Pearl Guide News

Five years ago, I had the pleasure to see and photograph several pieces of finely crafted jewelry that featured natural pearls. This was at a time when precious metal prices were rising to unforeseen heights and the recession was sending luxury spending to new lows.

So, admire the jewelry maker that did what was right ? honored the natural pearl by giving it its proper setting ? 18K gold, platinum, and fine diamonds, executed by the finest craftspeople in the jewelry industry.

I hope you...

Third in a series by Antique Jewelry Collector Paul Royse. See the first one here.

Antique Pearl Jewelry that YOU could own - 1800 to 1850
By Paul Royse

By the end of the 1700's a great nation had formed through the American War of Independence (1775?1783), and another great nation was transformed as a result of the French Revolution (1789-1799).

Transformations also occurred at the personal level. New ideas of freedom and liberty were in the air, and new forms of literature appeared...

Second in a series by Antique Jewelry Collector Paul Royse. See the first one here.

Antique Pearl Jewelry that YOU could own - The 1700's
By Paul Royse

The Age of Discovery, launched by Columbus discovering America, and Vasco da Gama opening the route to India, rapidly led to the development and expansion of global trade.

Pearls soon began to reach Europe in quantity from the Sea of Cort?s (off California) and the coasts around India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Many of the greatest of...

The 2014 Pearl Guide Ruckus was recently held in Palos Verdes, California - a fun gathering of Pearl Guide friends with talks, edibles, libations, and plenty of pearls. Douglas McLaurin of Perlas Del Mar De Cortez, gave forum members a "heads-up" that he was bringing "friends" to the party.

Post by Douglas:
I will bring a pair of friends over...many will hopefully want to meet them

One is a Cortez Mabe Necklace, set in sterling silver and all-hand made, with 28 AA grade Mabe...

Provoked Baroque, a term coined by Doug Fiske, aptly describes the newest type of Tahitian pearls. It is now possible to skip the long wait for large pearls that grow in later grafts, while keeping the color and luster that typify earlier, smaller pearls.


Many of these pearls exhibit folds that make one think of the chocolate candies "Raisinettes", but these treats have baroque shell nuclei inside.



The technique was published in "The Australian Gemmologist", First Quarter 2013 by...

Welcome!

Pearls have long been a subject of fascination ? beautiful gems produced by living organisms, with or without the help of human intervention. In the early 20th century, cultivation of pearls brought regal beauty to the masses. More recently, improvements in techniques, advances in cross-breeding, and fervent experimentation have redefined our expectations of what a pearl should look like, and even be.

The Pearl-Guide.com forum has been the home of lively discussion on every...