Takahashi south sea pearl board!

[Sprinkles&Stones]

Have you guys seen Takahashi’s second IG page where they recently posted their South Sea pearl board?

Most are WSS, but there’s a few gorgeous GSS pearls too.

They said that these SS pearls are some of their finest and I am just DROOLING…..

I hope someone from PS gets some and post them! I’m on pearl ban/bling ban island

 

[lovedogs]

Not Takahashi, but wanted to share this insane strand from Cees' instagram. It took all of my self control not to buy it!

Cees Van Oije on Instagram: "Another very beautiful Vietnamese cultured Akoya pearl strand"

129 likes, 12 comments - cees_van_oijeFebruary 3, 2022 on : "Another very beautiful Vietnamese cultured Akoya pearl strand"

www.instagram.com

 

[DorotheaBrooke]

Not Takahashi, but wanted to share this insane strand from Cees' instagram. It took all of my self control not to buy it!

Cees Van Oije on Instagram: "Another very beautiful Vietnamese cultured Akoya pearl strand"

129 likes, 12 comments - cees_van_oijeFebruary 3, 2022 on : "Another very beautiful Vietnamese cultured Akoya pearl strand"

www.instagram.com

Oh no, another tempting Instagram account to follow!

 

[lovedogs]

Oh no, another tempting Instagram account to follow!

Cees is great. He has lovely stuff

 

[PinkAndBlueBling]

I "took one for the team" and asked about the pearl board. The cheapest one in the blue box is $3500ish. I'm not sure what makes it into the blue box since I was told they have other nicer ones that aren't pictured. I'm waiting to hear back about those.

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

I "took one for the team" and asked about the pearl board. The cheapest one in the blue box is $3500ish. I'm not sure what makes it into the blue box since I was told they have other nicer ones that aren't pictured. I'm waiting to hear back about those.

Holy moly!! Thank you for inquiring, let us know what they say!

 

[SparklieBug]

I saw this on IG and was greatly relieved to see that they're all much larger than what I might be interested in. Phew! Dodged one!

 

[diamondyes]

I "took one for the team" and asked about the pearl board. The cheapest one in the blue box is $3500ish. I'm not sure what makes it into the blue box since I was told they have other nicer ones that aren't pictured. I'm waiting to hear back about those.

Thank you for doing that! I’m always wondering!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Sigh
I said I wouldn’t
I shouldn’t
But a PEPCA certified Super pearl is so so rare. Like .01% of the harvest or something to that affect.
And this one happens to be on the smaller end of sizes for WSS (I prefer under 14mm for wearability since I’m kinda short and round myself).
And I don’t have ANY WSS
And who knows how many more years I’d have to wait to have a chance of another one.
I’ll never own a D IF AGS0 diamond
But I am going to get this best of the best white south sea pearl.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I asked for a side by side since in the zoomed out view they all look great. But close up the supearl shines for sure

 

[Snowdrop13]

What’s the difference between Gran- and Su-? They are amazing!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Super pearl is considered a more prestigious designation than Grand pearl. So a more perfect pearl I guess by the PEPCA criteria

 

[dk168]

I’ll never own a D IF AGS0 diamond
But I am going to get this best of the best white south sea pearl.

That's my sentiments too, in that I am never going to have an earth-mined OEC diamond in D IF with the best cutting over 2ct; however, I could get some very nice pearls, CSs, and LGDs for that kind of money.

DK

 

[yssie]

I was chatting with Takahashi about them too, I’m SO EXCITED that @MakingTheGrade got the supearl!! So glad that’s staying in the family That is a RARE treasure!!

Apparently PEPCA normally only grades twice a year!! Nonprofit, not like PSL (which is a commercial entity). PEPCA accepts akoya, Tahitians, WSS, and GSS. Only round pearls are eligible for the granpearl and supearl grades - supearl being the extra extra high-quality designation


My understanding (mostly from Yy, who knows everything about pearls, seriously) is that PEPCA is *very* very highly regarded. Well respected for being impartial and equitable and consistent over time. Moreso than PSL.

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

Sigh
I said I wouldn’t
I shouldn’t
But a PEPCA certified Super pearl is so so rare. Like .01% of the harvest or something to that affect.
And this one happens to be on the smaller end of sizes for WSS (I prefer under 14mm for wearability since I’m kinda short and round myself).
And I don’t have ANY WSS
And who knows how many more years I’d have to wait to have a chance of another one.
I’ll never own a D IF AGS0 diamond
But I am going to get this best of the best white south sea pearl.

omg i am so so happy and excited for you! Please post 1000000 pictures!

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

I was chatting with Takahashi about them too, I’m SO EXCITED that @MakingTheGrade got the supearl!! So glad that’s staying in the family That is a RARE treasure!!

Apparently PEPCA normally only grades twice a year!! Nonprofit, not like PSL (which is a commercial entity). PEPCA accepts akoya, Tahitians, WSS, and GSS. Only round pearls are eligible for the granpearl and supearl grades - supearl being the extra extra high-quality designation


My understanding from Yy (who knows everything about pearls, seriously) is that PEPCA is *very* very highly regarded, as being impartial and equitable and consistent over time. Moreso than PSL.

This is super helpful and good to know! I had no idea! EEeee so exciting!

 

[Cerulean]

Not Takahashi, but wanted to share this insane strand from Cees' instagram. It took all of my self control not to buy it!

Cees Van Oije on Instagram: "Another very beautiful Vietnamese cultured Akoya pearl strand"

129 likes, 12 comments - cees_van_oijeFebruary 3, 2022 on : "Another very beautiful Vietnamese cultured Akoya pearl strand"

www.instagram.com

Lol! I inquired about it (despite being on a ban) and it had already sold. Someone spared me!

 

[SparklieBug]

Super pearl is considered a more prestigious designation than Grand pearl. So a more perfect pearl I guess by the PEPCA criteria

What will you do with the beauty? I'd be sorely tempted to just have it nestled in a beautiful little pearl-sized bed where I could ogle its beauty without drilling it.

 

[lovedogs]

What will you do with the beauty? I'd be sorely tempted to just have it nestled in a beautiful little pearl-sized bed where I could ogle its beauty without drilling it.

Lollllll perfect idea

 

[MakingTheGrade]

At some point it’ll be visiting auntie Jan so she can take pictures of it cause goodness knows my iPhone 7 camera isn’t up to the challenge.

It’s also not getting drilled. I’ll most likely go after a net style design to keep it intact. Haha I was never even asked if I wanted it drilled. I think it’s understood that such a thing would be blasphemy.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Also apparently the fees for the PEPCA go back to supporting pearl farming and industry which I think is great. And the panelist judges come from the boards of the different high pearl houses is my understanding. So they keep each other honest lol. I think I read somewhere they only certify maybe 200 a year of each type as either gran pearl or supearl. If the ratio is close to Takahashis results with their entries then it’s like 10% of those are Supearls. So like 20 Supearls a year. Most get sold to the East Asian markets.

 

[yssie]

Auntie Jan promises to take very good care of her foster, it will be properly loved and thoroughly spoilt

 

[SparklieBug]

It’s also not getting drilled. I’ll most likely go after a net style design to keep it intact. Haha I was never even asked if I wanted it drilled. I think it’s understood that such a thing would be blasphemy.

Ooooh! Like the Paspaley net?! In my fantasy world, that's what I would choose for your precious!

Totally laughing at the blasphemy of drilling. No kidding!!!

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

Also apparently the fees for the PEPCA go back to supporting pearl farming and industry which I think is great. And the panelist judges come from the boards of the different high pearl houses is my understanding. So they keep each other honest lol. I think I read somewhere they only certify maybe 200 a year of each type as either gran pearl or supearl. If the ratio is close to Takahashis results with their entries then it’s like 10% of those are Supearls. So like 20 Supearls a year. Most get sold to the East Asian markets.

This is soooooo cool! I had no idea. Thanks for sharing!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Yup. It’s sort of like an old school beauty contest. Just visual inspection by old guys who spend a lot of time staring at …pearls. No fancy machines, no chemicals, no visual enhancers. No talent or bikini portion of the contest either. But I admire that it’s just a room of folk who spend their lives sorting, selling, and knowing the product coming to agreement through their visual inspection and experience of the pearls as to what meets expectations to be the best of the best pearls can offer. Im curious what the process actually is. If there are scoring cards or discussions. Who knows. I can’t find details.

I just know I’m bringing home a Ms. White South Sea 2021.

 

[PinkAndBlueBling]

Any idea of what cost the two designations add to a pearl's price?

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Omg PEPCA has a website.
And my Chinese is too poor to read it. There is no english option.
Any kind soul wanna give it a read? Let us know of any cool info?

特选珍珠 - 日本真珠輸出加工協同組合（PEPCA）

「特选珍珠」鉴定业务的背景与目的 珍珠品质要素主要分为珠层、光泽、形状、瑕疵、颜色。「特选珍珠」是由PEPCA中最顶尖的专业团队经过慎重鉴定给出的评价。鉴评专家根据珍珠要素，目测筛选、缜密综合甄选，最终得到多位权威专家 […]

www.japan-pearl.jp

Edit : Nevermind. Google translate works!!

特选珍珠 - 日本真珠輸出加工協同組合（PEPCA）

「特选珍珠」鉴定业务的背景与目的 珍珠品质要素主要分为珠层、光泽、形状、瑕疵、颜色。「特选珍珠」是由PEPCA中最顶尖的专业团队经过慎重鉴定给出的评价。鉴评专家根据珍珠要素，目测筛选、缜密综合甄选，最终得到多位权威专家 […]

www-japan--pearl-jp.translate.goog

 

[MakingTheGrade]

The interesting details of how grading works:
Review and Judgment MethodVisual inspection

Exam and appraisal: the biggest feature of the review and appraisal of "specially selected pearls" is that the review and appraisal must be unanimously approved by at least 6 core PEPCA experts before the "specially selected pearls" can be recognized.
In addition, all the qualified "selected pearls" will participate in the bidding meeting held on the next day of PEPCA, so that more bidders can participate. If bidders have doubts about qualifying "Selected Pearls", PEPCA will initiate a re-evaluation process. This is also the difference from the general appraisal institutions. Based on the opinions of more experts, excellence is the characteristic of the appraisal system of "specially selected pearls".
The conditions for the identification of selected pearls are that all members of the identification team pass.Certificate of authenticityThe identification certificate is B5 size after folded in half. In addition to the words "Special Pearl Identification Certificate", the identification certificate will also include the type, name, size (mm), length (inch), weight (momme), identification number, "SUPEARL" or "GRANPEARL" of the pearl. logo, PEPCA name, etc. The identification number will be engraved on the one-to-one "Selected Pearl" exclusive sign, which will be managed by PEPCA.



If I’m reading that right then the number on the tag is means it’s the 5816th pearl to receive the supearl designation.
The history seems to imply that PEPCA started doing these to identify and set industry standards in response to vendors using language and terms somewhat

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Just going to copy paste info to save people from having to navigate the translator:

The Japan Pearl Export and Processing Cooperative Association is a business cooperative union established in 1950 based on Japanese law. Its role is to ensure that high-quality pearls are smoothly circulated in the market at a stable price, so as to build a sound market. Since its establishment more than 70 years ago, the trade union has devoted itself to hosting bidding fairs and has made great contributions to the development of Japan's pearl industry. The combination is abbreviated as PEPCA, which is the abbreviation of the beginning of the trade union's English name Japan Pearl Export and Processing Cooperative Association.

When evaluating the quality of pearls, we mainly evaluate the shape, scratches, colors, rolls, and pearls, and make a comprehensive evaluation. Size is different from quality factor, but it is an important factor in price evaluation. Pearls are very difficult to determine the quality of, but we would like to introduce them to the general consumer as much as possible.

Shape Shape	In terms of shape, the closer it is to a perfect round, the lower the yield and the higher the rarity, so it is said to be highly evaluated and valuable. Various shapes are produced depending on the type of pearl, and the unique shapes often found in black pearls and white pearls are also very popular.
Scratch Imperfection & Surface	The dents, protrusions, and wrinkles on the surface of the pearl are called "natural scratches". The dents on the pearls are likened to dimples, and I think many consumers have heard of them once. In the quality evaluation of scratches, the less scratches there are and the more graceful the beads, the higher the evaluation and the higher the rarity.
Color Color	The quality rating of pearl color also varies greatly depending on the type of pearl. Among the types of pearls, the evaluation tends to change depending on the tendency that the color, which is extremely low in production and rare, is highly evaluated and the needs of the times, so it is a fluid evaluation.
Roll Pearl Layers	The "roll" of a pearl is a term that describes how the nacre is formed, not just the thickness of the nacre. The pearls formed by the quality nacre show the deep brilliance that emanates from the inside of the pearls. For example, a pearl with a good winding thickness but no terry is affected by the quality of the nacre. Therefore, a pearl with a high reputation for winding is formed by a high-quality nacre, and the inside of the pearl has a deep luster.
Teri Luster	Teri shows the luster and brilliance of pearls. As mentioned above, you can see the interference color peculiar to the inside of the pearl with good winding. Interference color is a color that can be seen by refraction or transmission of light, and is closely related to winding. Similar to "rolls", products with a high evaluation of Teri must be formed by a high-quality nacre, and show pearls with a strong interference color inside the pearls.
Size Size	Size is not a quality factor for pearls, but it is an important factor in price and rarity. The larger the bead size, the lower the yield and the higher the rarity.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Background and purpose of "special pearl" certification business​

The quality elements of pearls are mainly rolls, territories, shapes, scratches and colors. "Special pearls" are a group of professional pearls, and the evaluation of pearls is visually evaluated by multiple officers and judges of the association, who can be said to be professionals, based on the quality factors of these pearls. As a result of comprehensive and rigorous quality evaluation, this title has been given to those evaluated and certified as being in the highest quality category.

The "special pearl" certification business will start in May 2008, and from August 2010, we will appeal to the inside and outside of the country that "special pearls = the highest quality pearls" and their high value. To that end, we have started issuing "Special Pearl Certificates".

Behind the start of the "special pearl" certification business, it is more difficult for general consumers to judge whether it is the highest quality pearl because the names such as pearl pearls have been widely used in the pearl market in recent years. There was a situation where it became. Specifically, in the Japanese pearl industry, the name "Hanadama" has long been used to mean the highest quality pearls, but the clear quality that defines this "Hanadama" as the pearl industry. There was an aspect that no standard was established and it was customarily used as a name indicating the highest quality. In the pearl market in recent years, there are some products with a certificate that interpret the name "Hanadama" in a different meaning because there is no quality standard for "Hanadama" as an industry. For example, there are some sales methods that mean "pearl products with pearl identification, etc. = highest quality". Based on this situation, as our association, that is, an industry group, we have started a "special pearl" certification business from the viewpoint of showing "flower pearls" as the highest quality that the pearl industry has used in the original sense inside and outside.

Classification of "special pearls" "SUPEARL" and "GRANPERL"​

It is a "special pearl" certification business that started in May 2008, but from August 2017, "special pearls" have been classified into "special pearls / SUPERL" and "special pearls / GRANPERL". Regarding the specific content of the classification, the ones that correspond to the "special pearls" so far are called "special pearls / GRANPERL", and among them, the quality is particularly excellent, and the rareness is added as a target of evaluation. The product that can be said to be a gem that has been carefully selected and certified is "Special Pearl / SUPERL". In addition, "Special Pearl / GRANPEARL" is next to "Special Pearl / SUPERL" in terms of shape. However, "Specialty Pearls / GRANPERL" is also positioned as being in the highest quality category in the comprehensive quality evaluation by our association, which is a professional group of pearls, and those in the highest quality category are further classified. It is said that.