Pearls

[Concordia]

Anyone have strong opinions on the best source for a pearl necklace for a girl who will eventually be a young lady?  Simplicity and highest quality are the needs here--- no diamonds, flashy clasps, doo-dads.  Just great pearls and classic proportions.  Cost not ridiculously important, within reason.

For starters, does anyone have any insight on Tiffany's vs. Mikimoto?  And are there objective ratings or other standard criteria for pearls such as there are with diamonds?

 

[Fabienne]

I assume you're talking about a white pearl, not pink, not black, correct?

 

[Concordia]

Black and pink are not out of the question, but for the sake of discussion I'm thinking basic white single-strand. What every woman needs one of when she hits the bricks at age 18 or 21.

I guess there are two ways to think about this. First, is there an idiot-proof place to shop and do the right thing and be recognized for doing the right thing? Sort of like if you were sending your son to get a suit before his wedding, you could say "go to Savile Row and speak to firm X. They'll set you up properly."

Second, assuming that I might put a little effort into this, is there a halfway decent source of educational material on pearls? Is there a Style Forum equivalent for jewelry?

 

[Bradford]

Check out Blue Nile Blue Nile Whether or not you buy anything from them, they have some good educational material on Pearls and other jewelry. I purchased a pearl pendant and earrings for my wife from them for Christmas and was very pleased with both the quality and price. I have purchased pearls for her before as they are her birthstone and the ones from Blue Nile are just as good as any I have found before. Bradford

 

[Horace]

Black and pink are not out of the question, but for the sake of discussion I'm thinking basic white single-strand.  What every woman needs one of when she hits the bricks at age 18 or 21.

I guess there are two ways to think about this.  First, is there an idiot-proof place to shop and do the right thing and be recognized for doing the right thing?  Sort of like if you were sending your son to get a suit before his wedding, you could say "go to Savile Row and speak to firm X. They'll set you up properly."

Second, assuming that I might put a little effort into this, is there a halfway decent source of educational material on pearls?  Is there a Style Forum equivalent for jewelry?

Interesting way of putting it, and I would agree.

That is, on a lot of things, there is the sure thing (or fairly sure thing) and then there are the places that you'd have to go but you'd have to be fairly educated about the thing.

I can't help you, but I'd think there'd be good places in Hong Kong to sort through pearls if you knew what you were doing. It might take a while though, and you'd have to be patient.

 

[Fabienne]

I'd start with the best jewelers in the city where you live, listen to what they each say without buying, doing research. I'm partial to all pearls.

I have a number of white pearl pieces of jewelry, but recently acquired a black Tahitian pearl necklace that I constantly get compliments on. My husband gave me a beautiful pear shaped pink pearl that works beautifully with my skin tone. Now I need the earrings... And on the subject of skin tones, you may want to be careful. Although a strand of pearls may be "the thing to do", it may not look good on her. For example, I have a friend, blond, blue eyes, and pale skin that turns red easily (emotion, drinking wine, etc). For a recent birthday, her husband gave her a pearl necklace, and although the pearl necklace was purchased at the best jeweler's in the city (upon my recommendation), the effect is rather disappointing. I tried it on, and it regained its beauty.

 

[kabert]

I think you're on the right track with Mikimoto and Tiffany. I'd bet that Mikimoto's website has lots of pearl information too.

 

[uriahheep]

I've never dealt with this company, but I'm curious... http://www.paspaleypearls.com

 

[dopey]

...

 

[SoCal2NYC]

How "classic" is your girl?

If I were to reccomend a pink pearl it would be some more fashiony keshi pink pearls because they are not the traditional round shape.
For a black pearl I like the look of some 6mm Tahitians with gold clasps/accents.

 

[LabelKing]

Aren't most pearls cultured now?

Do they even sell quality natural pearls anymore?

 

[dopey]

....

 

[nerdykarim]

I did pearls for mothers day last year, and I bought from www.pearlsofjoy.com.

The owner is also the founder of www.pearl-guide.com/forum and, after talking to him on the phone, seemed to be really, really into pearls. I really don't know much about pearls or jewelery, but based on his passion for his work, I trusted him enough to make my purchase from his site and was pleased with my purchase.

 

[dopey]

...

 

[robin]

Originally Posted by dopey

What accounts for the color differences. Are the pearls dyed. Is the color natural. Are the species the same?
Pearls are sometimes dyed certain colors, but blues, pinks, and golds can occur naturally. The differences will come from the species of oyster, where they were cultivated, and other environmental factors. Pearls can also have an overtone, which can give off a secondary lighter color when looked at closely.

That said, what are Keshi pink pearls?

Keshi's are a sort of by-product pearl of the usual pearl making process, where the nucleus gets rejected or damaged inside the oyster. They also tend to have a high luster, as they end up being mostly all nacre.