My Strand of GOLDEN Pearls

[iLander]

I wandered over here from Colored Stones one day, and then started lurking. This got me into BIG trouble! LOL!

I had only seen golden pearls a few times, sold at Mikimoto stores. They were amazing, but at $2500 for a single (huge) pearl, I figured I'd never own any. But after hanging out here and wandering around on some websites, I found this:

**Link removed at request of OP**

I was stunned, but skeptical. I figured the photo was enhanced, or something fishy was going on, but I ordered anyway. I called and talked to a guy named Jose and he assured me that the photos were of the exact strand I was buying, that if I needed extra time beyond the standard return time that it was no problem. The next day I got a nice email with the tracking number. Then the box arrived and this is what I saw:

 

[iLander]

They seem to have a slight pistachio overtone and a color that's a bit darker than the website photos. The size is 10-12 mm, which to me, is plenty big. They look substantial on me, but not TOO big. Just right, IMHO. The actual color matching between the pearls is better than my photo shows.

I took out my jeweler's goggles, and some of the pearls (about 25%) have multiple blemishes. About 30% have one or two blemishes each. The rest are clean. Without the magnifying goggles, I only notice (if I look for them) about 8 blemishes on the whole strand. When they're on, I don't notice that about 3 of them are verging on oval. After very close inspection, I really don't see why they are considered off-round. They look pretty darn round to me.

But the luster is stunning, more beautiful than I thought they would be. Some of the pearls have an iridescent rainbow sheen, all of them just glow.

They came with a bunch of paperwork and even the receipt stated in great detail that they were guaranteed not to be dyed. I emailed Jose and asked him if there was any luster enhancement and he was very emphatic in stating that they don't purchase luster enhanced (coated) pearls.

I think the website description was extremely accurate.

 

[iLander]

Even in low light, they still glow.

Sorry for the bad pix. . . and the pitiful neck!

So now they're put away until Christmas, and I'm out of play money for many (MANY!) months to come, but I couldn't pass it up.

Thank you all, I've learned a lot from this forum and all your posts.

 

[elle_chris]

Stunning strand and it looks fab. on you.
More pics please.

 

[iLander]

Happy to oblige, Elle Chris, since after this I won't be able to get near them until Christmas! These pix will be all I have.

BTW, thanks for ignoring my neck. . . as I get older I suspect I will NEED these to distract from my motley skin. Think I can call these a medical expense?

I took a lot of Real life pix, because that is what we all love in over in the colored stones thread, and I figure it must be similar over here. Also, it helps to see RL pix to compare and contrast with online vendor pix, so everyone can make a better guess if they decide to try a vendor.

 

[iLander]

Last one, since I don't want to wear out my welcome. . .

The background on all of these photos is white, and the black ovals are a reflection of my cell phone with which I am taking the photos. In evaluating the color, please take that into account.

So, do we think they're keepers? Or did I miss a deal-breaking issue? What do you think?

 

[bebe]

I luv 'em !!

 

[iLander]

Re: New Strand of Golden Pearls: Keepers?

Thanks, bebe!

 

[that_someone_special]

I like them a lot!

One question though, I thought SS were supposed to be pretty soft and satin-like in luster? I know they are way too huge to be akoya but they remind me of golden akoyas? Since I don't own any SS I have no idea if this even makes sense to anyone else They seem to have an extremely sharp reflection. I know that you said they were not coated, but if they were coated would that contribute more to the mirror-like luster instead of a soft shine? I am just thinking out loud here.

Those are humungous.

I also found that it's best to photography pearls on white like you did but buy natural day-light.. not direct sun, but not cloudy gray rainy weather either. They are tricky to photograph! I think you did a good job

ETA: maybe they are satiny I can't tell ... the pictures have me on the fence with the type of luster! Can you describe them for us?

 

[iLander]

I like them a lot!

One question though, I thought SS were supposed to be pretty soft and satin-like in luster? I know they are way too huge to be akoya but they remind me of golden akoyas? Since I don't own any SS I have no idea if this even makes sense to anyone else They seem to have an extremely sharp reflection. I know that you said they were not coated, but if they were coated would that contribute more to the mirror-like luster instead of a soft shine? I am just thinking out loud here.

Those are humungous.

I also found that it's best to photography pearls on white like you did but buy natural day-light.. not direct sun, but not cloudy gray rainy weather either. They are tricky to photograph! I think you did a good job

ETA: maybe they are satiny I can't tell ... the pictures have me on the fence with the type of luster! Can you describe them for us?

Hi Bean, Yes, they do seem pretty big, and I'm still deciding if I like that.

On the luster, I don't know how to quantify it. In RL I guess they look more satiny, and the photos have the color a bit darker than they really are. I think these pearls, from Pearl Paradise are not "satiny", but more "shiny" (see second photo below) The seller did have the luster marked as "excellent" if that helps any. Also, there seems to be a variety of luster grades among SS on-line pearl sellers(good, medium, high, etc.), but I didn't really see a standard anywhere. (If anyone knows of a standard, please provide the link.)

So, I don't really know, Bean, what do you think?

 

[4Ranch Girl]

Your strand is beatiful and if it was me I would keep them good choice

 

[that_someone_special]

iLander- I am a fan of all large pearls I think the size is just peferct!

After looking at the pictures I am even more confused! They look really really nice in that vendor picture though and have the satin look that I would expect, but PP IS shiny.. hmmm... Are you planning any matching earrings yet?

 

[missydebby]

I know nothing about pearls, but these look gorgeous! I love the size on your neck. They have a real presence. Your gonna look powerful at work, gurl!

On a bit of a threadjack note, Bean... your avatar is to die for.... such incredible rings! OK threadjack over

 

[gardengloves]

Hi iLander,

that strand is gorgeous and looks beautiful on you.

welcome to the pearl forum, I love those golden south seas.

 

[HHPmom]

I tried on a PP's round, gold SS strand in July. It was the day after the PG ruckus where we had show-and-tell. My pocketbook was empty after the airfare there, so there was no large purchase. But since someone asked Jeremy to show his gold SS strands, I thought I'd try one on. I can't remember its ID, but it was AA/AA+, I believe. And somewhere around 12-15mm. It was very pretty and looked good on my slender neck too. If I remember correctly, it was about $6K. The blemishes were hardly noticeable. I can't say for sure, but thought it has nice, sharp luster, not the usual SS satiny luster. So the picture iLander showed from PP is pretty accurate.

 

[Phoenix]

I'm no pearl expert, so can only give you my take from my own pearl buying experience. The tahitians and SS's I have are quite hefty (as in weight) compared to Akoyas and FW's, and they are quite pricey too, relatively speaking (though mine are not terribly expensive). Those pearls you have/ are considering purchasing look big to me and I'm thinking they would be expensive to buy (prob in the tens of thousands of USD's, if not more). Although they're not perfectly round, the sizing and the evenness of the colour would contribute to a higher pricing.

Oh also, if you're able to do so, would it be possible to get a knife and scrape off a little bit of one of the pearls? Real and/or undyed pearls should still look exactly the same - colour and texture wise. I actually did it with one of mine and was happy to see no change.

 

[gardengloves]

HI Pheonix,

I remember a thread where you tried on an amazing strand of south seas and golden south seas, most beautiful strand I ever saw. I think that was you?, anyway it was heaven, I would love to see that strand again

 

[Phoenix]

HI Pheonix,

I remember a thread where you tried on an amazing strand of south seas and golden south seas, most beautiful strand I ever saw. I think that was you?, anyway it was heaven, I would love to see that strand again

Hi GG,

Was it this strand?

 

[iLander]

HI Pheonix,

I remember a thread where you tried on an amazing strand of south seas and golden south seas, most beautiful strand I ever saw. I think that was you?, anyway it was heaven, I would love to see that strand again

Hi GG,

Was it this strand?

OMG! What a beauty! Did you just try it on? What was the price tag on that puppy? The luster is stunning . . .

Full story, please, for those of us that came in late . . .

 

[Phoenix]

HI Pheonix,

I remember a thread where you tried on an amazing strand of south seas and golden south seas, most beautiful strand I ever saw. I think that was you?, anyway it was heaven, I would love to see that strand again

Hi GG,

Was it this strand?

OMG! What a beauty! Did you just try it on? What was the price tag on that puppy? The luster is stunning . . .

Full story, please, for those of us that came in late . . .

Thank you for your lovely compliment, iLander.

I did actually purchase it and got an amazing price for this strand. I bought it from Pearl City in Shanghai. Prior to coming to China, I'd been looking for something like that (and agonised for years) and was quoted at least USD10k. I looked around in Pearl City and compared different places and finally settled on one store that seems to have really nice stuff at very reasonable prices; plus the owers were very nice. The strand that I first bought didn't exactly look like this - I swapped out quite a few pieces that were not perfectly round or were more than just slightly blemished; I also wanted to place the different colours in a particular sequence; which required me to buy more golden and white single SS's which were more expensive than the grey or even peacock ones. The prices added up and I don't remember exactly how much it was in total in the end, but I seem to remember maybe USD3-4k.

 

[iLander]

@4ranchgirl: Turns out you were right!
@bean: No earrings for while, that's it for the play money, I will just have to live vicariously through you guys.
@ Missydebby: They are going to know who they're dealing with now
@gardengloves: Thank you, you are very kind.
@HHPmom: Did you post about your visit to PP over here? Would love to read that. The other forum seems to be wonky lately (did anyone else get the google warning?), so I don't want to wander over there.
@ PHOENIX: Really lovely. Very nice, I think the thing I like best is the color arrangement, so your hard work really paid off there! That strand is a jaw dropper

FINAL VERDICT ON THE GOLDEN STRAND: It's a keeper! I took the goldens to a very reputable appraiser who had completed the GIA pearls course and he confirmed what all you PSer's said:

Color: Not dyed, definitely not.
Luster: Natural, with the silky feel of genuine nacre. He said he was 95% sure the luster was all natural, but only with GIA equipment can you be 100% sure. I think 95% sure is good enough for me.
Size: Good at 10-12 mm, and a well-matched strand.
Nacre: He thought it was really nice, very thick.
Blemishes: a few, but only on close inspection and scattered throughout the strand, so not distracting.
Roundness: Very slightly off-round, with one that is actually more squarish than round (actually, that guy's my favorite one)
Retail Value: About 4 times what I paid for it!

So, I will consider TahitianPearls.biz for any future pearl purchasing, and I am happy to give them a positive review. The strand was EXACTLY as described. Jose was completely professional and stood behind his pearls even though I needled him a little with pointed emails about potential treatments.

I take my forum reviews very seriously, knowing that I am "going first" for some potential customers. Hence the long (and sometimes boring) posts. Hopefully, this will be helpful to someone in the future.

ONLY BAD PART: I won't get to wear them till after the holidays

 

[soberguy]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!! I want one too Can a man wear those babies?

 

[iLander]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!! I want one too Can a man wear those babies?

Hi Soberguy,

Thanks for being so nice!

For a man? Sure, why not? Jose has some single goldens on leather cords that you might like.

http://www.tahitianpearls.biz/golden-south-sea-pearl-necklace/golden-south-sea-pearl-rubber-cord-necklace-gnrb.htm

I would get it without the little gold beads, though. Ask him for an off-round (to save $$) if you don't like the circled type. See if he has one with a rainbow overtone! Those are my favorites out of the strand, you can see one in my pix above.

Jose seems very congenial and responds quickly to emails.

 

[gardengloves]

HI Pheonix,

I remember a thread where you tried on an amazing strand of south seas and golden south seas, most beautiful strand I ever saw. I think that was you?, anyway it was heaven, I would love to see that strand again

Hi GG,

Was it this strand?

oh my gosh, such a beautiful stand Phoenix, and thanks for the story on the search, actually it was another strand on a post you started..

I found the original thread with south seas and goldens only, ( no grey pearls) its called SS pearl necklace white mixed with goldens. tagsinger also posted a pic and so did collecting more. its on page 2.

Sober guy, of course you can handle this - go for it.

Ilander, your strand is GORGEOUS, I am falling in love with these goldens.

 

[bright&shiny]

I'm in love. Last spring, TPO had a sale with a strand of white and golds that I adored but did not buy. They did not sell, but have not appeared anywhere since.... You've rekindled my search. :apple: Congratuations!

 

[HHPmom]

@HHPmom: Did you post about your visit to PP over here? Would love to read that. The other forum seems to be wonky lately (did anyone else get the google warning?), so I don't want to wander over there.

Hi iLander,
I did not write a full report, per se, here. But there is a whole thread about that event over there, with pictures too. It's still wonky for me. However, I can get there with my iPod touch, though. I think it's the "news" or "pearling industry" category.

 

[HHPmom]

These pictures were taken by Pattye in another forum at the ruckus in July.

 

[iLander]

These pictures were taken by Pattye in another forum at the ruckus in July.

WOW!!

I would love to know what the "ruckus" was about!

I am really hesitant to wander over to the "other pearl forum", I take Google virus warnings very seriously, and need my computer to keep working for me

I was going to sign up so that I could post over there, then got distracted and didn't follow up on my sign in email for a couple of days. Then I got a weird email from someone obviously "spoofing" the other forum's email address asking me to click through to another website to verify that I wasn't a "pearl spammer" (?!!). ("Spoofing" is when someone simply writes in an email address that isn't theirs, as their return email address. I could pretend to send you an email from the white house using spoofing.) I definitely won't click through to a site I don't know, that comes through an email. This spoofing email proved to me that the site is wide open and whoever it is has access to the email address file. But then again, it could be a lot of fuss about nothing. . .

I suggest that everyone at least clear out their cookies, if they visit over there. If you want to see the warning (it won't show if you use a bookmark), just google "pearl forum". I really liked all the pics, etc., on the other forum, but I personally am a web wimp.

SO, ANYWAY, when you have some time HHPmom, maybe you could start a new thread on the ruckus?

 

[HHPmom]

I hope the other site is fixed soon so you can read about the ruckus. My MacBook Pro said it could contain malware and I haven't been there with my MBP. But like I said earlier, the iPod Touch did not have a warning though. Anyway, the post about the ruckus was a long one with some of the attendees posting their own pictures. I saved Pattye's pix since Aug and had them handy to post here yesterday.

I was skeptical about gold SS thinking they don't look too good on me. But the darker colors seem to look better than light champagne on my complexion, which in the past I thought it was the opposite. Who knows! I am just color blind sometimes. Also the strand I tried on was not AAA. I think it was AA/AA+ but the blemishes were not even noticeable and the luster was really good.

 

[movie zombie]

i have not appreciated gold/golden pearls until this thread. they really are stunning, i Lander!

MoZo