Akoya Pearls at Sale Price Part Two
In part two of akoya pearls at sale price lets look at how to fine genuine pearls.
First of all, know who you are dealing with. Particularly when dealing online. Check the various dealers. Are they easily contactable? Is there a phone number and snail mail address. Is it possible to actually talk to someone?
Does the dealer have a returns policy? Is it possible to return goods if you are not satisfied and will you get your money or your deposit back? Sometimes a dealer might not return the deposit so it is well to check their terms of service.
Having found a good dealer, what guarantees do they have to show that the akoya pearls are genuine? Is there a certificate accompanying the pearl(s). Are they willing to have the pearl(s) appraised by an independent appraiser? If the answer is no then it is likely that the akoya pearl is not genuine.
Akoya pearls are expensive, and it is unlikely one will get one for a few dollars. Where the mark down is from hundreds of dollars to just a hundred dollars or so, be suspicious. Akoya pearls do not get marked down to just ten or twenty percent of their value.
With Auctions it is the same, Buyer beware! With online auctions verify that the seller is genuine. In eBay you can see by the feedback how long the dealer has been in business and how satisfied their customers have been. Other online auctions should have a similar system to allay any customer fears.
At live auctions of course one can inspect the pearls and often there will have been an appraisal done and a certificate to match. At least you will have people bidding who understand pearls and their value (particularly if they are dealers)
There is no substitute for doing some due diligence and shopping around. Patience does, in this case, have its own rewards.
You can find Akoya Pearls at Sale Price, provided you know where to look and are prepared to spend some time and work looking over the products. Just because a pearl is offered at ’sale price’ does not means one has to rush into a sale. Do not fall for the urgency presented by dealers. This is simply a way of getting people to decide without thinking too much.
Keeping the above well in mind means that you will be able to find genuine akoya pearls at sale price and may even pick up a real bargain!
The last of a two part series of akoya pearls at sale price