a question of color....
- Thread starter theseventhsphinx
- Start date
lisa c
Perpetual Pearl Student
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2009
- Messages
- 3,588
Why can't it just be a genetic variation? I remember a while back there was discussion about achieving color by where in the mantle a bit of graft tissue was placed. If one mollusc can produce different colored pearls at one time (or is it called a multi-seeded batch?), I think it follows that they might well do it on one pearl. After all, we're looking right at it (proof) with the pondslimes.
Not only that, but I've shaved some bi-colored pearls after I removed the poor dye-job with bleach. These were cheap pearls, so it was just for fun.
I mostly saw peach and white combinations, and blue and peach. As I scraped I saw that the colors didn't blend like paint, or layer color like a transparency, but seemed rather to diffuse across a border.
The border shifted a bit like a spiral, but not that regular, and there wasn't much in the way of luster. I ought to just send my favorite blue/peach to one of you excellent photographer-scientists...just for science's sake.
Not only that, but I've shaved some bi-colored pearls after I removed the poor dye-job with bleach. These were cheap pearls, so it was just for fun.
I mostly saw peach and white combinations, and blue and peach. As I scraped I saw that the colors didn't blend like paint, or layer color like a transparency, but seemed rather to diffuse across a border.
The border shifted a bit like a spiral, but not that regular, and there wasn't much in the way of luster. I ought to just send my favorite blue/peach to one of you excellent photographer-scientists...just for science's sake.
lisa c
Perpetual Pearl Student
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2009
- Messages
- 3,588
Not only that, but under some of the bumpy or frosty-looking pearls I shaved was a layer of smooth, gorgeous luster. Unfortunately, the lustrous layer wasn't uniform. It always was marred by an area of cloudy blah. Not powdery, just cloudy. It was still a fun experience.
pattye
Pearl Scholar
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2005
- Messages
- 11,465
Um, just what did you use to shave the pearls, Lisa??!! I'm usually much more destructive than that!
lisa c
Perpetual Pearl Student
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2009
- Messages
- 3,588
LOL, post-mortem...and hammer-whacking, you guys always make me grin. Hi, you cats and kittens! (Phrase from my X-m-i-l)
Shaving/scraping --> pearl in one hand, slightly dulled blade yellow metal utility knife in the other, proceed with caution!
This was back in the early days when I was experimenting with solvents to see which removed bad dye from inexpensive pearls most effectively. Scraping was the mechanical way to remove dye. I could remove tiny amounts of pearl at a time, once they'd been bleached...
One thing led to another, ya know? I could see colored pearls under the bad dye jobs, couldn't resist.
Shaving/scraping --> pearl in one hand, slightly dulled blade yellow metal utility knife in the other, proceed with caution!
This was back in the early days when I was experimenting with solvents to see which removed bad dye from inexpensive pearls most effectively. Scraping was the mechanical way to remove dye. I could remove tiny amounts of pearl at a time, once they'd been bleached...
One thing led to another, ya know? I could see colored pearls under the bad dye jobs, couldn't resist.
Last edited:
