Takahashi - Please help choose a pair of pearls

[Bluebell5]

Hallo to all pearl experts @yssie,

Please help me choose a pair of pearls. Takahashi sent me 2 pairs of Akoya pearls and I just can't decide. To me it seems that both pairs are not very good matched. The pearls on the right seem to be darker. Or is it just how it looks on fotos?

Please help me decide which pair to get (or ask for a different pair) . Thanks

 

[yssie]

Lighting can do really funny things to pearls. Have them turn the card and take another photo for you. Picture below:

 

[NY_Resonant]

Lighting can do really funny things to pearls. Have them turn the card and take another photo for you. Picture below:

I think for MATCHING purposes, it would help if each matched pair was at the same distance from the window versus the current setup where the right Pearl is closer to window?

 

[NY_Resonant]

Hallo to all pearl experts @yssie,

Please help me choose a pair of pearls. Takahashi sent me 2 pairs of Akoya pearls and I just can't decide. To me it seems that both pairs are not very good matched. The pearls on the right seem to be darker. Or is it just how it looks on fotos?

Please help me decide which pair to get (or ask for a different pair) . Thanks

For matching and judgement purposes, it also helps to ask for a video doing a 360 Degree turn around the pearls at a 45 degree angle. You can go frame by frame in video when reviewing and it lets you see all sides of pearl for surface imperfections (Little bumps, shark fin, etc)…

 

[Bluebell5]

I will ask them to take another photo. What do you think about the luster of the pearls?

 

[NY_Resonant]

I will ask them to take another photo. What do you think about the luster of the pearls?

Personally I can't say anything about luster from that one picture --- maybe Yssie can?

What I will say, based on my prior experience with Takahashi and looking at their 9-9.5mm previously...Is that when I asked them to show it in the same picture as a 8.5-9mm earring pairs, it was clear to me that the 9-9.5mm had noticeably lower luster. I couldn't bring myself to pay 3x the price for lower luster pearls so I bought the more lustrous 8.5-9mm. That was the choice I made anyhow.

I can't say that is the case for THESE pairs since you don't have any 8.5-9mm in the same picture (Has to be in same picture to compare)...

 

[yssie]

I think for MATCHING purposes, it would help if each matched pair was at the same distance from the window versus the current setup where the right Pearl is closer to window?

Yeah. It would. But then they'd have to flip the card in the other direction from that initial orientation to judge body colour and that just seemed like a lot of flipping to try to explain

 

[Bluebell5]

Now I'm on my computer and can answer properly!

Thank you very much for you opinion. It did't occcur to me, that the difference may be due to the light source being on the right side. I asked Takahashi to turn the card 180 degrees and make another photo.

Re size: I first wanted 9.5-10mm akoyas but desided against it because of the price increase. I will ask for some 8.5-9mm pairs to compare.

 

[yssie]

Now I'm on my computer and can answer properly!

Thank you very much for you opinion. It did't occcur to me, that the difference may be due to the light source being on the right side. I asked Takahashi to turn the card 180 degrees and make another photo.

Re size: I first wanted 9.5-10mm akoyas but desided against it because of the price increase. I will ask for some 8.5-9mm pairs to compare.

It’s actually two things -
1. The lighting actually causing a difference between right and left side, thanks to slight shadow, and
2. The phone camera software doing weird stuff to compensate for that slight shadow.

Unfortunately every phone camera type is a bit different, so we can never know exactly what’s happening! Seeing in-person is always best, but getting both directional perspectives is a pretty good second option.

 

[Bluebell5]

So I heard back from Takahashi. Unfortunately they don't have any 8-8.5 mm pearls with gem luster right now.
They made a video and another photo with both 9mm pairs like @yssie suggested.


Any thoughts?

 

[Bluebell5]

And a video

 

[Bluebell5]

Honestly, to me both pairs look good, but I'm not an expert - like at all. And I looked so much at pearls recently that I'm almost blind by now. So I really need help!

 

[mamong]

Both pairs really good! The first pair (in the middle below the single pearl) is a tad more lustrous and whiter to my eyes. I prefer that pair. What’s your preference? I think you can’t go wrong picking any pair. ☺️

 

[NY_Resonant]

I agree they both look beautiful. The bottom pair is a bit pinker.

Personally, I’d go with the middle pair. I see it having a smidge more contrast-luster. In the video, my eye kept going to it versus the bottom pair for some reason. I also think the middle pair has a slightly stronger Aurora/overtone (Look at colors in window area).

 

[Bluebell5]

Thank you for your help! I'll take the middle pair.

 

[yssie]

Video was actually NY_Resonant’s idea!

And middle pair for me too, thritto!

Do you also need that bigger singleton? Maybe?

 

[lovedogs]

Video was actually NY_Resonant’s idea!

And middle pair for me too, thritto!

Do you also need that bigger singleton? Maybe?

Yup, middle pair for me too!

 

[Bluebell5]

Do you also need that bigger singleton? Maybe?

Funny you ask that. This is the pearl for a pendant. I have a pearl pendant already. But one day I looked at it and thought - has it always looked so meh? So I desided to buy a beautiful pearl instead. And then I thought, why not buy pearls for earrings as well?

 

[katbran]

I agree the top pair . Sharper lustre.