tips FOR BUYING PEARLS ON THE INTERNET

Whether you are looking for the 'must have' white pearl necklace of every lady's wardrobe or a pair of bold and modern black pearl earrings, it can be daunting to select with confidence from the vast array on offer from so many web shops. Some of the questions you will probably ask are: Who can I trust? Will I get value for money? What are the safeguards, guarantees and returns policies?

To help you further in making an informed decision, Absolute Pearls have put together some tips on buying pearls on the internet:

1. Firstly, read the Discover section on our website as this will provide an overview of pearls themselves and make sense of the information below.

2. How can I be confident of buying from a reputable source? Like buying anything on the internet, there are some basic safeguards to be considered which can include:

• A Returns Policy exceeding the legal minimum 7 working days which demonstrates confidence. 10 to 30 days returns are widely used.
• A Privacy Policy and registration under the Data Protection Act 1998.
• Membership and adherence to a Safe Buy, Trust UK or similar type of government backed accreditation organization.
• The website providing full contact details – Trusted address, landline telephone and fax numbers as well as a business e-mail address, rather than just a personal one.
• A certificate of authenticity for the goods.
• A guarantee or warranty for workmanship of the goods (12 months is usual).
• Genuine customer testimonials displayed.
• Displaying clearly the credit or debit card cards accepted .
• Complying with the Governments Distance Selling Regulations.
• Postage costs and VAT being clearly displayed.
• Large blow-up photos of the goods on the website to see more detail.

Absolute Pearls meets all the above criteria which are displayed in various areas on our website and upon request, we will be delighted to answer any questions you may have. We would also recommend you to read our Online Ordering & Security policy.

3. What are some pointers for selecting pearls on the internet? Besides relying somewhat on trust and instinct, here are a few tips we believe will help make your Pearl Jewellery purchase a rewarding one:

• 'You get what you pay for' is the first motto. Certainly, good deals can be had, but buyer beware all those ‘unbelievable offers’, and 'wholesale priced' offers that give you a strand of top quality 'AAA' grade pearls for less than your weekly shopping!
• Sometimes, a valuation or appraisal is offered that shows the price to be four to eight times more than the pearls are being sold for. Quite often, you will find that is well inflated and simply a marketing tool. Pay attention to suppliers in foreign countries. You will also find displayed prices reduced by 60 or 70% or more. Is this realistic? If pearls are worth £400, why are they being sold for £100?
• Pearl quality/Luster/Grade – There is no internationally accepted grading for pearls unlike diamonds. Some countries such as Tahiti (Black Pearls) and USA (by GIA) do have some control on standards and grading. Grading usually refers primarily to a combination of the luster and surface qualities in individual pearls. In strands, the matching will also play a part and it is to be noted that pearl grading for individual or matched pairs of pearls (pearl earrings etc.) is higher than for strands.
  Grading in most cases is what is assigned to the pearls by the supplier and can vary from one to the next supplier. An 'A' grade 6.5mm pearl necklace from Mikimoto usually retails at around £2,000 in London. Why? Because they are high quality Japanese Cultured Akoya round and lustrous pearls with high quality clasps much like the Rolls Royce of cars. Yet, you can buy an 'A' grade Chinese freshwater 6.5mm off-round pearl necklace for £50-£200 depending on the quality factors and clasp and it will still be a good pearl necklace. If you are not sure, you can always order and compare!
  Chinese Cultured Pearls are typically graded D, C, B, A, AA, AAA but as the grading is ‘not official’, some sites choose not to display grades, using descriptions or the photograph to inform. Beware of un-official grading charts! Therefore, the best advice is to get a feeling for pearl luster by studying and comparing pearls when the opportunity arises, then make an informed decision with a reputable e-tailer.
• Pearl shape – Pictures can be quite deceiving and unless looking closely, pearls that are potato, off round, barrel shape etc. can appear to be round. The price between barrel and round/almost-round pearls can be significant. Good luster 8mm round/almost-round pearl necklaces simply do not sell for £100 or even £200. Make sure the shape of the pearl is clearly labeled. If you buy round pearls, you should expect them to be almost/mostly-round. Sometimes pearls are pictured and labeled as round/mostly-round but they are clearly seen on closer inspection to be semi-round, off-round, potato or barrel shaped which are considerably less expensive.
• Clasps – The price of a clasp can also affect a necklace. In particular, small fish hook gold clasps or small round plain ball clasps are typically inexpensive as they are light in weight and as a guideline would be found on necklaces under £100. Ring and bar, good fluted ball and larger clasps tend to weigh two or three times (as well as cost) more than small fish hook clasps. Sometimes, a good necklace is spoilt by a cheap clasp. Make sure the clasp is appropriate to the cost of the necklace. Also check if the clasp as well as other fittings are gold on silver or gold plated rather than 9 or 14K gold etc.
• Knotting – Pearl strands really must be knotted between each pearl except for cheaper/fashion baroque pearl strands. This particularly prevents you from losing them if the thread snaps but also prevents them rubbing against each other. Naturally, the more valuable pearls are, the more important this becomes.