FAQ Frequently Asked Questions

How does Pearl Republic offer such low prices?
What are Heritage pearls?
Who is Omni-America?
How can you offer free gifts?
What is Cubic Zirconia (CZ)?
What do you mean by “several months” for culture time?
What is “pearl farming”?
Do you use a fulfillment center?
Do you charge state sales tax?
What about remote delivery?
If I order two products, do I have to pay two shipping/handling fees?
What do you mean by “36-hour speed-order expediting”?
When will an out-of-stock product be available for purchase?
General Information

How does Pearl Republic offer such low prices?
We buy directly from reputable pearl farmers throughout the world. This eliminates the usual layers of the middle persons traditionally associated with pearls. In addition, Pearl Republic makes most purchases when there is a surplus, assuring you of the finest quality pearls available at the lowest price.

What are Heritage pearls?
These are especially cultured oval pearls used in our alluring Caribbean Queen Pearls necklace. In the early 1900s these were popular with the nobility. At that time, all round pearls, including the best oval Heritage pearls, were only for royalty and the very wealthy.
       With the advent of freshwater farming using a controlled environment (1906), pearls today have become within the financial reach of all women.. So Pearl Republic has taken a page from history. The result is Caribbean Queen Pearls using natural Heritage ovals. These petite pure pearls offer a luster and iridescence matching the most expensive pearls on the market.
       In addition to this beautiful necklace, we use many teardrop ovals for the most fashionable earrings found anywhere.
       You need to know that 99.99% of pearls are not round. Often the round (or near-round) shape is produced by sanding and buffing. This reduces the luster and iridescence of any pearl. Pearl Republic will not market these altered pearls in any of our jewelry. Thus, you will be wearing the most natural cultured pearls found anywhere.

Who is Omni-America?
Omni-America is a Florida company, owned and operated by USA citizens. For three years it has been a designer, importer and wholesaler of custom canvas totes.
       It is the parent company of Pearl Republic (pearlrepublic.com). It is felt that the name Pearl Republic better reflects our diverse and growing product offerings.

[An aside. Unbeknownst to a customer, when she recommended a tote which can be used to carry personal and business items while commuting to and from work or school, she did not realize the design expertise of Omni-America. So we picked up the ball, and totes are now being designed for this (or any other) use. These will carry the Pearl Republic logo and will only be available to customers at or near wholesale price.
      When you order, you automatically become a member of the Executive Advisory Committee. This assures you of being the first in your community to own and wear new and unique products from Pearl Republic.]

How can you offer free gifts?
Vast buying power! That is the secret. Omni-America and Pearl Republic have the know-how to search out the best deals. For instance, your free beachcomber visor was purchased at close-out prices. But the price was of secondary concern. The first concern was the quality. And this visor is second to none in that regard. It has a retail value of $10.99.
       As for our free Special Reports, these ideas often originate in our corporate offices. Our talented and knowledgeable staff then prepares these lifestyle reports. They reflect new ideas and resurrect old ideas which are still valuable today. Body Language was recommended by a customer (see Executive Advisory Committee above). Other special reports will continue to touch on subjects important to you.
Besides Body Language (available soon), current and ongoing free special reports include:
      Winning the Battle Against Soap
      Ten Secrets of Personal Empowerment
      Most important of all, these reports provide you with tips, secrets and strategies which will improve your life and enhance your lifestyle. We want you to be all you can be. Enticing? Yes, in two ways. We entice you to own and wear our fabulous jewelry. You entice every man (and are the envy of many women) you come in contact with. Maybe it is just a quick glimpse of you, but you are a lady knowledgeable of style and elegance.

What is cubic zirconia (CZ)?
First, a real gem. But at a fraction of the cost of a naturally-produced diamond. These technologically-produced gems are so real the world’s largest diamond syndicate remains jittery about the increasing popularity of CZ diamonds. And they recently formed a subsidiary which sells nothing but CZ gems. Obviously the value of your CZ gems will increase dramatically.
       There is no low-tech way to tell this difference between CZ and naturally-produced diamonds. They are the same in molecular composition, the same in reflective qualities, and the same in brilliance. Pearl Republic CZ gems are “ice white,” the descriptive term of high quality.
       Pearl Republic offers CZ pendants and matching earrings.

What do you mean by “several months” for culture time?
This refers to pearl culture time. Since each pearl has a different culture time to layer the nuclei with nacre, the Federal Trade Commission has ruled against stating a specific timeframe. And of course, there are many variables which determine culture time (even in the same lake or body of water).
       But there are guidelines which you can follow. You may have heard the term “seed pearl.” These are tiny pearls which have a culture time of up to six months. Because of their diminutive size, they are usually only suited to be sewed on clothing. The only value of seed pearls is the craftsperson’s time involved.
       On the other hand, Pearl Republic pearls have a definite and increasing value. The culture time is over six months. Caribbean Queen Pearls and Soft Reflection Pearls have a culture time of six months or more. Larger pearls may have a culture time of one year or more. This would apply to our Deliverance Pearls, Jamaica Swing Pearls, Embassy Pearl and Queen of Las Perlas. These pearls range from 6mm to 9mm.
Pearl Republic earrings generally fall within a six- to- twelve-month time period. They are especially selected to match, often to our distinctive “teardrop” shape.

What is “pearl farming“?
Just as a farmer tends to his/her crops, a pearl farmer must tend to pearls. For instance, an edible-foods farmer does not plant seeds and return months later. There are many intermediate steps which must be taken to assure a bountiful crop. There is preparation of the soil, cultivation, irrigation and ridding the crop of insects, to name just a few of the occurrences which must take place.
       So it is with pearl farming. Instead of tending soil like a crop farmer, a pearl farmer must tend the water. And there is always the quest for pristine, nutrient-rich, and pollution-free water where mussels (and sometimes oysters) can find a suitable home. While pearls were found in the USA years ago, sadly few of our lakes now have the necessary pollution-free environment.
       After the nuclei have been implanted, the mussel must have TLC. At specific time intervals, racks of mussels are raised and cleaned. All seaweed and other harmful impediments are removed. They are then gently lowered into the water to continue the culture. It is also at this time the pearls are “harvested.” This is generally determined by desired size.
       Keep in mind only 1 of 10,000 pearls is perfectly round. And these pearls are generally sold into private collections. One such pearl is the 31-carat pearl found in The Pearl Islands in the Pacific Ocean. It is under the guardianship of actress Elizabeth Taylor. The price 35 years ago was $37,000.
       Another point is most cultured (and healthy) pearls are white, often with a slight rose undercurrent. Pearl Republic pearls are most certainly NOT dyed. We want to stay as close to the natural state as possible, providing American women with genuine pearls not just to wear, but which may be passed on as valuable family heirlooms.

Do you use a fulfillment center?
No, we do not. All products are sent directly from our offices in Lakeland, FL USA. This allows us to double-check each product sent to you, as well as eliminate the wear-and-tear on products and pouches. Our trained staff takes extreme care in checking and packaging your order.
       We use the name of our parent company--Omni-America--as the return address on your label. This is used simply keep the word “Pearl” off the label, thus assuring you quick and expeditious service in tranportation and delivery.
       This also allows us to control the commitments we make to you: “wear in 3 to 4 days” and our 36-hour guaranteed turnaround. All products are insured for full-replacement value, and we can track the shipment down to a delivery time and destination.

Do you charge state sales tax?
For all shipments outside of Florida there is NO state sales tax. But since our nexus (physical location) is in Florida, we are required by law to charge Florida state sales tax for all shipments within the state of Florida. This tax is automatically computed by our shopping cart when checking out. Florida law prohibits us from paying the tax for you.

What about remote delivery?
Remote delivery would be to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Delivery to these areas normally takes just one additional day.

Our normal 3 to 4 day domestic delivery breaks down this way:
    --Next day shipment for all orders received
    --USPS guarantees 2 to 3 days delivery
This means your package should arrive within the 4-day timeframe.

The one additional day for remote destinations usually results from available aircraft transfer time. Pearl Republic is located in Florida, so for Hawaii and Alaska your package must first travel coast-to-coast, and then to your remote address.

If I order two products, do I have to pay shipping/handling fees?
No, we NEVER charge for shipping and handling. Sometimes, when you order two or more products, we can combine this shipment, thus reducing our cost and your cost. Insurance for total replacement value is paid by Pearl Republic..

What do you mean by “36-hour speed-order expediting”?
This is our way of saying that your order will be shipped within 36 hours (on normal business days). Often an order is shipped in a couple of hours. If you order after 3:00 p.m. that shipment is prepared and shipped the next day. All orders placed on Saturday and Sunday will be shipped/posted on Monday (even if it is a holiday).

      You will receive an e-mail notifying you of acceptance by the post office.So we can work together in tracking your shipment.

When will an out-of-stock product be available for purchase?
Generally within 30 days. We try to estimate a need to reorder, but sometimes we are overwhelmed by the large number of sales of a specific item. If, in the rare circumstance a product will not be available again, it will be eliminated from our website.
       We cannot accept product backorders. If a product is out-of-stock this is noted on the main product screen. While you can read about the product to consider a future purchase, the purchase button has been disenabled. You may order the product when it becomes available.

General information
Keep in mind your purchase is insured by Pearl Republic for full replacement value. And for a limited time, every order recieves free gifts valued a more than $50. You will receive an e-mail which provides access links to our special reports. Your visor and protective pouch will be sent with your order.
       The e-mail will also notify you of the customer bonus product links available to all customers. These are deep-discount quality products you won‘t want to miss.
       All of the information above (free gifts, customer bonus) is also included with your jewelry along with a complete product receipt. Maintain this receipt as it includes your order number, which may be needed to access the free gifts.
       (Please make sure to make a copy of your online order confirmation, or jot down your order number for your records.)

And congratulations! Your first order automatically makes you a member of our Executive Advisory Committee. Not only will you receive cash for a product idea we use, you will receive twice-yearly fashion alerts which will inform you of the latest additions to our product lines.

(To protect you against spam, you will receive an e-mail which gives you the opportunity to accept or decline fashion alerts.)

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