For many ebayer, shopping on ebay is fun and excited, But when you buy pearls on ebay, you probably got many questions: whom I can trust? Is the pearl I am interested in real or fake? How can I find a reputable seller? How much I should spent on pearls? Should I buy from China or USA? There are some basic tips for buying pearls on ebay may helpful:

1. A return policy exceeding 7 business days which demonstrates confidence, 14 days return is widely used.
2. Membership and adherence to a Square Trade or similiar type of accreditation organization.
3. Clear and detailed description of the goods.
4. Large photos of goods on the listing to see more detail.
5. Displaying clearly paypal accepted.
6. A reasonable postage costs being clearly displayed. Usually within USA, below $4 for flat shipping under 100G, and shipping from China below $6.5 for registered air mail under 100 G.
7. Genuine customer testimonials or comments displayed.
8. Feedback score over 1000 and positive feedback rate over 99.5%.
9. Seller from China can offer you real great deal as over 85% of pearls are cultured in China. Less middle man or other costs.
10. Don't believe in any Japanese cultured pearls. There is no more big difference between Chinese cultured pearl and Japanese cultured pearl as rapidly development of culture technology in China, In recently 10 years, Japan imported tons of pearls from China and sell to worldwide.
11. There is no internationally accepted grading system for pearls unlike diamonds. Each store grades their pearls according to their own specifications. One store "AAA" quality could be equivalent to another store "A" quality. Therefore, the best advice is to get a feeling of pearl luster by studying and comparing pearls, then make an informed decision with a reputable seller.
12. Picture can be quite deceiving and unless looking closely,  pearls that are potato, off round, baroque shape etc. can appear to be round. The price between baroque shape and round pearls can be significant. Make sure the shape of the pearl is clearly labeled.
13. Clasp, studs and other metal stated clearly. Solid or plated will be stated clearly.
14. Goods with brand usually has much better quality.