pearl-guide.com is a phony forum
I am writing to share my current shopping experience for Akoya pearls. I have enjoyed reading other posts, viewing photos, and learning about pearl grading on this site. I purchased a AAA bracelet from Pearl Paradise and AAA studs from Pearls of Joy. They were packaged almost exactly the same, down to the same type of jewelry box, and were very similar in quality to each other. The Pearls of Joy had a silvery undertone, while the Pearl Paradise had a more rosy undertone. The bracelet had some messy knots and even some fraying, which made the pearls change direction from one to the next somewhat. I went shopping and compared these pearls to a Signature Pearls bracelet from Tiffany and pearls from Mikimoto. The sales associates let me take photos, and these are included and labeled.
I preferred the Tiffany Signature Pearls to both of the AAA items I had bought online. The Mikimoto A+ strand just blew me away. It was almost like liquid the way it moved and shined. Every pearl looked identical, and the knots seemed to disappear. This allowed the strand to be fluid from one pearl to the next. It was far superior to both the AAA I had bought online and the Tiffany Signature Pearls. I compared the A, AA, and AAA studs from Mikimoto and they were very similar to each other, but even the A were superior to what I had purchased online. I ended up returning my online purchases and bought the A Mikimoto studs. They are in the photos too.
If anyone else is wondering what brand to buy, in my opinion, if you want to save money, go with the online stores. If you want the most beautiful pearls, buy Mikimoto.
It’s funny, I tried to post this same thread to pearlguide.com twice but both times I was banned from the site. The first time they said my email was associated with spam, so I used a different email. The second time, no reason was provided. I assume that they have a financial interest in the pearls they promote on their site. Doesn’t sound like a very honest forum.
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