensure that you will be compensated by the shipping company if your package is lost in transit.
 
I purchased the Groupon for MyPacificPearls.com and ordered their 9-10mm Gray Freshwater Pearl Necklace. I received the necklace about 5 weeks after I placed the order. At an initial glance, I was thrilled. The necklace was very weighty and expensive looking, and the pearls were HUGE!! And yes they seem like genuine freshwater pearls. I have read other ppl's reviews where they complained about the supposed 14k gold clasp not being real (just the coating is gold and it eventually rusts, etc.) though.

However, at a closer inspection, I noticed numerous NUMEROUS scratches on the pearls where the nacre is coming off. But the biggest defect was the fact the double knotting between the last two pearls on the strand was loose and those two pearls were wobbling around. Now, just b/c I bought the Groupon deal, it doesn't mean that they can send me a defective necklace and get away with it! So I e-mailed their customer service the next day ([email protected]) and asked for them to send me a shipping label to return the defective item and for them to send me a new one. 2 weeks later, I received absolutely no response from them other than the automatically generated one that said "we'll get back to you ASAP."

So I called their 1-800 customer service number, and a human being did answer, much to my surprise. When I told her what had happened, she asked for my e-mail address, and that a return form will be e-mailed to me, which I'm supposed to fill out and send them along with the defective necklace. I asked them if a shipping label will be sent to me - why should I pay out of pocket to ship back their defective necklace? She said no, and once they receive the necklace and determine that the defect originated from their end, a replacement necklace will be sent and the shipping cost will be refunded to me. This all did NOT sound right to me. After all, I hadn't even worn the necklace, it arrived in the condition that it was, and I did contact them via e-mail immediately after I received the necklace. I politely explained this to her and she said "ok sure we'll e-mail you a shipping label." So I thanked her and hung up, but without any confidence that she was actually going to do what she said she was going to do. I could tell she was just lying to get me off the phone. And lo and behold, just as I predicted - I did not receive any e-mail.

So in conclusion, I agree with the previous reviewer who said if you just want a casual fashion pearl necklace to throw on with some jeans, this may be for you. But be prepared to deal with their joke of a "customer service" when you receive a defective necklace. Groupon is doing themselves a great disservice by associating themselves with such an unprofessional, unethical company. Obviously the value of this necklace is not even remotely close to what they advertise ($450). I was disappointed with this shopping experience overall.
 
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