13.2mm Chocolate NUCLEATED Drilled Chinese PEARL (A648) - eBay (item 200236178291 end time Oct-30-08 16:42:47 PDT)

TAHITI PEARLS

Note that the number in brackets in the auction title is simply our personal inventory number for this auction.

Pearls were first created by Poseidon, - the god of the sea. Whenever a man got engaged to marry, Poseidon would hide a pearl at the bottom of the ocean. The man would then have to find this pearl and present it as a gift to his bride to ensure a long and happy marriage. This eventually became to much work for Poseidon so he arranged for the oysters - who owed Poseidon a favor, to supply pearls instead. And oysters have been dutifully supplying pearls for Poseidon ever since.

Note that pearl is not natural color.

CHINESE NUCLEATED

FRESHWATER PEARL

Note that pearl is not natural color.

Chinese freshwater pearl production has come a long way over the past few years and quality is now very good and the luster is good - even if it is different than south sea pearl luster. A couple years ago the Chinese farmers started placing a nucleus inside the mollusks that they grow the pearls in. Now, a couple years later the pearls are harvested and some nice pearls have been grown. Round ones are very high priced but the baroque ones like this one is large and makes for very original jewelry creations. You will be amazed when you see what a freshwater pearl can look like. I suggest you try a couple to see how they sell in your market. A south sea pearl this exact shape and size could cost 10 to 20 times my price here depending on the luster.

Check out all of our hundreds of ebay Salt Water Pearl auctions. We have built up an excellent supply of South Sea (Especially Indonesian) pearls. Nobody beats our South Sea Pearl prices.

Estimated Normal Value of this pearl: Hard to say. These are new and have not been on the market very long. A similar size and shape South Sea pearl could easily be worth $200 or more if the luster was nice enough. I have been selling these for over a year now and my customers have found a lot of interest in their local markets and demand has been good. Try a few yourself and see how it works. You might be pleasantly surprised about what you can do with these pearls.

FAQ

How can I pay for my auction winnings? Paypal is by far the preferred form of payment and allows me to ship items out right away. But you can send most other types of payments, including cheques and money orders written on US banks. However, Green US postal money orders (The ones that say in bright red "Only cashable in the USA and possessions") are not acceptable for payment.

Can I save shipping costs by combining lots? Yes, you can accumulate lots up to seven days but please pay within seven days after your first purchase. Please make a single payment for all your purchases.

How much is shipping. We are not in the business of overcharging for shipping and therefore don’t charge a per item fee. Shipping charges are based on the weight and is $4.75 up to 100 grams shipping weight (About 40 grams of Merchandise). If you are just buying loose gemstones or other lightweight items postage probably wont be more. If you buy heavy items like gem rough it might add a little extra to the shipping cost.

Do I have to pay customs fees? Every country is different rules and regulations and I cannot advice you on if you will have to pay customs and duties charges. However, we send hundreds of packages a month and very few of our packages experience customs problems.

What is your return policy? We would not want somebody to have something from us that they are not happy with. We take good care of our clients as most of our business is repeat business. A large majority of our buyers are other dealers and craftspeople who use us as a regular long term supplier. Anything can be returned for a refund.

Are your gemstones and pearls natural? Unless clearly stated all gemstones are naturally mined stones and pearls are all farmed Salt water South sea, Akoya or freshwater. My synthetic stones are clearly noted so there is no confusion. If I haven't clearly noted synthetic consider all my gems natural stones.

Many dealers use file photos and I get something that is not like in the photo. Do you do this? Besides being a poor business practice, we consider this practice highly unethical. Except for exactly identical items such as cast mountings we use a different photo for every auction unless we note that we are using a file photo. If you bid on gemstones or a piece of jewelry you will get the exact item shown in the photo. We also don’t try and make you believe that you are buying a $500 gemstone for 99 cents. We offer what is probably the best deal on a quality per quality basis that you will find anywhere.

How can I contact you for more information? Email: themeteoriteshop@yahoo.com