The quality of my AA+ Akoya necklace and AAA 7.0 – 7.5 Akoya earrings I received from the Pearl Source is excellent. I compared them to some strands of inherited pearls I had and the difference was dramatic. What was the most outstanding was how well they were matched—each single pearl. Matchless expertise in a high volume pearl specialist company with competitive prices.
I also found the educational part of the the Pearl Source's website well organized and helpful to make an informed purchase
Now to the caveat of why I gave 4 stars instead of 5: The inner presentation box of both the necklace and earrings has a quite noticeable 'chemical' oder. I am airing them out to see if the off-gas smell will dissipate with a bit of time. To be fair to the company, I do prefer to pay less for the presentation box for a better price for the pearls. I am not looking for a luxury box. But since it was emphasized how sensitive pearls are to their environment and contact with perfumes, hair spray etc and 'last on, first off', I would expect their storage box not to off-gas, but to be neutral.
My solution was to store them carefully in another container. Again, the quality of the pearls themselves was excellent and that is my main focus. The box they came in could be easily substituted. But I think the Pearl Source is striving for excellence in all aspects and likely reading all the reviews they receive to see what can be improved.
The shipping and tracking was very good. I live in the Netherlands and all the taxes and import duties were calculated outfront in the initial prices. If you reside in the EU, your package won't get stuck in customs with 'hidden costs and delays. Likely that would be the same experience in other regions as well.
The bottom line: I am happy with my new necklace and earrings and getting compliments.
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