To not get these Pearl Parties

[Idratherbeaunicorn]

I see these 'pearl parties' on Facebook live all the time... I don't get it but people seem to be going nuts for them?
How does it work? Do any of you do them?

Donald this is my business i don't know why you find it funny? Add me on Facebook and I can send you some info

Don't ask a reasonable question and show a bit of interest - almond pudding, you will just get attacked

This is how I know I spend too much time on MN.

I'm howling here. DH has just looked at me and asked...

"Are you on glue?"

As I did say on my origional reply to the thread, there is a minority of pearl businesses that probably are scams, what I said is that MOST arent! Some people dye pearls unnatural colours and pass them off as natural when they clearly arent! This does not mean that every other pearl business is a fraud when they use genuine akoya oysters that are untreated and 100% natural! So where did your friend get the level of knowledge and experience that enables her to give valuations and does she use the grading system that people who deal with, you know, actual real Akoya pearls use?

I'm pretty confident I won't get attacked.

Anyway, I'm tough. I'll handle it.

Freshwater pearls are cheap becasue they can be grown fast and usually grow into strange shapes instead of being rounds. An Akoya pearl is a saltwater pearl that will take at least 2 years to grow and is the shinest, roundest and purest kind of pearl which makes them more desirable

Forgive me if my very limited interest knowledge of pearls is off here but:

Aren't real pearls made when a piece of grit, or in cultured pearls a small implanted centre, is introduced inside the oyster, then it rolls around inside the oyster as it grows and deposits that form the inside of the shell are also deposited onto the grit/core, so that gets coated again and again in the same stuff that makes the inside of the shell nice'n'shiney and pretty?

Am I right so far?

Well then how come pearls opened at pearl parties come in all the colours but the inside of the shells all look bog standard off whitey? and don't match the pearls? If we're all such meanies for believing that they are actually man-made tat that are implanted into dead oysters before they are plunged into toxic preservatives and chemicals that make them snap shut? If that's wrong, please explain how the pearl colour variations don't match the shells in these facebook live "parties"

This lady is a member of a UK wholesalers where she can buy the genuine akoya oysters and stamped sterling silver jewellery out of her own pocket. All of the items she buys are made exclusively for this wholesalers and there is only a limited amount of memberships allowed
Bahahahahaha. No. there's nothing exclusive happening here. I absolutely guarantee that if every single poster on this tread tried to buy the same pearl party kit, not one of us would be told "I'm sorry, we're too exclusive to sell this to you, we'll stick with our limited numbers"

almond, akoya pearls are far more expensive as they are much harder to cultivate and are rarer. Freshwater pearls can be quite easily mass produced and are done for pennies in China.

These scammers don't seem to realise that its not that hard to tell the difference, especially when they are claiming to sell colours of akoya pearls that don't exist!

On a serious note, just checked up on these companies that do the pearl parties. All our mlm and all say they buy canned oysters for between $5 - $8. The amount you have to sell each month just to become a salesperson is ludicrous.

#kindereggbabeisthewayforward

#eggcitedtogetmyholidaytoskeggyness

Almond You seem someone that wants to make it. Can I pm you?

This does not mean that every other pearl business is a fraud when they use genuine akoya oysters that are untreated and 100%

100% what? rotting like normal un preserved shellfish that's not tranported in an accountable cold chain?

Vac packed shellfish may last a LITTLE longer than fresh but it still has a short shelf life and needs to be kept refrigerated….. unlike these pearl party supplies… which would fucking HONK if not treated with chemicals.

You all seem pretty knowledgable for something you think is a scam. Whilst you are imparting your knowledge - can someone tell me what an MLM is?

Okay, so I have a double string of off white pearls that were bought for my mother in the fifties. Are they likely to be akoya pearls?

Is there also a difference in price and appearance between natural and cultured pearls?

Also does anyone actually wear pearls these days? Or are they just for clutching?!

Just, I don't want to make it, I don't want to spend more time with my kids and I don't want to hire a cream jeep or go to a convention in Tenerife.

#can'tbearsed

Sorry, I know the thread has moved on, but this is hilarious:

"How many of us are able to take a challenge, as Oysters do, and find the gift in it?"

Have they missed the fact that the oyster's challenge led to it being dead and opened with a fish knife in front of a gaggle of would-be pearl owners?

Almond I had it described to me as 'comparing genuine Akoya pearls to freshwater pearls is like comparing caviar to fish fingers' I suspect it's a bit more involved than that, but that seems to be the gist of it.

MLM= Multi level marketing. Also known as a pyramid scheme. Also known as lose all your friends and scam as many people as possible.

How many people does the limited wholesaler sell to?

Ok so this a 100% genuine question. My friend (since childhood) now sells diffusers and waxes. I go to a party out of politeness and buy a diffuser. It arrives and actually even though it wasn't cheap I absolutely love it and I have visitors comment on it too so I told them where I got it from as they asked.

So... Have I been scammed? (IYO)
And am I too now part of the scam as I was advised where I got it from?

Almondpudding. Any pearls on a large necklace are likely to be freshwater pearls as akoya pearls were not as common back in the 50s due to mainly being found in china, as well as being too expensive to be found on a large necklace back then. All pearls are really delicate and are made of something called nacre. Nacre is really easily damaged by any substances other than water so they need to be looked after or can begin to go dull and lose their value if exposed to perfumes etc. Cultured and natural pearls are still formed the same way and will usually look the same. Any pearls that are claimed to be akoya or freshwater but have really unnatural colours such as bright pink, red, light blue, or lime green are real pearls that have been dyed and I would reccomend to steer well clear of them as they are not real pearl colours.

I know we've joked about it but is really a horrible thing, on the occasions I have messaged people not to do it (not just pearl) they are blind.

The wholesaler only has 20 members in the UK - all small businesses.

Real exclusive.

Thank you, Dannie.