STUNNING DOUBLE STRAND GIANT KESHI PETAL PEARLS

I WILL DISCUSS FRESHWATER PEARLS HERE AND SAVE THE COMPARISONS BETWEEN FRESHWATER CHINESE PEARLS AND JAPANESE AND CHINESE SALTWATER AKOYAS, INCLUDING MIKIMOTO PEARLS, FOR ANOTHER GUIDE.

A WELL MATCHED BRILLIANT WHITE KESHI AND COPPER COIN PEARL TWIST

FORGET EXPERIENCE AND FORGET WHAT THE HIGH PAID APPRAISERS SAY ABOUT THIS PEARL OF THAT PEARL. WHETHER YOU ARE A COMPLETE MORON NOVICE, LIKE I WAS ONLY 7 YEARS AGO, OR AN HIGHLY EDUCATED PHD LEVEL GEOLOGIST... THE VALUE OF ANY PARTICULAR PEARL STRAND IS STILL GOING TO BE AN OPINION, NOT A FACT!

TRIPLE TWIST OF GORGEOUS COPPER AND WHITE KESHI PEARLS

EXAMPLE: I SENT A BEAUTIFUL 8.5 MM NEAR ROUND FRESHWATER PEARL STRAND, TOP QUALITY, STUNNINGLY WHITE, IN A COMPLETED ELEGANT NECKLACE WITH STERLING SILVER CLASP, CLAM ENDS, AND BEAD TIPS, TO A CUSTOMER IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. I GUARANTEED THAT IT WOULD APPRAISE AT OVER $1,000 BY ANY REPUTABLE JEWELER OR APPRAISER OR MONEY BACK!

IT APPRAISED AT JUST OVER $1,500 AND ALL WAS WELL. HOWEVER, IS THAT THE VALUE OF THAT PARTICULAR PEARL NECKLACE? HMMM?

ALMOST ONE YEAR LATER, I SENT ANOTHER ALMOST IDENTICAL NECKLACE, SAME SIZE, FROM THE SAME LOT OF PEARLS, VIRTUALLY THE SAME OVERALL QUALITY, EXCEPT WITH A 18K WHITE GOLD FISH CLASP, 18K CLAM ENDS AND 18K BEAD TIPS TO ANOTHER CLIENT IN DALLAS TWO YEARS LATER. I WAS SURPRISED WHEN THE SECOND CLIENT EMAILED ME AND ATTACHED AN APPRAISAL OF $7,450. I WAS EVEN MORE SURPRISED TO FIND THAT IT WAS APPRASED AND SIGNED BY THE SAME GENTLEMAN APPRAISER FROM HOUSTON WHO APPRASIED THE SILVER FITTED NECKLACE AT A PALTRY $1500! WHAT A DIFFERENCE AN ADDITIONAL $35.00 IN GOLD MADE!

I THOUGHT THE STERLING NECKLACE MAY HAVE BEEN A BIT BETTER THAN THE 18K ONE AND HAD THE OPINION THAT THE $1500 VALUATION WAS A BIT ON THE HIGH SIDE. YOU CAN IMAGINE MY FEELINGS ON THE VALUE OF THE $7,450 PIECE.

IS EITHER VALUE A FAIR MARKET VALUE? MAYBE YES, MAYBE NO.

YES, IF YOU USE THE INFLATED FIGURES THAT MOST APPRAISERS PLACE ON HIGHER END JEWELRY WHICH IS PRIMARILY USED TO SET THE VALUE FOR INSURANCE COMPANIES. INSURANCE COMPANIES NEED A VALUE TO KNOW HOW MUCH TO CHARGE YOU PER YEAR FOR INSURANCE IN CASE IT IS STOLEN OR DESTROYED.

LET'S FACE IT, THAT IS THE REAL REASON APPRAISERS ARE IN BUSINESS. THEY RECEIVE FROM $85 TO $250 TO SPEND LESS THAN 10 MINUTES EVALUATING A STRAND OF PEARLS AND AN HOUR AND A HALF IN CORRECTING THEIR MISSPELLINGS AND RUN-ON SENTENCES IN THE FINAL WRITTEN 3 PAGE APPRAISAL OF THAT SAME STRAND READY FOR YOUR INSURANCE AGENT.

VERY FEW OF US WOULD DREAM ABOUT BUYING A $40 PEARL NECKLACE AT THE JEWELRY COUNTER AT WALMART AND RUNNING TO THE NEAREST APPRAISER TO SEE IF WE GOT A GOOD DEAL OR NOT. FEWER WOULD BE WILLING TO FORK OVER THE MINIMUM OF $85.00 TO SEE IF WALMART WAS INDEED THE BEST PLACE TO BUY THAT ITEM!

APPRAISERS MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT A STRAND OF PEARLS FROM CHINA GO THROUGH MANY HANDS BEFORE IT ENDS UP IN A QUALITY PIECE OF JEWELRY THAT ANYONE WOULD CONSIDER BRINGING TO AN APPRAISER. ALSO ADDING A FACTORY PRICE OF $35.00 IN 18K GOLD FINDINGS TO A STRAND DURING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS WILL JUMP THE VALUE TO $100.00 PLUS FOR THE FINDINGS AT RETAIL. (I DID FIND THAT THE ALMOST $6,000 INCREASE WAS A LITTLE OVERBOARD.) IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU DID BRING THAT $20.00 WALMART PEARL NECKLACE INTO MOST APPRAISERS ESTABLISMENT, IT WOULD LIKELY GO UP IN VALUE IMMEDIATELY SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY WILL ASSUME YOU BELIEVE YOU PAID A LOT FOR IT.

 WOULD ANYONE WANTING YOUR BUSINESS AND MONEY OFFEND YOU BY SAYING "THIS IS WORTH $20 AT WALMART, BUT OVER $52 AT THE CORNER JEWELRY STORE, AND LESS THAN $7.00 IN CHINA...GIVE ME $85.00!"

GET THE PICTURE? THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE MORE REPUTABLE APPRAISERS, AND THERE ARE SOME STILL OUT THERE, WOULD NOT SIMPLY SAY..."SIR, AFTER LOOKING AT THIS FOR 30 SECONDS I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT YOU WILL NOT BE HAPPY WITH MY APPRAISAL THAT WILL COST YOU $85.00!"

SO THE STARTING POINT IN VALUING ANY PEARL STRAND OR PEARL NECKLACE IS DO NOT EXPECT ANY STRAND YOU PAID $20 FOR TO BE WORTH $500. IT DOES HAPPEN, BUT NOT VERY OFTEN!

LET US LOOK AT THE VALUE IN A FAR BETTER WAY. IS IT BEAUTIFUL? DID IT "KNOCK YOUR SOCKS" OFF THE FIRST TIME YOU SAW IT? DID YOU IMMEDIATELY DECIDE THAT YOU MUST HAVE THIS PIECE OF JEWELRY? IF ALL THREE ANSWWERS ARE "YES", IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT IT WILL HAVE A HIGH VALUE TO OTHERS AS WELL, REGARDLESS OF THE PRICE YOU PAID.

ANY PIECE OF PEARL JEWELRY SHOULD BE VALUED ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CRITERIA.

1.) IS IT ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL? "STUNNING" JEWELRY IS VALUABLE TO ALMOST EVERYONE, ASSUMING YOU HAVE 20/20 EYESITE AND SOMEONE ELSE, NOT ON YOUR PAYROLL, AGREES WITH YOU!

2.) DOES THE PIECE HAVE AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF LUSTER? LUSTER IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT MUST BE PRESENT ON MOST PEARLS BEFORE THEY COULD BE ACCEPTED AS VALUABLE. I RATE LUSTER AS THE HIGHEST SINGLE FACTOR IN VALUE WHEN I APPRAISE ANY PEARL WITH A SMOOTH SURFACE. IF IT IS SMOOTH AND HAS LITTLE NATURAL LUSTER, OR REFECTION, I WOULDN'T WANT IT, MUCH LESS WASTE ADDITIONAL TIME IN TRYING TO SET ITS LOW VALUE! EXTREME LUSTER IS ONE OF THE RAREST CHARACTERISTICS OF IN PEARLS AND CAN BE SEEN BY EVERYONE...NOT JUST EXPERTS. LUSTER IS ONE FACTOR THAT TRANSLATES INTO INTENSE ATTRACTION. I CALL IT "DAZZLE"!

3.) IS THE STRAND OR NECKLACE WELL MATCHED? IF ONE PEARL IS ROUND AND THE ONE NEXT TO IT IS CLOSER TO SQUARE THAN ROUND...IT AGAIN IS NOT WORTH ANY MORE OF MY TIME. MATCHING IS OFTEN OVER LOOKED AS A CRITERIA ADDING VALUE TO A STRAND. A WELL MATCH STRAND, WHETHER ROUND, OVAL, OR BUTTON SHAPED HAS A MYSTIC ALL ITS OWN. THE BETTER THE MATCHING, THE BETTER THE APPEARANCE. IF ONE STRAND LOOKS BETTER THAN THE NEXT ONE...IT IS PROBABLY BETTER AND THEREFORE DESERVES A HIGHER VALUE.

4.) THE SUBJECT OF NACRE QUALITY IS PARTIALLY COVERED IN THE ABOVE MENTIONED LUSTER! NACRE IS SIMPLY THE MATERIAL THAT ALL REAL PEARLS ARE MADE OF. IT IS THE NATURAL SECRETION FROM THE OYSTER THAT BUILDS THE PEARL LAYER BY LAYER OVER TIME. WITHOUT A HIGH QUALITY NACRE, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE GREAT LUSTER. IF THE NACRE QUALITY IN A 100% NACRE FRESHWATER PEARL IS SUPERB...WHAT WOULD YOU EXPECT THE LUSTER RATING TO BE?

 IT WILL BE BRILLIANT!

IF A PEARL HAS GREAT QUALITY NACRE THE REFLECTION OF YOUR FACE WILL SURPRISE YOU! YOUR FACE WILL BE VERY CLEAR IN EACH HIGH QUALITY NACRE PEARL. THINK MIRRORS. DO NOT LET ANYONE TELL YOU THAT THEIR PEARLS ARE "TOP QUALITY" UNLESS YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE YOUR FACE IN EACH PEARL ON THE STRAND! (I WILL DEFINITELY WRITE A GUIDE SOON ON THE GRADING OF FRESHWATER PEARLS AS WELL AS ALL OTHER PEARLS. "A", "AA", AND "AAA" GRADE PEARLS CAN BE WORTH FROM 10 CENTS A STRAND TO $400.00 A STRAND AND THE "A" GRADE MAY BE THE ONE WORTH THE $400.00! THERE IS NO NATIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL GRADING SYSTEM FOR GRADING PEARLS...BELEIVE IT! IF ANYONE TELLS YOU THERE IS...RUN!)

5.) SURFACE QUALITY ON ANY ROUND, NEAR ROUND, OVAL, OR POTATO SHAPED PEARL IS VERY IMPORTANT IN DETERMINING THE VALUE OF ANY PEARL. MOST PEARL SELLERS ON THE INTERNET, INCLUDING 90% OF EBAY SELLERS, WILL TELL YOU THAT ALL PEARLS HAVE IMPERFECTIONS IN SURFACE QUALITY. THAT MAY BE THE ONLY TRUTH YOU WILL RECEIVE FROM MOST  PEARL SELLERS...REMEMBER THAT, THAT FACT WILL SAVE YOU MONEY AND AGGRAVATION!

MOST SELLERS CARRY THE BEST GRADE OF PEARLS THAT THEY CAN MAKE MONEY ON. THAT QUALITY OF PEARLS USUALLY IS PRETTY POOR IF YOU ARE BUYING STRANDS ON EBAY TO MAKE PEARL NECKLACES! ALTHOUGH IT IS CORRECT TO SAY THAT ALL PEARLS WILL HAVE SOME SURFACE BLEMISHES, YOU SHOULD NOT EASILY SEE BLEMISHES IN ANY STRAND THAT YOU PAY OVER $40.00 FOR! AT THE $40.00 LEVEL YOU SHOULD PICK UP THE STRAND AND SAY "WOW"! UPON CLOSER INSPECTION, YOU WILL FIND SMALL PITS AND BLEMISHES THAT SHOULD NOT BE NOTICABLE UNLESS YOU LOOK CAREFULLY AT THEM UNDER GOOD LIGHT.

ALSO PLEASE REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOU ARE BUYING STRANDS TO MAKE JEWELRY YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THAT IT MAY TAKE 2, 3 OR 5 15-INCH STRANDS TO GET ENOUGH WELL MATCHED, HIGH LUSTER, WELL SHAPED, DAZZLING PEARLS TO MAKE AN 18-INCH,  $400.00 RETAIL PRICED NECKLACE OF FAIR VALUE! THEREFORE, YOU CANNOT POSSIBLY PAY $70.00 EACH FOR 5 STRANDS OF BEAUTIFUL PEARLS AND MAKE MONEY SELLING THE BEST QUALITY 18-INCH NECKLACE FROM THAT LOT OF PEARLS FOR $400.00. YOU WILL HAVE 3 PLUS STRANDS OF PEARLS LEFTOVER FOR OTHER PROJECTS, BUT NONE WILL COME CLOSE TO THE QUALITY OF THE FIRST PIECE YOU PRODUCE FROM THE BEST OF THOSE 5 STRANDS.

6.) NATURAL COLOR IS REALLY THE LEAST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN DETERMINING VALUE. ONE PERSONS OBSESSION WITH A NATURAL DELICATE CREAM ROSE STRAND MAY NOT AGREE WITH ANOTHER TOP WHITE PEARL LOVERS OPINION OF VALUE AT ALL!

MATCHING IS USUALLY THE KEY TO ANY NATURAL COLOR VALUATION. REMEMBER THAT IF THEY ARE NATURAL, NOT DYED, THEY WILL HAVE SLIGHT VARIATIONS IN COLOR. IF THEY ARE SKILLFULLY MATCHED AND THE SLIGHT SHADE DIFFERENCES ARE NOT NOTICABLE BECAUSE THEY MATCHED THE LIGHT PINKS AT THE ENDS AND MATCHED THE DAZZLING ROSES IN THE CENTER OF THE NECKLACE...THAT IS A PLUS, NOT A NEGATIVE! WITH THE EXCEPTION OF NATURAL TOP WHITE PEARLS AND BLEACHED WHITE PEARLS THERE WILL USUALLY BE SLIGHT VARIATIONS IN THE HUES, OR UNDERTONES. THE MORE TIME AND SKILL SPENT IN MATCHING THOSE SLIGHT DIFFERENCES TO ALLOW THE FINISHED NECKLACE TO APPEAR PERFECTLY MATCHED IN COLOR, SIZE, SHAPE AND QUALITY IS A TRUE ENHANCEMENT OF THE VALUE OF THE PIECE.

COLOR ONLY ADDS VALUE WHEN IT IS A RARER COLOR, IN FRESHWATER PEARLS THE RAREST COLOR IS ACTUALLY GOLD! THE PROBLEM IS THAT MOST JEWELERS HAVE NEVER SEEN A NATURAL GOLD FRESHWATER PEARL, HOWEVER, THEY DO EXIST AND THEY ARE PROBABLY THE MOST STUNNING PEARLS YOU WILL EVER SEE WHEN NEAR THE TOP OF THE QUALITY SCALE. I HAVE PUT TOGETHER ONLY THREE OF THEM FROM ALL THE STRANDS WE WORKED IN MANUFACTURING MANY THOUSANDS OF PEARL NECKLACES. I OCCASSIONALLY FIND ONE TRUE GOLD QUALITY PEARL ON A STRAND AT THE VERY END OF THE STRAND...THE POSTION THAT INDICATES THE STRINGER CONSIDERED IT THE LEAST ATTRACTIVE PEARL ON THE STRAND. GO FIGURE!

THE RAREST "AVAILABLE" COLOR IN FRESHWATER PEARLS IS PURPLE AND LAVENDER. NEXT IS THE CLOSE TO PURPLES THAT ARE USUALLY CALLED PURPLE ROSE. HOWEVER, A DEEP NATURAL PURPLE IS VERY CLOSE TO THE RARITY OF A NATURAL TOP WHITE PEARL OF THE SAME QUALITY! MOST WHITE PEARLS ARE BLEACHED. DON'T FREAK OUT ON ME, IT DOES NOT DESTROY THE VALUE, IT ACTUALLY ENHANCES THE VALUE OF YOUR STRAND. BLEACHING IS AN ANCIENT ENHANCEMENT OF PEARLS THAT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR MANY CENTRUIES AND IS NOT LIKELY TO DISAPPEAR ANYTIME SOON. THE PROCESS CAN BE AS SIMPLE AS PLACING THEM IN THE SUN TO DRY AFTER PULLING THEM OUT OF THE OYSTERS OR AS COMPLEX AS CHEMICAL BLEACHING FOR WEEKS.

I ALWAYS RATE THE NATURAL TOP WHITE PEARLS HIGHER THAN A BLEACHED WHITE PEARLS FOR ONE REASON...I KNOW THAT STRAND IS RARER AND MUCH HARDER TO FIND. I PREFER NATURAL COLORS TO CREATED COLORS; EVEN IF THEY BOTH ARE WHITE. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN VALUE OF A TOP GRADE NATURAL WHITE OVER A BLEACHED WHITE OF THE EXACT SAME QUALITY? NOT VERY MUCH IN PRACTICE, AS I WILL ALSO GRAB BLEACHED STRANDS FOR MY OWN USE THAT HAVE A SLIGHT ROSE UNDERTONE STILL PEEKING OUT, SIMPLY BECAUSE I LOVE THE EFFECT IN FINISHED JEWELRY.



INTERESTING WELL SHAPED DEEP PEACOCK PEARLS DRAPED WITH TOP WHITE PETAL KESHI PEARLS

I HOPE MY EFFORT IS HELPFUL TO YOU IS BUILDING YOUR OWN VALUATION SYSTEM WHEN YOU PURCHASE PEARLS OF ALL TYPES. I CHOSE OVER A MILLION STRANDS EACH YEAR FOR OUR OWN JEWELRY FACTORIES IN THE PHILIPPINES AND WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS IN HONG KONG, AUSTRALIA, THE UK AND THE USA, AS WELL AS MY DAUGHTERS EBAY STORE. MY CHOICES HAVE CHANGED SLIGHTLY AS I SEE MORE AND LEARN MORE ABOUT PEARLS. I AM SURE YOUR VALUATION SYSYTEM OF GRADING PEARLS WILL GO THROUGH CHANGES AS WELL OVER THE YEARS. MANY TYPES OF PEARLS ARE BRAND NEW! IF ANY APPRAISER IS UNWILLING TO CHANGE AND TO LEARN...HOW WOULD HE OR SHE EVER BE ABLE TO GIVE A VALUE TO THE FOUR PEARL NECKLACES PICTURED IN THIS GUIDE?

THESE STUNNERS HAVE NO CONVENTION PEARLS, SOME OF THESE HAVE NO PEARLS THAT EXISTED ONLY 15 YEARS AGO! HOW CAN ANY APPRAISER GRADE AND VALUE IT WITH ANY SET GUIDELINES FROM THE SIXTIES? THEY CANNOT!

FRESHWATER PEARLS ARE NOW CHANGING FASTER THAN EVER AND FRESHWATER PEARLS REPRESENT THE BEST VALUE FOR MOST CONSUMERS. OF COURSE, IF YOU PREFER TO PAY 5 , 10, OR 50 TIMES MORE FOR A EXCEPTIONAL NECKLACE MADE WITH "AAA" AKOYAS OR HUGE SOUTH SEA PEARLS...THAT IS OK ALSO. TO MANY, THE PRICE OF THE PIECE IS PART OF THE MYSTIC OF WEARING IT!

HAVE FUN AND WELCOME TO THE EVER CHANGING AND ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL WORLD OF FRESHWATER PEARLS, DAD