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Trusted Vendors Sticky?

iLander

iLander

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 23, 2010
Messages
6,731
In colored stones, we have a sticky thread that lists the vendors that the posters frequently use and trust.

In light of a recent thread of an unhappy experience (with a vendor I've never heard of) should we have a sticky thread listing our favorite pearls vendors?

Here's a link to the colored stones sticky, but I don't think our version needs to be quite as long.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/can-we-start-a-new-thread-with-respected-cs-vendors.169561/page-5']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/can-we-start-a-new-thread-with-respected-cs-vendors.169561/page-5[/URL]

What do you think?
 
rikalovespearls|1408391982|3734963 said:
That's a great idea!
Here's a start. I have also included vendors with a good reputation that I have not personally purchased from, please feel free to remove any vendors if we cannot recommend them.

http://www.catherinecardellinipearls.com

http://www.kojimapearl.com

http://www.pearlsofjoy.com

http://www.pearlparadise.com

http://www.tahitianpearls.biz

http://stores.ebay.com/Ehret-Design-Gallery

http://www.purepearls.com
Click to expand...


I think you got most of them, rika! :appl:

For freshies I've ordered inexpensive gifts several times from PearlLuna and been very happy

http://stores.ebay.com/pearllunapearlsonly/
 
 
One comment about this thread. Many of us have purchased from one or more of these vendors. If you get what you are looking for your thoughts about them are positive. How many of you have had to return items to these vendors? I see two on the list that I have heard either won't acknowledge your return or will let you return once but then you can never buy from them again. Readers of this thread need to know more than just names. They need to know real life experiences with them. It would be a shame if they read names here and have a real bad experience because they trusted us.
 
NacreLover|1408748029|3737807 said:
One comment about this thread. Many of us have purchased from one or more of these vendors. If you get what you are looking for your thoughts about them are positive. How many of you have had to return items to these vendors? I see two on the list that I have heard either won't acknowledge your return or will let you return once but then you can never buy from them again. Readers of this thread need to know more than just names. They need to know real life experiences with them. It would be a shame if they read names here and have a real bad experience because they trusted us.
Click to expand...


I'd be curious to know which two....I've been browsing sites based on these recommendations (I have only bought online from PP and AP). I'd hate to buy something if a return won't be facilitated, especially since I'm dealing with a border.
 
I can attest to POJ being a pure pleasure to deal with and accepting returns graciously.
 
NacreLover said:
One comment about this thread. Many of us have purchased from one or more of these vendors. If you get what you are looking for your thoughts about them are positive. How many of you have had to return items to these vendors? I see two on the list that I have heard either won't acknowledge your return or will let you return once but then you can never buy from them again. Readers of this thread need to know more than just names. They need to know real life experiences with them. It would be a shame if they read names here and have a real bad experience because they trusted us.
Click to expand...

Excellent point! Certainly post their names and the experiences to this thread. If there are threads about it, please post a link.

In Colored Stones we recently had to remove a vendor from the trusted list, because some posters had a series of bad experiences. So, it does happen, and it's good to let people know.
 
This thread is a general guide, not a guarantee of perfect experiences.

Please read through this thread carefully, posters may have left a note concerning a particular vendor experience.

In no particular order, just random.

http://www.catherinecardellinipearls.com

http://www.kojimapearl.com

http://www.pearlsofjoy.com

http://www.pearlparadise.com

http://www.tahitianpearls.biz

http://stores.ebay.com/Ehret-Design-Gallery

http://www.purepearls.com

http://stores.ebay.com/pearllunapearlsonly/

http://www.pearlescence.co.uk/

http://www.thepearloutlet.com

http://stores.ebay.com/PEARL-SOCIETY-ONLINE

http://kamokapearls.com/

http://stores.ebay.com/AGUSTUS-Collection

If anyone is in the mood to alphabetize this or organize it somehow, feel free. :)
 
OK. These were not my experiences so I can't comment. One was told to me by a friend and unless she chooses to disclose it, I will not either. It did make me take note and I will not be doing business with this vendor because of their treatment towards her. Most of us on this forum choose not to share bad experiences, we just don't talk about the vendor any longer.

The other was seen on the pearl guide forum then here on this forum. You can look her up at PG if you want more links.
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/wow-druzydesign-ehret-design-gallery-blocked-me.194131/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/wow-druzydesign-ehret-design-gallery-blocked-me.194131/[/URL]

I have purchased here with no problem, but did not have to return anything. Since I now know her policy, I haven't chosen to purchase from her again.
 
I've bought half a dozen things from Ehret/Drusydesigns and it was all great with no problems at all short of the usual issue of photo colours being more intense than in real life. That's an issue with most of the sellers as it's the nature of pearl photography.

I do think that every store should be very clear about their return policy. If this store has a policy to block someone after two consecutive returns then they should include that in their information. That said they have an excellent reputation and I know lots of people who have purchased from them very happily and continue so to do.
 
katbran|1408861575|3738397 said:
I've bought half a dozen things from Ehret/Drusydesigns and it was all great with no problems at all short of the usual issue of photo colours being more intense than in real life. That's an issue with most of the sellers as it's the nature of pearl photography.

I do think that every store should be very clear about their return policy. If this store has a policy to block someone after two consecutive returns then they should include that in their information. That said they have an excellent reputation and I know lots of people who have purchased from them very happily and continue so to do.
Click to expand...


I think I remember someone having something similar with The Pearl Source, not so much being blocked from buying (because they are a webstore) but one person had a really bad time, but a lot of other people have received great service and amazing Pearls.
 
Hi, I have tried on many attempts to view Kojima Pearl. The page comes up but is very hard to move around the site, or choose items to look at. The site is usually in a paused mode, I have a Mac book pro computer. Any one else having this issue?
 
Frost Me|1410873306|3751777 said:
Hi, I have tried on many attempts to view Kojima Pearl. The page comes up but is very hard to move around the site, or choose items to look at. The site is usually in a paused mode, I have a Mac book pro computer. Any one else having this issue?
Click to expand...

It works fine for me, on various Macs. Maybe clear your cache or update your browser? They do have an odd movie thingy on the homepage of their site, so here is a "back page" you can click through to avoid getting stuck on the movie.
http://kojimapearl.myshopify.com/pages/jewelry-store

Hope that helps.
 
I'm a new user but i'm a consumer not a seller ... in case anyone is skeptical abt my post so i think its good to share my experience...

For me, i buy my akoya pearls from a Japanese seller directly. Yen recently went down so i just paid for another 2 pairs of earrings from him. Will be getting them next wk since i requested delay shipping

Altogether, i think i bought like 2-3 long strands, 2x 50cm strands from him. I bought 5-6.5mm, 7.5-8 or 8.5mm *i forgot!

Quality is good but of course, its not easy to buy pearls over the internet. more of the overtone issues & the so called A,AA,AAA rating as different vendor has different standard? its driving me nuts, even till today. Dont think they have the returns policy liked US firms.

Previously i was looking at some other US sites but then decided to buy from him directly. No one i know bought from him or mentioned him in anywhere in the internet. i think i chanced upon his site when i searched for hanadama pearls or something? so i take the risk to buy from him after liaising over emails n he provided me some pics when i requested from him. as a newbie, i asked many Qns n i also provided him my neck area pics so he know my skintone.

My first strand i insisted on the so called white pearls but i think the overtone chosen is too green/blue (i insisted not much pink overtones zzzz) so i decided to buy another few different style strands from him different from this 1st strand overtone.

The last strand i bought from him is a very good grade pearl grade, comparable to Mikimoto imo but price isnt cheap n that time yen was high. So happened one pearl co came to a Jap mall to sell his pearls n i brought down my pearls to show him.. he told me its a very good strand n i didnt send it in for the certificate. Thats how much i trusted the seller because i bought and received the 1st strand from him and the quality speaks for itself.

I bought those strands of pearls also because i feel that i should buy before the pearls as they are the batches before the jap nuclear breakdown. PARANOID! .... but since yen went down so i just ordered 2 earrings from him. hehee. Cheaper than strands n maybe still consider safe at this moment... plus he told me they r far frm the nuclear leaking area.


I bought from Yokota Pearls. Bought mine directly from Mr Yokota.
http://www.yokota-pearl.co.jp/english/e-index.htm

he has a japanese site too which i use it because i like to see the pics that i cant find in the english site.

Price i paid for all my purchases... i think i can buy >1-2 carats of diamond :( OUCH! I just dont know why i like pearls so much n i hardly have the chance to wear them. just my soft spot esp on akoya pearls because i like the 'pop' out lusters on akoya.. hardly can find it in south sea or freshwater.

Thereafter i ventured to buying from Rakuten Japan store buying multi color freshwater pearls. Ship them directly from Japan from various sellers.

This yr I just placed an order in early Dec for a pearl strand from China too. its multi color freshwater. I placed it via Tmall.com (that famous alibaba site listed in USA). Still on the way as its sea shipment with other goods. Hopefully its good. Only $30++

If anyone is interested in freshwater from China, i can find the link n post it here too but its not easy to communicate if u cannot read Chinese characters.
 
I'd like to include:
Pattye of PatriciaSaabDesigns.etsy.com
Inger of RainbowIslandPearls (stores.ebay.com/rainbowislandpearls)
 
For Authentic Natural Saltwater Pearls if anyone is intrested do visit
www.merugirigems.com

They only deals in Fine Natural Saltwater Pearls only. From middle East Dubai.
 
I have been very happy with American Pearl http://www.americanpearl.com/ and their sister site American Diamond. I have bought Akoya pearls from them (a strand, extender, and earrings), freshwater pearls, a baroque Tahitian strand, and my most recent earrings. I've been impressed with the quality of everything I have bought from them, and they've been really helpful every time I have had a question about buying anything. Plus, the one time I needed to exchange something it was done without any difficulty.

Like others here, I've also had great experiences with Ashley at Pure Pearls http://www.purepearls.com/, Kevin at Pearls of Joy http://www.pearlsofjoy.com/?gclid=C...v0Sn141QgHKV046A-XwcP_QrjJ8kPQZoIsaAgtk8P8HAQ, and Pearl Paradise (I won't post the link as I suspect everyone knows it).
 
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I recently bought a strand of Golden South Sea Pearls from Cees Van Oije, owner of Amsterdam Pearls Ltd. The pearls were sourced from Jewelmer farms. I'll start a thread about them later today.

I'm very satisfied with my transaction and recommend Cees for the trusted vendors list. His website is not one you can just buy pearls directly from-- I believe you need to contact him with what you are looking for and go from there.
 
My second experience with Jac at thePearlHouse Etsy wasn't so good.
Originally I felt comfortable enough to purchase because of some beautiful examples consistently posted by other forum members. I had my share of jewelry purchase problems before so I am more careful nowadays, but I was always happy to give smaller Etsy vendors a go, this may change now as I've been burned a few times and there's no recourse with some of the smaller vendors.

1. I was encouraged to purchase off Etsy for my own benefit (there was none but vendor don't have to pay Etsy fees so may be that's why I was given that option), I actually paid an extra 5% that I didn't have to, to make things easier for the vendor I didn't ask him to recreate a listing on Etsy, I realised this was a mistake and I should have kept the transaction above board despite good reviews from others. If I could post my review on Etsy I will give 2.5 to 3 stars out of 5.
2. Stringing wasn't done because I didn't purchase a clasp (I paid for stringing), I wasn't told I need to purchase one from him and his associate.
3. I was told the pearls will be similar in price (went up by 30%), hey I thought the pearls will be the same quality as last time so I wasn't too unhappy, but I was wrong, quality not as good and I bought from the same listing.
4. Pearls are more monotone (grey) and less lustrous than photos on Etsy, and the previous pearls I purchased from him.
5. Too few pearls chosen so the strand is too short (14 inches only), despite paying extra for matching and stringing fee.
5. In the end implied I need to purchase bulk like other forum members and do my own matching, I think it got too hard for the vendor in the end. My original request was choose enough pearls for a 17 inches strand, with 10mm to 12 mm pearls, or 11mm to 13mm pearls. 5 extra pearls, 2 x 10mm for my existing bracelet, 2 x 11 mm for earrings, 1 x 11mm for a ring.
6. Given excuses (eg jet setting to LA) when I asked for a tracking number a week after it was originally promised.

Since there's a no return policy for drilled pearls and credit and exchange only policy only for undrilled pearls, inconsistent information given and diminishing customer service, I won't be purchasing from Jac again. Weighing everything up against the price I paid with this purchase and other vendors with better return policies and customer service, I am willing to pay a bit more and buy from more reputable vendors, I am a quality vs quantity person.

I'm glad another member got a full refund with the help of the forum, despite that thread was removed due to forum rules.
 
Thank you for your detailed report, Lovinggems.
 
Lovinggems, thanks for telling us about your experience, I will take it into account when making my purchase decisions.
 
You're welcome CRDKeshi and Tucs.
 
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