Takahashi south sea pearl board!

[MakingTheGrade]

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

Compared to stock WSS of popular commercial companies like PP etc I’d guess it’s double to triple the price. But the quality difference is also quite huge. You’re not just paying for the cert. Comparing to miki and papasley it seems super reasonable and actually cheaper but that feels unfair because of the luxury brand effect. I have no idea if there’s a “here’s how much it is now but if we send it to PEPCA and it comes back gran or super then it’ll be X” Not sure that’s knowable information for us consumers. I’ve heard submitting to the process is pricey though. More so than PSL but not sure by how much.

 

[yssie]

Another bit of trivia

I asked Takahashi about possibly finding a Supearl GSS and Yy said she’d ask around. Then she told me she’d talked with one of her bosses, Mr. Masato Morita, who is a VP at PEPCA (back to Takahashi being a Big Freaking Deal company!!) and yeah, a loose SUPERL GSS ain’t happening!




Yy told me that Mr. Morita said that since 2008 (so - since the beginning of PEPCA grading) he has seen only 2-3 GSS SUPERL strands, and no loose SUPERL GSSs. And no loose SUPERL Tahitians either. Edit - I should add here that from my convo with Yy I’m not sure if this is a #100%AbsoluteNever or more a situation where one or two exceptions might exist but they’re so rare that you couldn’t ever count on finding one… Apparently the issue is getting everyone to agree on “superlative”, because colour preference is so personal, but everyone can at least agree on “great”!




TBH it remains kind of astonishing that they can all agree even with white pearls like WSS and akoya - goodness knows my company meetings never end with everyone on board with anything

So… I did what any reasonable person in this scenario would do: Broke my buying ban and committed to one of the GRANPERL GSSs. Hey, I lasted a full month, it counts.

 

[GeliL]

My mother actually has a Granpearl akoya strand. It's a pinkish 7-7.5mm 16 inch strand. I still haven't seen it in person though, and you bet I'll post pictures once I see it!

I believe I've seen a Supearl Tahitian online. But it's crazy rare and therefore $$$$!

 

[GeliL]

Another bit of trivia

I asked Takahashi about possibly finding a Supearl GSS and Yy said she’d ask around. Then she told me she’d talked with one of her bosses, Mr. Masato Morita, who is a VP at PEPCA (back to Takahashi being a Big Freaking Deal company!!) and yeah, a loose SUPERL GSS ain’t happening!




Yy told me that since 2008 (so - since the beginning of PEPCA grading) Mr. Morita has seen only 2-3 GSS SUPERL strands, and no loose SUPERL GSS. And no loose SUPERL Tahitians either. I should add here that I’m not sure if this is a 100% absolute never, or more a situation where one or two exceptions might exist but they’re so rare that you couldn’t ever count on finding one… Apparently the issue is getting everyone to agree on “superlative”, because colour preference is so personal… But everyone can at least agree on “great”!




TBH it remains kind of astonishing that they can all agree even with white pearls like WSS and akoya - goodness knows my company meetings never end with everyone on board with anything

So… I did what any reasonable person in this scenario would do: Broke my buying ban and committed to one of the GRANPERL GSSs. Hey, I lasted a full month, it counts.

Wait...do you mean to tell us you got a Granpearl GSS strand???

 

[yssie]

Nooooo just one single pearl! I can’t sell the house we need it still

Wait...do you mean to tell us you got a Granpearl GSS strand???

 

[GeliL]

Also...just for a feast for the eyes...here are some of the supearl+granpearl strands I found online. GSS and WSS

 

[yssie]

Also...just for a feast for the eyes...here are some of the supearl+granpearl strands I found online. GSS and WSS

Check out the *matching* on those GSS and Tahitians… Out of this world gorgeous

And OMG @GeliL your mum needs to rescue that akoya strand from wherever it is so you can take photos so weeeeee can seeeeeee

Also. Searching for #pepca on IG doesn’t yield what I’d hoped for. But the screen translations @MakingTheGrade posted on the first page have way more info than anywhere else anyway

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

OOOHHHLALA. Some (smallish) golden pearls would be PEFFECT! (but whyohwhy did I read this before bed...I'll never sleep!!!)

cheers--Sharon

 

[Snowdrop13]

A whole other level! Wow!

Are these pearls of Japanese origin, then? I’m sure I read elsewhere on the forum that white SSP were mostly from Australia, and they were the “best in the world”? Or is that a Paspaley marketing thing? How would these compare to Paspaley, do we know?

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Not sure about origin but we’re hoping to be able to do some comparison shots with the supearl and Yssies specially selected gem pearls from Papasley

 

[Snowdrop13]

Not sure about origin but we’re hoping to be able to do some comparison shots with the supearl and Yssies specially selected gem pearls from Papasley

That would be really useful!

 

[PinkAndBlueBling]

I am having a horrible time with these pearls! I was shown three non-Granpearl WSS that are supposed to be as nice as the certed ones. One is 14mm and two are 15mm. I guess I'm trying to decide just how rare these are and how often they are offered. Any thoughts? Here is a group shot:

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

Also...just for a feast for the eyes...here are some of the supearl+granpearl strands I found online. GSS and WSS

omg i literally just died

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

I am having a horrible time with these pearls! I was shown three non-Granpearl WSS that are supposed to be as nice as the certed ones. One is 14mm and two are 15mm. I guess I'm trying to decide just how rare these are and how often they are offered. Any thoughts? Here is a group shot:

wow those are stunning! I don't have any advice but you can't lose either way!
Would you mind sharing a average cost for one of their WSS gran pearls?

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

Check out the *matching* on those GSS and Tahitians… Out of this world gorgeous

And OMG @GeliL your mum needs to rescue that akoya strand from wherever it is so you can take photos so weeeeee can seeeeeee

Also. Searching for #pepca on IG doesn’t yield what I’d hoped for. But the screen translations @MakingTheGrade posted on the first page have way more info than anywhere else anyway

Those GSS look unreal, like some kind of magic CGI!!! Now i'll never sleep after looking at those... like little balls of 24k gold!

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

My mother actually has a Granpearl akoya strand. It's a pinkish 7-7.5mm 16 inch strand. I still haven't seen it in person though, and you bet I'll post pictures once I see it!

I believe I've seen a Supearl Tahitian online. But it's crazy rare and therefore $$$$!

holy moly!!! do you have a picture somewhere? oh pretty please!

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

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

we can sit together on ban-island and cry! I am on a very strict no buy ban! Ugh it hurts!

 

[Cerulean]

we can sit together on ban-island and cry! I am on a very strict no buy ban! Ugh it hurts!

I’ve been eating my feelings, so now I’ll know to pass you box of bonbons next!

 

[PinkAndBlueBling]

Anyone see their Granpearl strand?!?!?!? I'm dead.

 

[Ann]

Anyone see their Granpearl strand?!?!?!? I'm dead.

I saw those - had to keep scrolling. I wonder how much that strand is?

 

[GeliL]

I talked to Yy about this strand. I said I was interested in finding a strand like that and I wanted to know the price (but I said I'm probably cannot commit and just wanted to know the price), and they actually just found one and let me know. It's 15k for anyone curious . Kind of out of my budget but quality is guaranteed for Granpearl so this is a great deal if anyone has the budget! Matching, color and luster is pretty much all superior!

 

[yssie]

It is phenomenally matched and I’m sure luster is faultless but the colour leaves vitality to be desired IMO. Very very nice but it doesn’t make my heart race like the SUPERL or the GRANPERL golds.

 

[lovedogs]

It is phenomenally matched and I’m sure luster is faultless but the colour leaves vitality to be desired IMO. Very very nice but it doesn’t make my heart race like the SUPERL or the GRANPERL golds.

I totally agree!!!! I honestly just dont love them.

 

[GeliL]

holy moly!!! do you have a picture somewhere? oh pretty please!

I have one very bad photo of it that was sent to me if it helps. I feel like there's *some* deviance in terms of completely matched but overall looks nice. But that strand is currently sitting in Asia, my mother didn't bring it with her when she came back here and I have no way of getting to it at the moment! Ugh!

 

[GeliL]

It is phenomenally matched and I’m sure luster is faultless but the colour leaves vitality to be desired IMO. Very very nice but it doesn’t make my heart race like the SUPERL or the GRANPERL golds.

Yep, I was told although it's a peacock strand the peacock-ness is not super strong and that it's also not super black like the Supearl strand. In the photo, it looks grey-ish to me but I also prefer very very black Tahitians. However color is personal preference anyway so anyone who likes the color is going to love the strand I think!

 

[yssie]

I have one very bad photo of it that was sent to me if it helps. I feel like there's *some* deviance in terms of completely matched but overall looks nice. But that strand is currently sitting in Asia, my mother didn't bring it with her when she came back here and I have no way of getting to it at the moment! Ugh!

That looks beautiful. Please tell your mum to wear it!! The world is made better by visions of strands like this out and about

 

[GeliL]

That looks beautiful. Please tell your mum to wear it!! The world is made better by visions of strands like this out and about

That's the thing. She's here with me right now and neither of us can go back because of the pandemic! And she decided to not bring it here at the time. So now it's just sitting in Asia, in a box. But as soon as either of us can go back you know that strand is the first thing I'll get

 

[GeliL]

Another kind of blurry image with the certificate that I had my mother dig out.

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

Nooooo just one single pearl! I can’t sell the house we need it still

I can’t wait, so excited for you @yssie !!! Please post 1,000,000,000 pictures when you get it

 

[Kim N]

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.

What an amazing pearl you're getting, MakingTheGrade! Can't wait for you to get it. Could you share where you bought your net necklace from?