Pearl opening/wish pearl/pick a pearl

[Pearlescence]

it's a general warning about something which has gushed through the internet internationally over the last couple of months - online pearl opening events. The idea is that you 'buy' this pearl oyster and a host/hostess opens it (you are either there in person or watching on a video link) and inside is -wow- a pearl worth $$$/£££.
The reality is that the pickled pearls for this cost 80c to $1.50 wholesale in china and the pearls, always described as akoya (or even Tahitian or South Sea!), are always low quality freshwater. And the mollusc is dead and pickled
I've seen some set-ups selling individual vacuum packed shells for £35. It's also in part a pyramid scam on the bods lured into setting up their own 'little' home business and buying the pearls and findings from a parent company which rakes it in and of course the individual punters who are paying more for one fairly ho-hum pearl than many a full strand from a proper supplier.
It's under investigation by trading standards in the UK, probably illegal (false trade description and importing hazardous bio materials across the EU) and also comsumer people in the USA.
It is all over facebook, ebay, youtube and etsy.
Please do not be fooled or drawn in.

 

[NacreLover]

I was reading about this over at the other forum, boy there sure have been a lot of threads lately on this subject.
We recently decided to move to another city in the same state. We were looking at homes with a realtor but decided to look at new homes so went into some model homes for a lookie lou. The lady there remarked about the strand of Tahitian pearls I was wearing and I asked her if she had a pearl collection also. She said yes and went on to tell me about the numerous home pearl parties she had gone to and the collection of "real" pearls she now had.
She loved how she could open the shells and harvest her own pearls. She wished she could actually go to a real pearl farm on vacation and open some there. I told her the closest to us would be the Sea of Cortez pearl farm but I didn't know if they actually let the public open shells when they harvest.
When we left my husband said, you didn't tell her the truth about those pearls. I said no, why wreck her fun, she really loved her pearls.

I did go to the facebook pages after reading about them on the other forum, It's just amazing what a racket this is.
I saw something much worse though when I went to Disney World last year. The Pearl Factory has a pick a pearl at the kiosk in Downtown Disney. In the past you could get a sterling setting, now it's only gold and they cost hundreds.
One lady from another country let her grand daughter select a $15.00 shell and got her pearl, then since this was the only thing she would be buying her agreed to buy a setting. The attendant set the pearl and returned with it and the invoice, the cost was over $500.00 and she was floored. She handed over the Credit card but she was disgusted and I who was looking at pearls in the case was shocked. She asked if they had something cheaper and the attendant said no. If you go to their site they say the freshwater pearls are akoya's also.

http://www.themainstreetmouse.com/2014/12/10/tmsm-explains-pick-a-pearl/

 

[ckrickett]

they have the same set up in the Japan Pavillion at Epcot. I am not sure if they have sterling settings but it always seemed like a scam. They do make it a big deal (they have alittle drum, they open the pearl and everyone applauds. BUT the price seemed really high. I mean it would be cute for a little girl (5- to pick out a pearl with a silver setting for like 20-35$ But no more then that, its not worth it. Also across the way they have alittle Mikimoto section as well, so you know people are going to the pick a pearl area and not to Miki.

 

[valeria101]

Digressing

I can testify that taking pearls out of their sacks is quite something. Mine are lab samples - naturals around 1 milimeter diameter ... Of course, I am very interested in what comes out of those sacs, hence the feeling is - indescribable !

Unfortunately, I am not the one doing the field work - I'd just be in the way; not that I can get the exercise out of my mind.


[as or the sales you mention - do not let them spoil the idea of finding pearls]

 

[stracci2000]

I have seen these kiosks in both Hawaii and Las Vegas.
The oyster is dead and preserved in some liquid, and a pearl is artificially placed in there.

I bought one of these pearls at a yard sale, and it still had the Maui Divers packaging with it. It appeared to be a black dyed akoya.

I observed at one of the "Pearl Factory" kiosks on Maui, that a black pearl came out of the small white oyster shell. Wow!
Here is a Youtube video I found that shows a black pearl coming out of a small oyster shell.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zdV6JaUg9Q

Of course, we all know that any black pearl, with the exception of Tahitian pearls, are dyed.
The worker quickly disposed of the shell, and started raving about the"fabulous" pearl to the customer.
I would assume that customers don't usually want to see the host shell anyway. The money is made on the gold settings, not the inexpensive pearl.

The customers at these kiosks are tourists looking for a fun souvenir of their trip, not folks who are knowledgeable about pearls.
They are selling the fun, novelty experience, not quality pearls.

 

[cameroonjames]

The pearl oyster has a visible "top" and "bottom". Its great

 

[Austina]

Is this racket still going on? I remember seeing this in Orlando back in the late '80's !

 

[collier]

My daughters (6& did this in Epcot's Japan. They were thrilled with their pearls and thought the whole thing was fun. I had prebought a pearl cage pendant so that they could put it in and take it out. Are they actually freshwater pearls put in a dead oyster, yeah. But they were happy and I happily remember doing the same thing all those years ago when I was a kid.

I think the problem arrises when the the seller leads the consumer to believe that these are something other than just fun.

 

[NacreLover]

There is a facebook site for information on this scam. You can find it at Pearl Party Scam. From chatting with her, this page is causing quite a stir in the party community. The light of day on scams is not what these folks want.