Where is the store based?
Folsom, CA
What is this store’s return and exchange policy?
ALL SALES ARE FINAL
Do you accept orders placed outside of the US?
We sure do! International shipping charges will apply.
How long will it take to receive my order?
Once shipped most domestic orders take anywhere from 2 to 10 business days to arrive depending on the efficiency of your local postal service. International shipping delivery times may vary between 2 and 12 weeks.
What is an Akoya pearl?
The akoya pearl is a saltwater cultured pearl from the akoya oyster (Pinctada fucata martensii). Because akoya are the most abundant type of saltwater pearl with the longest cultured history, information on akoyas is abundant! Akoya are considered to be the classic pearl used for necklaces and other pearl jewelry, with perfect round shapes, bright mirror-like luster and neutral colors, akoya pearls are favored by most retailers and consumers as the classic pearl choice.
Where do Akoya pearls come from?
Akoya pearls are currently farmed in Japan, China and to a lesser extent, Vietnam, Thailand and Australia. The vast majority of the world’s akoya pearls are produced in Japan, which is the undisputed akoya pearl producing center of the world. China was once a genuine contender, but mother nature all but destroyed the Chinese akoya industry in 2007.
How do Akoyas compare to other types of pearls?
Unlike their freshwater cousins, akoya pearl oysters rarely produce more than two pearls per harvest. The oysters are nucleated with a bead composed of mother-of-pearl and a small piece of mantle tissue. This bead becomes the nucleus of the pearl and is the reason akoya pearls are more often perfectly round. This shape, combined with the high-luster found on top-quality akoya pearls, and their relative rarity compared to freshwater pearls, give akoya pearls a higher perceived value.
How do these pearls get their color?
radiation treatment or treatment with an organic dye.
How rare and valuable are Akoya pearls?
While the akoya pearl is considered to be (overall) more rare and valuable than the freshwater pearl, it is only the third most valuable commercially produced pearl, falling behind South Sea and Tahitians. It is still common to find top-quality akoya pearl strands retailing for more than $10,000, however. This would be average for a Tahitian strand and low for a South Sea, but much higher than a comparable freshwater pearl necklace.
What is Rhodium Plating?
Rhodium is a silver-white hard metal often found in platinum ores. It is the most expensive precious metal. In its natural solid state Rhodium is far too hard to work, but it is used as an alloy in the smelting of platinum and palladium.
Rhodium plating is a metal deposition process used to coat materials with a decorative and protective layer of rhodium. Rhodium is a noble metal that imparts an extremely bright and hard wearing finish when applied as plating. When applied as a thin plate, it affords a durable finish of exceptional brightness. Rhodium finishes can greatly enhance the appearance and longevity of any metal to which they are applied.
Is Rhodium plating hypoallergenic?
Allergic reactions to earring wires are usually caused by sensitivity to nickel. Nickel is mixed with most metals used in making jewelry. There can even be small amounts in jewelry made of silver, gold and even platinum. Rhodium plating lessens the likelihood of metal sensitivity.
What it a Potato Pearl?
Baroque Pearl is a type of pearl that is not rounded and left irregular in shape. Cultured freshwater pearls are most commonly baroque, because freshwater pearls are mantle-tissue nucleated instead of bead nucleated. … Most potato pearls are freshwater cultured pearls from China.
Tahitian Pearl Size and Shape
One of the strongest value factors of Tahitian cultured pearls is their size. Most range between 8 mm and 14 mm. Rarely pearls grow into the 16 mm to 18 mm range. In the late 1990s, one specimen was recorded just shy of 27 mm.
Less than 50 percent of any Tahitian cultured pearl crop is actually round, so spherical gems have a much higher value. Tahitian cultured pearls also are more likely to have circles -grooves or rings all the way around them. Although circled pearls have less value, some designers and jewelry lovers value them for their uniqueness.
How do Tahitian pearls get their color?
Color is one of the Tahitian cultured pearl’s strongest value factors. The Tahitian trade generally recognizes three color groups. Tahitian pearl farmers experiment with several factors to produce different cultured pearl colors. Every black-lipped oyster produces a different colored pearl. Organic compounds in the shell are speculated to create the color variation. Many pearl farmers will say that the mantle from a donor oyster used in the culturing process, determines the color about 80 percent of the time. The pearl’s nacre quality can affect its color as well. Others attribute environmental factors to determining pearl color – like the amount of salt in the water or the quality and quantity of food available to the oysters. Tahitian pearls have great luster. So great is the luster in most of the pearls that all they take is a little buffing once they are taken from the oyster. Luster generally ranges from fair to excellent. Often the luster produces a metallic sheen and an overtone.
Why do the Tahitian pearls have blemishes?
Most Tahitian cultured pearls have a few blemishes, however they can range from spotless to heavily spotted. Most are heavily blemished in one area, which is hidden by the setting or a drill hole. Most Tahitian cultured pearls have acceptable nacre. Rarely do you find these pearls with visible nuclei or a chalky appearance. In the years the pearl is allowed to cultivate, Tahitian cultured pearls often grow 2 mm of nacre all the way around the bead nucleus. For Tahitian pearls, the government of French Polynesia has set a minimum nacre thickness of 0.8 millimeters. Any pearls with nacre of less than that thickness are not allowed to be sold. Keeping in mind that Tahitian pearls tend to be larger than many other pearls (such as Akoyas), you can use this rule as a guideline when evaluating your own potential pearl purchases.
Where do Tahitian pearls come from?
The gems aren’t found in Tahiti. Tahiti is the largest island in French Polynesia, but the pearl culturing farms are found on other islands in the territory, which is located in the South Pacific. The five archipelagos that make up French Polynesia lie East of Australia. They are the Marquesas Islands, Gambier Islands, Austral Islands, the Tuamotu Archipelago and the Society Islands, which contain Tahiti. The islands are spread out over an area the size of Europe, but their land surface is only 1,500 square miles. The lagoons of the Tuamotu Archipelago and Gambier Islands are home to most of the pearl farms that cultivate Tahitian pearls. Many of the islands are very remote and only accessible by seaplane or boat. Each farm is self-sufficient, with solar energy, vegetable gardens and poultry. The water around these islands is very clean, which helps in the culturing process.
Why are the Tahitian pearls so expensive?
Tahitian cultured pearls are often high value on the pearl market. They’re bigger than most pearls, are comprised of unusual colors and take more time to produce. Value is also tied to their demand – there are fewer Tahitian pearls produced than Akoyas
An unusually large, extremely high-quality Tahitian cultured pearl can cost thousands of dollars. A bargain when you consider that a graduated strand of 10 mm to 14 mm Tahitian pearls can fetch $30.000 to $40,000 from a retail jeweler! One triple-strand jewelry piece ranging from 12 mm to 15 mm was sold in the late 1980s for $880,000!
How do I pay for my order? Is it secure?
PAYPAL is used for this main processing. You are able to use your debit/credit card as an option if you do not have a paypal account. Paypal is one of the world most secure debit/credit card processing systems on the web.
What if something is wrong with my order? If you have a problem with an order from this store, please contact the store directly, either through Contact us . We will be happy to help you.