Kathryn Lewis
I wouldn't call myself a pearl expert, but I use pearls a lot in making jewelry, buy them wholesale, and have done quite a lot of research on them. So I can safely call myself a knowledgeable layperson. Considering the price of these pearls, I wasn't really expecting much, and I was pleasantly surprised when they arrived.First, the pearls I received really are 9mm in size (they are potato-shaped or semi-round, and measured at the widest part). See the picture I attached for reference. They are noticeably larger than the round 8mm Swarovski pearls.They are not round, or even truly semi-round, but closer to potato-shaped, which is the most common shape for freshwater pearls. From even a slight distance, they do look round, so these are quite good in that respect.The luster is very good, and the color is really white, although in sunlight there are charming variations which are to be expected.There are noticeable imperfections, primarily in shape but also the occasional light ring or pock mark, very minor. Overall, these would probably be B or B+ grade. Why retailers never "grade" pearls I really don't know, because they are all graded just like gems (A+++ to F). B or B+ is really exceptional for pearls this size. I know I wouldn't have been able to buy them from my wholesaler for anywhere near this price. Also the knotting is very well done; it's extremely time-consuming and a real art form. And putting it mildly I haven't mastered the skill.They are kind of tight and crooked at first (this is completely normal), but can be loosened up just by hanging them or (if you're like me) by wrapping them around your fingers. They will continue to hang better as time goes on.The clasp is great, but if you don't like it, any jeweler could easily replace it. If it starts to get "loose" it's very easy to fix - just gently open up the male end with your fingers and it will fit tightly again.Overall I'm VERY pleased with this necklace, especially for the price! People who expect perfection at this price really don't understand pearls. Truly perfect pearls are either faux or many thousands of dollars. These are much nicer than most of the pearls I've seen in department stores for hundreds of dollars. This knowledgeable layperson highly recommends them!

Michael Reeves
The deal on this pearl necklace seems outstanding. The pearls look nice.As for the size, it's advertised at 8mm to 9mm, but the one I got through this offering was only 7.2mm. That's a big difference, but again the deal is so good that I could not bring myself to deduct a rating star.Pearls that are 7mm cannot be expected to win random compliments, and my wife reported no comments or compliments received. Larger pearls appear to be much larger, probably due to the magical nature of pearls.These are freshwater pearls. This kind of pearl is produced from freshwater mussels, almost always in China. Freshwater pearls, required to be called "freshwater cultured pearls" in commerce by the Federal Trade Commission, are known to appear flatter - not truly round. These pearls are par for the course, somewhat flat and not truly round.The string holding these pearls together is strong, and that counts for a lot. I would have deducted a star if the string where weak.This pearl necklace is a nice accessory. It's conservative and modest, opposite of flashy, and in very good taste especially in a typical work environment. It can be worn often with a wide variety of apparel. I recommend it with one proviso: don't tell people the price (seriously). Whoever learns the price will likely change their opinion of this necklace when in fact it is in very good taste.

Sara Mccarthy
I was rather disappointed in this necklace compared to others I've ordered from Amazon recently. I also ordered the Amour 7-7.5mm Freshwater Pearl necklace, and I actually like it MUCH better. This one (8-9mm 18" Freshwater Knotted Pearl necklace), the pearls are unevenly matched with only about a third of them being 8-8.5mm (none are 9mm), most are the same size as the other Amour 7-7.5mm (less priced) necklace, and there are several very oval-shaped smaller pearls less than 7mm and the smaller pearls are intermixed with the larger ones (i.e. looking down the strand, one or two pearls may be a 8-8.5mm pearl followed by 3-6 7-7.5mm or smaller pearls) and this is very noticeable when wearing. Also, the nacre (mother of pearl) on these pearls is about half what is on the smaller strand of Amour pearls. The luster is good on some of the pearls, mainly the smaller ones, and nearly non-existent on many of the larger pearls and some very small pearls. The aura given by these pearls does not speak quality when being worn, and have an almost faux pearl or glass bead look. Quite a few blemishes, mostly caused by the way they were handled when drilling the holes and that is unacceptable in any cultured pearl. The strand is tied & knotted well, but not really any better than the 7-7.5mm pearl necklace. Weight between the two strands is basically the same with the knotting on the 8-9mm being what any difference would be, not the pearl quality themselves. In fact the 7-7.5mm pearls themselves have more weight to the necklace as they have a much more even amount of pearls that are apparently larger than what the supposed 8-9mm necklace has. While the price was not much more than the 7-7.5mm necklace, the 7-7.5mm necklace is a much better necklace--better quality, better matched, better composed. With this supposed 8-9mm necklace, it seems one still gets 7-7.5mm pearls or less--at least I did.

Matthew Richardson
This is my first pearl necklace that I have bought for myself and I am very happy with it. The pearls have a nice shine to them and they are a good size. When you first take them out of the bag they don't lay completely flat, but they have enough weight to them that they will stretch out. I hung them from the hook in my jewelry box and they're already straightening out. If you look really close they're not all identical but you cant tell unless you examine them. They are definitely worth the money, like everyone else has said, don't tell anyone the price and everyone will think you paid a lot of money for them. This was definitely a nice gift to myself, I'm thinking of getting one for a friend since the price was so good.