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Designer Jewelry: Even the most hardened luxaholic cannot resist a good deal — particularly when that means getting more bang for your buck in the jewelry department. PearlsOfJoy.com — a leading online retailer of high-end, cultured pearl jewelry — knows this all too well, offering its drop-dead gorgeous product line for up to 80 percent below typical brick-and-mortar retailers — and that’s no typo!

But, don’t let the low prices fool you. The pearl jewelry offered by PearlsOfJoy.com is extremely high quality and exquisitely crafted. From necklaces to earrings to bracelets to cufflinks and even custom-designed creations, this company’s products are top notch — and each come standard with a third-party appraisal and a certificate of authenticity to prove it.

PearlsOfJoy.com offers an array of pearl types, including Akoya, Freshwater, Tahitian, South Sea, Hanadama and Presidential, which are available in a full range of spectacular colors: white, black, lavender peach/pink, golden and multi-colored. All stand designs feature only the finest silk with knots between each pearl for security.

Here are just a few of my favorite Pearls of Joy among the throngs that I covet from this gem of a site:

Golden South Sea Pearl Necklace
All that glitters is indeed gold with this 18″ necklace made of Golden South Sea Pearls — the pinnacle in the pearl industry relative to both price and quality. While this strand, comprised of 9.0-12.7mm grade AA+ round pearls with a radiant golden yellow glow, would list for $52,250 elsewhere, PearlsofJoy.com offers this extraordinary bauble for far less — just $15,995.

White South Sea Pearl Dangle Earrings
These breathtaking earrings are the epitome of luxury and class — and no jewelry collection would be complete without them. The pearls in this classic design are perfectly round, ranging in size from 14-15mm, with a clean surface and a deep silky luster. Although these earrings would have a list price of $12,230 elsewhere, PearlsOfJoy.com sells them for only $2,466.

Tahitian Pearl Tuxedo Studs
Tahitian pearls are the hot new item in men’s jewelry, and these 9.5mm cufflinks are the perfect addition to every fashion forward male’s collection — especially those who aspire to stand out from the crowd. These AA+ quality Tahitian pearls are perfectly round with a very high luster sure to attract attention. With a common list price of $2,075, PearlsOfJoy.com offers these captivating cufflinks for just $415.

Black Akoya Pearl Necklace
Black akoya pearls are among the leading trends in pearl jewelry today. Featured in magazines and runways around the globe, black pearls are making a huge impression in the fashion industry and beyond. These exotic black beauties are as mysterious as they are enchanting. The necklace is 18″ in length and features a dramatic strand of AA+ quality 7.0-7.5mm black akoya pearls. While sold elsewhere for $1,670, PearlsofJoy.com offers this mesmerizing necklace for just $375.

How are such deep discounts on fine quality cultured pearls even possible, you ask? Quite simply, because PearlsOfJoy.com exclusively sells its jewelry online, it doesn’t have the high overhead associated with a retail location. The Internet-based distribution channel also allows PearlsofJoy.com to reach consumers on a global scale, so what the company doesn’t earn in price mark ups — typically averaging 300 percent — it gains in sales volume.

In addition, instead of buying pearls from wholesalers, distributors and middle men the way 99 percent of all jewelry retailers do, PearlsOfJoy.com purchases its wares in large quantity directly from the pearl farms themselves. The company has gained so great respect within the industry to the extent that some farms actually give PearlsOfJoy.com first choice of their best pearls from a given harvest.

So, my parting pearl of wisdom is to shop PearlsOfJoy.com to look like a million bucks without breaking the bank.

***Some or all of the accommodations(s), experience(s), item(s) and/or service(s) detailed above may have been provided at no cost and/or arranged to accommodate this review, but all opinions expressed are entirely those of Merilee Kern and have not been influenced in any way as per the disclosure policy on our “Legal” page***