Tell me about pearls..

[latrucha]

Years ago I bought my stepmother a very cheap mother of pearl necklace which she really likes but she is looking for something shorter. I'd like to buy her one for her birthday, but am shopping online.

All the pearls seem to call themselves cultured freshwater pearls whethter they cost £30 or £700. I'm sure they're not the same thing really, so what is the difference? I have about £30 to spend. Will they look cheap and nasty? She just want a simple string.

Hi, My mum loves pearls aswell. I have always bought her honora pearls from qvc, and the quality has always been good, and they are not too expensive, but they look expensive imo. I haven't seen the real expensive pearls, whether they look different I don't know.

Thanks for that. I've just had a look and they don't quite have what I'm after unfortunately.

Have you had a look at www.etsy.com?

There are billions of pearls but you can sort by price.

Will do. Thanks.

Gosh it's very difficult to tell one from another and which ine would be best.

I have a string of pearls worth £400. I'd be intrigued to know what makes them so expensive.

In short:

Natural pearls tend to be more expensive because they're not farmed. They will be categorized by their colour, shape, lustre etc. Because they are natural it is rare to find pearls that are similar- hence why a string that are all 'matching' will fetch a high price as they are rarer.

Freshwater or cultured pearls tend to be cheaper. Freshwater because they tend to be more irregular and cultured because they are 'manmade'.

You can get a good string of freshwater pearls for around the £30-£50 mark I reckon. What size? Length of strand? Colour (white/pink/blue/black?)

I should mention that I am a jeweller, I'm not making it up for fun

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001QXY5X8/ref=asc_df_B001QXY5X85155130?smid=AKCA7YMKZOFC1&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22242&creativeASIN=B001QXY5X8

This is quite a good price. Not sure what length you need though

Well that's just what I wanted to know. Thanks. She wants a really short one. Is it called a necklet? Probably quite small pearls too. I'l have a look and see if I can see any similar to your link. Thanks.

bethelbeth - if you're still there, is there anywhere else I can try to look for what I'm after? I can't quite get what I want on amazon.

What I'd like is a white, 16 inch, freshwater pearl 6mm. Is there a reason i'm finding it hard to find it?

www.simplypearls.co.uk/pearl-necklaces-silver-pearl-necklaces.irc?cName=pearl-necklaces-silver-pearl-necklaces&pg=1
Check this site out.

www.carlapearls.co.uk/ProductDetails/All-styles_Pearl_Necklace/050058/

I'm on iPhone right now so not handy for links... Will update tomorrow x

I bought some loose pearls and made my own pearl necklace from here:
www.pearlescence.co.uk/
(but learning the art of knotting is tricky)

They also sell ready-made stuff.
All their jewellery is handmade and genuine freshwater pearls. I'm sure they could make something to order if they don't have exactly what you want.

READ THIS!!!!!

Right. I just thought I'd share the Infallible Test for real pearls (whether saltwater, cultured, freshwater, cultured freshwater etc.)

I lived in the Far East for some time and visited IMMENSE pearl markets, where we learned how to test for a real pearl. This was in a very poverty stricken country (the Philippines) yet you could get freshwater pearl studs for about 10p, and everyone - I mean EVERYONE - had a pair, however poor, and everyone knew the test.

So - you get 2 pearls and rub them together firmly but gently. There should be what looks like a scratch on the surface, as a tiny tiny deposit of the powder that 'forms' the pearl lifts off. This can simply be smoothed away. You can also gently scrape one against your front tooth, and you will have a sort of grinding, dusty sensation.

A fake pearl will seem smooth, and they will just slide over each other.

When we went to the Philippines I brought home lots of pairs of earrings as gifts and a beautiful string of large white well-matched pearls that cost me about a tenner.

I took them to a jewellers here to be knotted and re-strung, and he was dumbstruck but their quality and wanted to know where I'd got them.

I had intended them to be an heirloom (they were that beautiful) but within 3 weeks were stolen from a hotel room in Stratford-Upon-Avon. I never forgot them and that was 10 years ago now

BTW I'm just waiting for a jeweller to come by and tell me that's all bollocks and I was soundly taken for a ride by those Filipino pearl-merchants

Scarlett you're quite right. I get odd looks when I'm testing pearls I always do them against my teeth

I actually can't find a website that I'd recommend for that specific size. All the companies I deal with tend to be wholesale (so bulk) or vintage (hard to find the exact size).

In this case, I'd recommend going into a local jewellers and asking if they either have them in stock or can order them in. This way they can get a few different clasps etc and you don't have to buy them upfront.

You're quite right, Scarlett - but best to rub the pearls together rather than on teeth There's a sort of gritty feeling.

Natural, uncultured pearls are nigh on impossible to find nowadays and if you did, they'd have way too many zeroes on the price to be affordable for anyone really.

Cultured, freshwater pearls are the cheapest. Cultured sea-water pearls are more expensive (Akoyas, for example) and South Sea and Tahitian pearls the most sought after and therefore a lot of £££.

I've used this US company a lot. They're very good, but more money, I think, than £30.

Thank the Lord for that. There was a strong chance I'd been making an absolute arse of myself all these years.

I have actually just ordered a pair of very cheap freshwater pearl studs off eBay. I emailed them specifically to check they knew they were real (in the past I've bought things sold as real that have been plastic - my own stupid fault). She says they are a wholesale supplier to jewellers, and are pearl specialists, and she's confident they're bona fide. I will report back when they have arrived and if they'er the real thing share the seller...

Gosh, thanks for your replies. I have done that thing with my teeth on mine. I also love the way they warm up when worn.

I suppose then, it's the size that is making it difficult. hmm.

Which ebay seller was in ScarletPimpernel, if you don't mind me asking?

Jessicaalbastwin - I'm just going to check your links. Thanks

Erm, does this look too good to be true, do you think?

They are tremendously cheap. I'd say it's worth if for a punt.
I can't see anything untoward, the only thing I can imagine is that they send you something that doesn't look like the picture.

Order it and check it out. Bargain!

Scrap that 15 inches is a bit short.

I've found this where the clasp looks a bit tacky. Any opinions?

bethelbeth - I'm not against trying my local jeweller. I've got one I really like I just know my budget is pretty limited - as is baby DS's patience for shopping.

Haha I know the feeling. It's not much easier with a toddler but it's nice to get out!

Yet again, it looks/sounds fine. I'm not getting anything bad about them when I google about and the strand look quite nice. Give it a shot!

I'm a bit funny about buying from vendors online that I've never used before (fingers burnt!)