Pearl Quality and Pearls in Singapore and Japan

Here's one store in Singapore with a website. They clearly state that some of the pearls are faux which is a fancy French word for false, which is a good sign.

In the UK I once went with a friend to buy a Xmas gift of a pearl necklace in John Lewis. I had always previously thought that a major department store might be reliable. However, I think you often get more interesting design in speciality shops. We were told that pearls should be re-strung every year to guard against loss. What a nuisance for the recipient.

For the amount paid for a pearl necklace, matching pearl bracelet and pearl ring - three items to worry about breaking or losing a pearl, the buyer could have bought his lady a solid gold necklace which would always have kept its value and never broken.

http://www.chomel.com.sg

Japanese shops also sell pearls. I once bought silver grey pearl bracelet, in silver, at a good price from a shop in Japan. You can either buy them on holiday in Japan or on line.

I also found a Tahiti Pearl Market on Facebook.

What to look for when buying pearls
Not so exactly round that they must be machine made.
Nor huge imperfection.
Larger pearls cost more.
The expensive lustre or mirror quality, compared with the cheaper dull matt or chalky surface.
Colours affect the price, but what colour you like may depend on your skin colour, so a cheaper colour might suit your better.
An x-ray will reveal the inside showing whether they are man-made and solid, or built in layers like a tree. A magnifying glass will show the slight irregularities of a natural pearl.

Writers on the site say that if you rub two real pearl's together, they grate, but two fake or mad-made pearls are smooth. I'm not sure I'd risk damaging my own real pearls or anybody else - unless I was sure they were fake and wanted to prove the point. That's why the real pearls are divided by knots, firstly because they are valuable so will be kept for ever, not just a season, but secondly because real pearls are more likely to scratch each other with their protrusions.

More discussion on:
http://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/showthread.php?1206-What-makes-a-freshwater-higher-than-AAA

More information from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, researcher, author and speaker . 

Buying jewellery, websites and walking

Gold of 18 carat, or 8 carat, rolled gold or gold plated, gold on silver, white gold, jade, pearl, freshwater pearl, diamond or cubic zirconia, real amethyst or synthetic, leather or imitation leather, opal or a p a l i t e? You might want to spend less and be quite happy. You might prefer not to have real fur or real leather. But do you know what you are being offered? Faux is French for false or fake.

I looked at some pretty jewellery on eBay. Then I reflected on the term o p  a l i t e . What is it? Obviously not opal. Is it a slice of opal rather than a whole stone? No, it appears to be synthetic. If you just want something pretty to wear whilst travelling (leaving your more expensive jewellery elsewhere) then it might suit you. But at least be aware what you are buying. In a shop you can decide if the colours are vibrant, or garish, drained out, or subtle. On line you have to be more careful. Here from the website below is a detailed guide.

In a shop, especially when travelling, you may have to make a quick decision. At least you can investigate in advance if you like buying opals from Australia, or amethyst from Asia.

If you are able to tell the difference and discuss it with the jewellery seller, you may get a straightforward answer. The seller may be quite happy to admit that you are looking at a 'fake' or synthetic gem if there's a chance of getting you to spend more on a real gemstone. The jewellery might happily say, "This is very cheap because it is just o p a l i t e. Very good value if you just want costume jewellery. But if you are prepared to pay more, I have this one for you which is real opal as you can see ..."

My view is that websites such as eBay should require the seller to publish a link, or they should make a pop-up to a link.

http://www.jewelledweb.com/2014/12/13/dont-get-fooled-opalite/

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

French words of the day: en primeur, fait accompli, faux pas, sommelier

In catalogues and newsletters for wine I find words used by sommeliers, the wine trade and wine buyers. On ebay and in clothes catalogues I find faux leather.

en primeur - I thought it was literally in first place - best wine (of season for that wine maker?) but I was muddling it up with premier cru which is described below. Wikipedia says this:
En primeur or "wine futures", is a method of purchasing wines early while a vintage is still in a barrel, offering the customer the opportunity to invest in a particular wine before it is bottled. Payment is made at an early stage, a year or 18 months prior to the official release of a vintage. A possible advantage of buying wines en primeur is that the wines may be considerably cheaper during the en primeur period than they will be once bottled and released on the market. However, that is not guaranteed and some wines may lose value over time. Wine experts, like Tom Stevenson, recommend buying en primeur for wines with very limited quantities and will most likely not be available when they are released.^[1] The wines most commonly offered en primeur are from Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Rhône Valley and Port, although other regions are adopting the practic

faux - false or imitation, faux leather is not leather but looks like it is
faux pas - false step / mistake / embarrassing mistake
pâté - smooth paste, usually meat, in a glass or china pot sealed with fat or foil on top and a lid
The hat on the letter suggests a mission letter s following - paste or pasta, same origin
premier cru
sommelier - wine expert or head wine waiter in a restaurant