So new at Pearls it Hurts. Please Help

[AdamVIP]

Ladies of the Pearl,

I am in dire need of a crash course in Pearls. I'm fairly competent in the ways of cut stones but with work at full steam I'm low on time to make an important purchase for my lovely wife.

My wonderful wife is pregnant with our daughter. To celebrate Id like to get her a pendent, or single awesome pearl for use in a pendent. As a bonus, pending funding, Id like to get a matching smaller pearl for my daughter.

Its pretty easy to find places that tell me what makes a great pearl but I cant seem to find a whole lot of sites that have said pearls. I know there are sites you ladies often frequent and I'm hoping you'll graciously let me into the fold with knowledge of their whereabouts, perhaps even giving me a few pieces to consider.

Important Stuff:

Budget: $2000 max, anything under is a bonus if the pearls rock.
Colors: Id like to keep them white or pinkish.
Time Frame: The baby is due June 15th. I'm ready to buy as soon as the right pearls are found.
Other: Already made pendants are a plus but loose pearls for future pieces works as well. I'm not opposed to contracting a jeweler later.

 

[ltlmsmfft]

Call Pearl Paradise. They have a lot of stock that is not on their website. The can make whatever you want and can send you pictures of matching pearls for pendandts so you can pick exactly what you want. They can sell the pearls loose or they can custom make the pendants for you if their pre-made pendants are not quite what you are looking for. I have made several purchases with them and their customer service is fantastic. They sell at 80% less than retail and they have the highest quality and a very wide selection of different types of pearls, so you very well may come in way under budget with something much nicer than you were expecting to be able to get.

 

[pearlsngems]

Adam,
My personal favorite vendor is PearlParadise.com. I suggest you browse their south sea pearl pendants and findings; they will work with you. Call or use live chat. For your daughter's piece they could use a high quality round freshwater pearl.

 

[baby monster]

Congratulations on your little bundle of joy and what a wonderful gift you have in mind. My mom gave me a coin pearl pendant with my child's initial upon his birth.

You have a very large budget for a single pearl piece so I'd go for best quality pearl in this setting. It'll give you plenty of room to buy another pearl for the baby.
http://www.pearlparadise.com/p-224-purity-collection-white-south-sea-pearl-amp-diamond-pendant.aspx

 

[SMC]

Another vote for Pearl Paradise. They can also custom design a pendant for your wife. This is just a thought - but what about getting your wife a pendant that incorporates 2 pearls - a larger white South Sea pearl and a smaller pink pearl? You could do it in a infinity shape or something. PP might have suggestions for you too - I've seen examples of Hisano's work on this forum and it's pretty great.

 

[dk168]

Another vote for PP, plenty of loose pearls suitable for pendants to choose from. For example, I was looking at a baroque/drop white SSP on their site, and they have 16-17mm in stock for 400 USD!

They are currently out of stock for round loose white SSP though, however, it should not be long before they have new stock, now that Mother's Day promotion is over.

DK

 

[bsomlo]

AdamVIP -- what a wonderful and thoughtful gift! But be forewarned -- if the pearl bug bites your wife, it'll bite hard as many of us can attest to!

You're getting great advice. I am a huge fan of PearlParadise and have many custom pieces from Jeremy and Hisano ranging from triple necklaces to earrings to pendants.

Have fun and do keep us posted!

 

[AdamVIP]

Well the advise seems quite unanimous. I shall check out pearl paradise and let you know how it goes.

 

[movie zombie]

and yet another vote for pearl paradise. with your budget you can and will get a stunningly gorgeous gift for both your wife and daughter.

 

[JulieN]

If you are in LA, you can go visit Pearl Paradise's showroom. It is a real treat.

 

[katbran]

What a lovely thought!

If you want a pendant I would suggest a South Sea. They are one of the most expensive pearls available and that makes them special. You will be able to buy a beautiful large white SS pearl with a gold chain within your generous budget.

When you pick your seller, email them . Be sure to request photos of the available pearls. Have it sent to you early so you can exchange it if it's not what you imagined.

I would strongly suggest that you look in a store at the sizes so you get an idea of what you are actually getting. It's difficult for most people to visualise exactly what a 14mm pearl looks like. Each mm that you go up..the price goes up..and the size gets much bigger..you need to consider that it's a sphere and so the 1mm increase is in the VOLUME of the pearl.

I like big pearls and would look at 14mm or up . For your daughter you could get a lovely Freshwater pearl on a pendant...I'm being practical here..given the chances of it getting lost over the coming years

This is a wonderful present, well done !