Please Note:

We would like to encourage anyone who is considering a pearl purchase to read the following in its entirety and research the links so that you may have a better understanding of the many pearl-quality nuances and considerations that can affect price.

It is the desire of all of us at Gem Marketing Pearls, home of Tahiti's Treasures, to disclose the most accurate description of our pearls and their qualities, though, without the use of misleading or confusing grade references. (Education)

Is comparing quality and price using "grade" references paramount to you or your company's pearl purchases?

In the absence of an all-encompassing "trade-recognized" grading system and limited independent "grading" institutions- with (GIA) currently being the only one- it is our experience that no current grading system is the "only" system. Thus, regardless of the grading system employed at this time it should be used as only one tool, a starting point, for comparing pearls.

The use of either the (AAA-A, or A-D) system are considered standards by reputable Pearl Dealers and can provide a starting point when considering a pearl purchase from your favorite online or Independent Jewelry Store. But we feel these systems and their grades are only that, a starting point. Why? With the current grading categories being quite broad and the challenges of clearly interchanging grades between them, they can easily leave room for interpretation and individual judgment. EX: There seems to be an excessive use of the AAAA & AAA grade online. Use of "AAAA", or, excessively using "AAA" is considered bad taste and possibly dishonest by most reputable Pearl Dealers. It is seen as a way to simply charge the customer more without providing a superior product. Any legitimate dealer will tell you there is not as much top quality product, AAAA or AAA, available as that presented online! One man’s “AAAA or AAA” quality might just be an others “AA” quality when employing the AAA-A grading system legitimately.  Additionally, it is generally agreed by most legitimate Pearl Dealers that the (Mikimoto Pearl Company) - who are principally responsible for the development and promotion of the AAA-A system - is still primarily the only company that has true AAA or Gem quality pearls in any commercially available quantities. Please note they confide that this quality is very difficult, if not impossible, to procure.

So, how can you protect yourself and be assured the "grade" has a basis in what you are seeing, thus verifying the pearls value and price? First, beware of what someone wants you to believe or is saying simply to make the “sale”. Secondly, employing either of the following two exercises becomes a must. Why? Because there are just too many variations and subjectivity applied to the parameters of pearl grading (Valuation of Pearls). Color, luster, shape, size, match and composition, nacre thickness, spotting and surface blemishes are what pearl dealers talk about when discussing pearls. The slightest variation in just one or any number of these parameters can greatly affect the price of the pearls being considered.

Side-by-side comparisons: Side by side comparisons of pearls, ideally with the guidance from someone who can help explain the differences, is the most assured way to SEE the variations in quality and verify that what it is being described is what is being considered. Comparisons also help to make sense of one items price and quality in relation to other items being considered. This further helps to assure that your purchase makes sense. Note: The extent you go to with side-by-side comparisons should depend on the value of your consideration with more expensive purchases begging such diligence.

We feel it is impossible to compare pearls by a picture, as pearls are considered one of the most difficult gems to photograph while being able to capture the slight variations that can so greatly affect price. Comparing is particularly difficult while considering pearls on a computer monitor, also.  Legitimate Pearl Dealers always consider their own purchases using side-by-side comparisons. We concede how slight variations in qualities can affect price and understand the eyes limited ability to remember color, overall shape, luster, match & composition and degree of spotting/blemishes. Rolling them side-by-side to see the variations is critical to this exercise.

An example concerning “roundness”:

A true "Round" Chinese Freshwater Pearl strand can command 3 times the price of a slightly Off-Round strand of the same overall quality. Chinese Freshwater Pearls are very rare in the “Round” shape. A strand may appear round, but, when set side-by-side with a strand that is ”round”, most likely an Akoya cultured pearl strand (What’s this?), or is “rolled” to determine roundness, the difference can become obvious. If you do not have a “Round” strand to compare or are unfamiliar with the other tests to check for roundness, your eye can easily be tricked into believing they ARE round, and hence that you are getting a great deal. In reality, you are probably paying close to the market value.

By following the suggestions below the online consumer can be more assured that their pearl purchase will be everything they expect.

Will you be letting an Independent Jewelry Store compete with a potential online purchase or vise-verse? Please understand any businessperson does not mind competition, as long as all parties are being honest and transparent with what their intentions are.

YES! Then,

1) Note: The extent you go to with this comparison shopping should depend on the value of your consideration, with more expensive purchases begging such diligence. Shop several Independent Jewelry Stores to get an idea of what you would like, and then/or, shop and buy one/several choices of what you believe to be similar product from different online companies, if need be. Do not let the price marked at the jeweler retailer predispose working with them if it seems a bit high. Everyone likes to be competitive. He may be willing to offer you a "Your Price", as used online, if you are a good customer or he wants your business.

2) Have your online choices delivered and make your best comparative decision possible. Do this using side-by-side comparisons (See Above).

3) Take your top choices to your favorite, trusted Independent Jewelry Store.

4) Allow the retailer to see your online consideration(s) and determine if he would like to compete, and how. It is only fair to allow the jeweler to SEE in person what his competition is offering because YOU were able to SEE what he offered before considering the online option. This is only fair to you too because of the reality of how difficult it is to compare pearls unless they are side-by-side (See above). Do not go into a retail store with the intention of simply asking the jeweler "did I get a good deal?". This is considered bad taste by anyone trying to do good business.

Please note: Many items online may not be available through your Independent Retail Store. Due to the huge availabilities of pearls offered today, no one can have everything.

5) Make your educated decision and return the item(s) not chosen to the online companies. Then, ENJOY the beauty of your pearls forever!

Are you certain that you will be buying your pearls online?

YES! Then,

1) Note: The extent you go to with this comparison shopping should depend on the value of your consideration, with more expensive purchases begging such diligence. If needed, buy several choices of what you believe to be similar product from different online companies.

2) Have your online choices delivered and make your best comparative decision, possible. Do this using side-by-side comparisons (See Above).

And then,

3) Get verification from an independent appraiser: who can provide the much-needed objectivity. Please employ their services for purchases of importance at the least. We feel a means to provide the necessary checks and balances is crucial to maintaining the legitimacy and sustainability of our industry.

Appraisals are an elusive thing and the independent appraiser has only YOUR interest to consider. They are not driven by selling or any other motive but to provide you the necessary information to make a qualified decision. Surely most "company" appraisers are not going to jeopardize their reputations on potentially nefarious actions, and not to call their actions as anything but legitimate, but who is acting as your watchdog to verify that what you have purchased is really what is written on the appraisal and is worth the amount you paid? When your relationship with any retailer is not one of working together in-person, face-to-face, for a long period of time, then please be careful, use the utmost caution when "showing the money" and hire the services of an independent appraiser who can be that watchdog for you.

4) Use the information from the appraiser to make your educated decision and return the items not chosen to the online companies. Then, ENJOY the beauty of your pearls, forever!

A Note on Deceptive Pricing Practices:

The most frequent deceptive pricing practice we have experienced both in the stores and online is the use of incredibly inflated "Suggested Retail Pricing".  Let's face it, everyone loves a great deal! So if someone tells you are saving "huge" off the Suggested Retail Price, then how could you ever go wrong? The challenge: The "Suggested Retail Price" is often overly-inflated, sometimes well over double what the item is really worth in an open competitive marketplace. Do not be taken in by such discounting techniques. You are typically getting exactly what you are paying for except the occasional promotional item that is difficult to determine its real value. It is our experience a highly discounted price, “Your Price” as it is typically called online, almost always represents a quality that the price implies.

The quality and price found on some less-credible online sites may be all you want and expect, but, we strongly believe you are not getting any greater value than what you can get from a reputable, fine Independent Jewelry Store or a respected, trusted online venue.

Pearl Trade Vernacular is how Tahiti's Treasures describes our products:

We generally use the same vernacular to describe pearls within the pearl trade, but when grade is the sole reference, one man’s “AAAA or AAA” quality might just be an other's “ A” quality.  So until an industry-wide agreed system of grading is in place, we feel full descriptions using Pearl Trade vernacular can more clearly communicate a pearls quality than a grade assignment. We always err on the side of a more conservative, historically-recognized description of our products, leaving the hype and misinformation to those who wish to do business using questionable tactics to exaggerate how "fine or exceptional" virtually ALL their pearls are.

Dealers can all communicate pearl attributes and value (Valuation of Pearls) simply through discussions using this trade vernacular and detailed descriptions of that language. Every dealer will have a pretty clear idea, but will still want to see to confirm, what the following is: A 10-12.4mm Tahitian Cultured Pearl strand, round with good match and a gradual, consistent graduation. Luster is medium-high. Surface blemishes or spotting is heavy. Color is a dark green body color with slight dark blue secondary color and slight flashes of Aubergine orient. 

In this description, there is nothing said of “A, AA+, … “grades, but when seen in person using the above-mentioned description, having comparisons and being described by a trade professional what the specific details are, virtually anyone can SEE what is being described. Hence, pearl dealers “proprietary” languages are what retailers become familiar with when comparing & buying pearls usually at major trade shows. We can then use the information from any of these languages to describe to our customer associating qualities and price regardless of a grading system. In our "Product Details" link shown in every products listing you can read our description of the pearls quality using trade vernacular.

In the meantime, the trade gets along by Pearl Dealers establishing a product quality representative of their organization and retailers choosing a quality based on their needs, the price and a dealers reputation. Typically, visual comparisons are how retailers make decisions about varying qualities and price with grading descriptions as a starting point.