I purchased this set as a gift for my wife, after being disappointed with the&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Single-Strand-18-Inch-7-8mm-White-Freshwater-Cultured-Pearl-Necklace/dp/B0009FBDMK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Single Strand 18 Inch 7-8mm White Freshwater Cultured Pearl Necklace</a>. Although the two necklaces cost about the same, the difference between the two is like night and day.

The necklace in this set had pearls that were all round or near-round (you really need to examine the pearls closely to see ones that don't look round), and you could tell that the best pearls are in the front, while flawed pearls are near the clasp. The color of the pearls were surprisingly consistent, and well-matched throughout the strand.

As far as flaws go, they're definitely there, and you don't need to look too hard to see them -- but again, the pearls like that were all by the clasp. Granted, this isn't very helpful if the wearer has short hair, but otherwise, nobody would know they're there.

I wasn't fortunate enough to get this when it was in the Gold Box or Lightning Deal, but at Amazon's normal price, it's still a very good value.

My only real gripe is that everything arrives in a small pouch. I would have liked a better presentation for gift giving, but for the quality you get at this price, it's hard to complain.