Proper Luster For Freshadamas?

[TurnScope]

Hi all--Just got in a strand and pair of earrings for the wife to be, and wanted to gather thoughts on whether or not the forum would agree that this strand has the proper luster. Nearly all of the pearls appear to be round, but if you have thoughts on that, let me know as well. Thanks in advance! I purchased these from Pearl Paradise.

 

[pearlsngems]

I think maybe there is some distortion from the camera that is making the pearls look less nearly round than you describe.

Pearls should always be evaluated viewed against a white background. The black velvet obscures luster and other qualities. That said, they look fine to me. (I own Freshadamas also.)

 

[TurnScope]

Thanks for that insight. I figured that I may need to try another background! I'll post another pic and look again for myself when I get home. They appeared to be round, however, Im no expert and that's I mentioned it.

 

[pearlsngems]

The inside of the lid is white-- you can view/ photograph against that. Or plain paper towels.

 

[TurnScope]

The inside of the lid is white-- you can view/ photograph against that. Or plain paper towels.

Here are some better pictures. These appear to be on the small side to be 7.5-8MM. Thoughts? I added a photo beside the earrings. Same size, but they appear to be larger. Want to return them ASAP if they aren't right. Thanks again for the help!

 

[pearlsngems]

The pearls are the size advertised, if you do the math. (54 pearls ranging from 7.5 at the ends to 8.0mm in the center, plus knots averaging .4mm each, and clasp.) You placed the studs next to the smaller pearls in the strand; the studs look closer in size to the center pearls.

In other words, it's not the strand that is small, but the studs that are large (assuming you bought 7.5-8.0mm studs.)

That said-- if you don't care for the size of the strand, you may want to buy a larger one! And larger studs to go with it. Many of us ladies like larger pearls, especially as time goes on. We joke about Pearl Shrinkage Syndrome, but it's a very real phenomenon! I'm at the point where I prefer my strands to be 10mm or larger. (And my first strand was a 7-8mm Freshadama!)
If one buys too small a strand at the start, it just becomes the one to replace. Might as well get what you really want from the start.

Be aware that pearls tend to jump in price over 8mm.

It may interest you to know that an 8mm round pearl is 49% larger by volume than a 7mm pearl-- in other words, it's nearly one and a half times as large! Even a 1mm increase in diameter makes a significant difference in size, weight and visual impact. (Unfortunately, also in price.)

 

[TurnScope]

The pearls are the size advertised, if you do the math. (54 pearls ranging from 7.5 at the ends to 8.0mm in the center, plus knots averaging .4mm each, and clasp.) You placed the studs next to the smaller pearls in the strand; the studs look closer in size to the center pearls.

In other words, it's not the strand that is small, but the studs that are large (assuming you bought 7.5-8.0mm studs.)

That said-- if you don't care for the size of the strand, you may want to buy a larger one! And larger studs to go with it. Many of us ladies like larger pearls, especially as time goes on. We joke about Pearl Shrinkage Syndrome, but it's a very real phenomenon! I'm at the point where I prefer my strands to be 10mm or larger. (And my first strand was a 7-8mm Freshadama!)
If one buys too small a strand at the start, it just becomes the one to replace. Might as well get what you really want from the start.

Be aware that pearls tend to jump in price over 8mm.

It may interest you to know that an 8mm round pearl is 49% larger by volume than a 7mm pearl-- in other words, it's nearly one and a half times as large! Even a 1mm increase in diameter makes a significant difference in size, weight and visual impact. (Unfortunately, also in price.)

Interesting...I have done research and the other 7.5-8.0 MM strands seemed to be larger overall. So what you are saying is that the 7.5-8.0 MM denotes that the strand is a blend of both sizes of pearls arranged in a graduated fashion? I thought that there were actual graduated pearl necklaces that you could buy from PP (where I bought this one). The studs are also 7.5-8MM, so you were correct there. I'll have to compare again when I get some free time today.

I reached out to PP and asked to see images of a few Freshadama strands so that I could compare my strand. What I don't like is that the knots on this strand are much more prominent than I expected. The photo that the representative sent me from PP seems to confirm my suspicions. These pearls also appear to be the same size throughout, and larger. The representative specifically told me that these strands were 7.5-8.00 MM. The next size up is double the price of this strand, so that's out of the question. I'm probably going to request another strand. This is more difficult than I thought! See pic attached from PP.

 

[pearlsngems]

In all strands there will be some larger and some smaller pearls, but all will be in the stated range. Back when I bought my Freshadamas (2007), the range was 7.0-8.0mm, but because the processors in China were increasing the per cent of smaller pearls in the strands they sold, PP switched to selling fwp the same way they sold akoyas, in half-mm ranges. This enabled them to increase the overall size of their strands.

Strands with a .5mm range are not considered graduated, but there will always be some larger and some smaller pearls. Pearls are made by living creatures and come in all sizes, not just calibrated sizes. Every pearl in the necklace will be somewhere between 7.5 and 8.0-- some may be 7.72mm, or 7.63 for example.
The larger pearls are typically placed in the middle because the necklace tends to look larger that way on the neck, but it doesn't have to be. The larger pearls can be scattered throughout to give a more nearly uniform look, if the buyer prefers. That may make the necklace look smaller overall, however.

The 3 strands in the above photo are temporarily strung (no knots). They are only knotted up after you buy them and choose your clasp. Attaching the clasp is an integral part of the knotting process. (I string my own pearls, so I know).

Knots will necessarily appear more prominent in a smaller pearl strand than in a larger strand, because their size is the same whether the pearls next to them are larger or smaller. The size of the thread is based on the size of the drill holes. Knots have to be large enough not to slip through the holes.

I don't know if a replacement strand will be any larger overall than what you currently have, but bottom line-- PP has a friendly return policy. You seem not to like the strand you have. Keeping something you don't like isn't a good idea.

Here's an idea: buy another strand (after communicating clearly what you are looking for by phone), then after looking at both of them, keep the one you like better and return the other one. (It's possible you will like your original strand more.)

 

[pearlsngems]

I just want to say one more thing about luster and size.

Years ago, a friend of mine received a gem quality 4mm akoya necklace from her fiancé. She wore them often after the wedding, and they were stunning! I mean really glorious! The luster made them pop. Size was utterly irrelevant.

Freshwaters do not have as high luster as akoyas, but the best freshwaters have very good luster, and that in itself makes them look larger than less lustrous pearls would. So, maybe don't sweat the size too much.

And if someday you want to buy her larger pearls, or a different kind of pearl (akoya, Tahitians, South Sea) there will always be anniversaries, birthdays etc.

 

[TurnScope]

I just want to say one more thing about luster and size.

Years ago, a friend of mine received a gem quality 4mm akoya necklace from her fiancé. She wore them often after the wedding, and they were stunning! I mean really glorious! The luster made them pop. Size was utterly irrelevant.

Freshwaters do not have as high luster as akoyas, but the best freshwaters have very good luster, and that in itself makes them look larger than less lustrous pearls would. So, maybe don't sweat the size too much.

And if someday you want to buy her larger pearls, or a different kind of pearl (akoya, Tahitians, South Sea) there will always be anniversaries, birthdays etc.

Thanks pearlsngems! I spoke with Erin today at PP, and she really gave me some great insight. I don't think that my studs match the strand, so I'm sending them back for a match. The strand has an rose/ivory overtone which I love, and she also told me about the Ivory and Silver overtones for Freshadamas. I feel like nearly all of the pearls are perfectly round, and I also know that $1000 for a triple A Akoya strand isn't in the cards right now. She helped me understand that this is good place to start, to your point, so maybe later I can go all in and get some Akoya's or larger Freshadama's.

The value for the Freshadama's are exceptional, and since this will be more of an heirloom type gift, I think that the durability of the Freshwater pearls (much more Narc vs Akoya's) will be the best route. I really appreciate all of your help and advice!!

 

[pearlsngems]

You're welcome! And I agree that the studs could have been a better match, color wise. When worn, studs are far enough away from a necklace that the color difference may not be noticeable, but why not get a better match, since it's easy to do so?

If you want to learn more about pearls (since you might want to buy more pearls in the future) you might enjoy taking the PEARLSASONE course put out by the CPAA (Cultured Pearl Association of America). I believe the code CPAAFREE should still work to take the course for free. When you pass the exam you get a certificate.
pearlsasone.org is the website.

I believe in being well informed, as a buyer! Besides which, it's fascinating stuff.

Another great source of information is Renee Newman's Pearl Buying Guide. The most recently updated edition was published in 2017. Here's a link to the Amazon page for it: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0929975529/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1