Q: Are cultured pearls natural pearls? A: This is a matter of semantics. In principle, the only natural pearls are those that occur naturally, and humans only are involved at harvesting time. In actuality, these pearls have been so over-harvested over the centuries, they now are extremely rare and virtually impossible to find. As a result, cultured pearls are the next closest thing and are just about as "natural", save for human involvement in planting the seed or nucleus inside an oyster/mollusk living in its natural habitat. Without cultured pearls, it would be impossible for most women to own pearls today. Cultured pearls provide a most acceptable alternative. Since the only difference is that humans "plant" the seed or nucleus (mother of pearl seed) in a living mollusk and nature then does the rest of the work, with some justification cultured pearls often are thought of as "natural".
Q: Are Akoyas only from Japan? A: No. Most Japanese Akoyas are now grown in China and simply "processed" or finished in Japan. Do not let someone tell you otherwise. High quality Chinese sea water Akoya pearls are equal in quality to the traditionally Japanese sea water grown Akoyas. Ironically, Japan now imports most of its Akoya pearls from China. You would be surprised if you were told which well known Japanese companies import pearls from China, Korea and elsewhere but do not disclose this to their many customers.
Q: Are Japanese grown Akoyas superior? A: No, but the Japanese pearl industry has done a phenomenal job building the notion, or rather misnomer, that its pearls are somehow "superior". In fact, it is just about impossible to know if your pearl necklace contains only Japanese grown pearls or if it is made from Chinese grown pearls. In reality, it probably contains pearls from both countries. Chinese Akoyas, in fact, tend to have heavier coatings or nacre than Japanese Akoyas, which we believe is a plus.
Q: How can "Chinese" Pearls be considered "Japanese" pearls? A: Pearl labeling and its country of origin is similar to the Burma ruby in that they no longer are cut in Myanmar (Burma). Many stones were exported prior to the present embargo, however, so by U.S. law these rubies haver been considered products of the country where they were finished (cut) , that being Thailand. At least until recent legislative changes, in the past 1-2 months, "Burmese Rubies" were still sold in the U.S. legally by being cut in Thailand. As for Japanese pearls, Chinese pearls only have to be strung (or restrung) in Japan for them to be classified of "Japanese" origin according to Japanese laws.
Q:Are the pearls you offer Mikimoto brand pearls? A: Not at this time. We use the term Mikimoto ® as well as Tiffany ® when we say we believe many of our pearls are of comparable quality. This is because we use high quality Akoya pearls raised, finished and graded in much the same way. We further use GIA grading standards. At Pearls America, our sea pearls are very round with thick nacre, high luster and beautiful color, often with a rose overtone. White with rose undertones is the most desirable color for high end pearls. The white with rose overtone pearls are a major feature of Mikimoto and other famous name brands. Yet, Mikimoto and Tiffany are brand names only. We believe many of the pearls we offer at Pearls America are equally enticing and will stand up to most competition.
Q:How can anyone sell high end cultured Pearls for discounted prices? A:Pearls America offers prices much lower than most U.S. retailers since we control the entire process from pearl farm to the customer. We at Pearls America simply sell directly and eliminates the middle "men" in the business. Price us yourself and see! When making comparisons, however, do not forget to look for Round 8-9mm and 9-10mm Pearls with natural color, high luster, smooth surfaces and thick nacre for true comparison. We also must warn you about the many pearl necklaces that are being offered on the Internet for $9.99 or so. As one other dealer recently quipped, "If I could buy it for that, I would." The fact is, we too cannot get quality pearls for anywhere near that price. We also have seen many pearl jewelry listings on the internet where quality and condition were "hidden" behind faulty language and use of industry jargon and abbreviations. As always, buyer beware!
Q:My local jeweler does not even carry high end Pearl jewelry. Why? A: Many retail jewelers do not carry pearls of high quality. While jewelers know a great deal about most metals and gems, knowledge of pearls often is limited. In fact, you have to really look to find a jeweler who knows pearls. Well read customers, ironically, often have more knowledge on pearls than their jewelers.
Q:Do you guarantee your pearl products? A: We atPearls America believe you will be fully satisfied with our 100% natural pearl products. If not, we are right here in the United States, and stand behind our products with a full money back guarantee.
Q:What do the different pearl sizes mean? A: Most Asian pearls range between 2 and 12mm, with 7.5 and above being rare, thus much more expensive. High quality pearls are hard to find anywhere. High quality pearls are AA+/AAA quality.
Q:What are shellfish pearls? A: They are not natural or real pearls. While they may be perfectly round, they are not naturally grown. They are put together by hand in afactory, layer by layer, using pieces of shells, glue and sanding. Other imitation pearls may be called "faux", "semi-cultured" or "simulated". These too are not pearls that have been grown in mollusks. One way they are produced is by taking a glass, plastic, or shell bead and immersing it in ground fish scales. The outside is then lacquered with pearl escence.
Q:Can small pearl blemishes and color differences be good? A: Because they are naturally grown, all cultured pearls have some imperfections. This includes slight pitting, irregular surfaces, and even a less than perfectly round--slightly cylindrical--shape. In higher quality pearls, these imperfections are kept to a minimum, though. This is the case with pearls carried by Pearls America.
Ironically, the little blemishes, slight color differences, small imperfections, and size and shape variances on a cultured pearl are considered a good thing that gives pearls their character and uniqueness. These small items further stand to demonstrates that a pearl is not a fake or manufactured pearl. Only imitation pearls can be perfectly round and without any surface blemish. We have seen some well known U.S. retailers with necklaces that have large/deep marks on every pearl on the string and the surface shine appears to have been enhanced by a lacquer finish (the latter normally will wear off within a few years). We would never consider selling such pearls and using these practices at Pearls America.You will find that there is slight enhancement in almost all pearls sold (such as an initial bleaching immediately after harvesting), but this is kept to an absolute minimum in most fine pearls. Even the top name brands use these minor enhancements.
Q:What are the differences in the various gold clasps and posts? A: Pearls may be accompanied by metal hooks, pendants, posts and clasps made of various metals. Why would you want to pair a beautiful high quality natural pearl with something less than solid gold or platinum, though? The jewelry sold at Pearls America normally is finished with solid 14K gold clasps or studs, not gold plated or filled. Instead of silver we use 14K white gold. Take caution since 14K frequently is used to indicate gold filled across the Internet. Gold filled means gold is found on the outer 20% of the metal only and will wear off within about 5 to 30 years. Gold plated sterling silver or brass is of lesser quality still, as you might imagine. For our highest quality pearl earrings, we use solid 18K gold. Platinum also is available but prohibitively priced.
Q:How should you care for natural pearls? A: Pearls are products of nature and must be handled with care. Pearls, in fact, are one of the softer gems and prone to scratching, chipping and discoloration when not handled properly. When dressing, pearls should always be put on last, after all makeup has been applied, to avoid staining or other damage As with most quality jewelry, pearls should not be subject to water, soaps, most chemicals and minerals. They should never be worn in the shower or when washing, doing dishes, swimming, etc. You should not even attempt to wash pearls in a plate of water. All of these activities may severely damage pearl jewelry. Pearls also should be stored wrapped in a soft cloth. Pearls can scratch, even when brushing against other pearls. That is why Pearls America uses silk string that is double knotted by hand on all of our necklaces and bracelets to insure extra safety. Pearls also need some humidity. Without it, they may become dry and brittle and layers may break off or peel. When placing in a bank deposit box or safe, people sometimes add a small open container of water to insure there is moisture in the air. Pearl necklaces also may require restringing every two to three years, if worn once a week.
Q:Is an appraisal certificate important? A: The answer here is both yes, no and maybe. Normally, the reputation of the jeweler is what matters most. Communicate with your jeweler, ask questions, research them, find out how other customers have rated their service. The Internet world does add a layer of complexity that makes some consumers wary. Yet, there are mechanisms that exist which may help ease your mind. A reputable jeweler will supply customer feedback. They also will have contact capabilities and a real person should communicate with you and continue dialogue until all questions have been resolved. You also should ask about their guarantee policy if it is not readily available.
For many items, an appraisal is not really necessary if you have trust in your jeweler. The cost of an appraisal also is not usually warranted. A good quality pearl usually is fairly easy to identify by using hints offered here and in other published pearl guides. However, if you purchase a very high priced item and then wish to have it insured, you may wish to invest the required $150 or so to have an independent appraisal performed. The only thing we recommend is that you go to an independent jewelry appraiser. You often find such businesses in the yellow pages. While a jewelry store may do appraisals and might volunteer to do yours, there is potential conflict of interest there (they may be somewhat less than straightforward since they prefer you buy one of their own pieces instead).
Some jewelers will supply an appraisal upon purchase. This may raise the cost of the pearls and it may even be suspect. If you do receive an appraisal from the seller, we recommend you still verify this with your own third party appraisal if the purchase price warrants it. Since jewelry appraisals are based on professional standards plus a degree of appraiser judgment, appraised values do vary from one appraiser to another.
Finally, you must realize that not all insurance companies will insure your jewelry for its full appraised value, particularly if you do not have a receipt that verifies the price paid also is its appraised value. Some insurers will take the appraisal estimate and insure only a percentage of the total. Still, depending on what you paid, this still may prove acceptable.
