Abalone Gone "Buggy"

[SteveM]

The issue raised has nothing to do with placement in this thread, rather the unqualified use of the term 'pearl' in the marketing of paua mab?.

The questions from my prior post remain:

Is this an innocent and harmless usage by professionals who supposedly know better, or is it that mab? from NZ is considered a game with its own rules? Has the marketing by Eyris Blue been so successful as to persuade those normally skeptical and critical among us to look the other way? Does Douglas from Guaymas refer to his P. Sterna mab?s as 'pearls' (cultured or otherwise)?

 

[J Marcus]

Smetzler: Ah yes, I do tend to get carried away at times. . . However, to more directly address your issue--I feel strongly that blister pearls, whether cultured or natural, for use in commerce, should always be labeled as blister or mabe' pearls. I feel that it is neccesary in the interest of full disclosure. I also feel that this should apply across all national boundaries. The issue does not change according to location. I think that you are stating that even a libertarian attitude does not condone any kind of false representation. Right?

J Marcus
http://www.flyrodjewelry.com/home.html

 

[SteveM]

Dear JMarcus,

Your natural blisters and subsequent assemblies are marvelous creations and I am still greatly looking forward to seeing 'Cascadia Moon' in person when we can finally get up your way. I have never had the impression that you were representing the blisters as pearls here.

 

[J Marcus]

Smetzler: Thank you. I try to represent my product as accurately and ethically as possible. When I found that the FTC's rules stated that I couldn't represent my mabe's as natural no matter what their source, I was somewhat dissapointed but had to accept that the judgment in this case was fair and went back and cleaned up any promotional wording that I had written. I agree with you about Eyris Mabe's.

J. Marcus
http://www.flyrodjewelry.com/home.html

 

[SteveM]

JMarcus,

We now have Pearl-Guide's glossary to assist us, and how appropriate that the terms here in question are the very first (alphabetical) entries!

Actually, your creations from rare natural formations are not mab?, as mab? officially result from the assembly of cultured blisters. Yours are simply (and more nobly) 'assembled abalone blisters.'

 

[J Marcus]

That's interesting--maybe not mabe'? I've looked at a number of definitions and at least one of them stated that mabe's were assembled blister pearls. I'll have to see if I can find that as some definitions are more "legitimate" than others and I don't want to mislabel my "assembled products." (?) Thanks for letting me know what you've found.

J. Marcus
http://www.flyrodjewelry.com/home.html

 

[New Zealand Natural Pearl]

Another buglet

Another buglet


Just another Natural Abalone Pearl that would suit the bug department.
It is actually a fish. Hope you like

 

[J Marcus]

I too, have come across just a few solid natural abalone blisters. Up until about a month ago I had seen only a total of four, of which I own three, but a short while ago I acquired a couple more shells which have some blisters that may be the same kind. They are a puzzle because they don't seem to be directly related to any parasite--at least none that bore through the shell from the outside. I've been referring to them as "berry blisters" because they seem to come grouped in small clusters like a rasberry. I'll see if I can dig them out, snap some pictures and post them in the next few days.

J. Marcus
http://www.flyrodjewelry.com/home.html

I dug out the "Berry Blisters" and found that I had put a few other somewhat similar oddities with them that I had forgotten about. When I was cleaning them up and inspecting them to photograph, I noticed certain aspects of some of them that I hadn't noticed before and this set me on a search through more cut-out blisters and whole shells (I'm still not done going through them.) Looking for more anomalies for comparison. I've found a few so far and I find there may be something going on here that I didn't realize about these creatures. I think that this deserves a thread all it's own so I'm just going to post a couple of teaser photo's here and start a new thread.

J Marcus
http://www.flyrodjewelry.com/home.html

 

[GemGeek]

Wow, those are cool!

 

[SteveM]

A new thread would be very interesting with a few more photos, hopefully NZ Natural Pearls will also contribute from their collection.

Is that an attached button in the first photograph? Seems almost 'unnatural.'

 

[Caitlin]

Those are great. They look ready to just pop into a piece of jewelry. A couple of the clusters look like shorteners/brooches. (I don't wear them, but I would wear one of those!) That round bubble would make a great ring.

 

[New Zealand Natural Pearl]

Buzz Buddy

Buzz Buddy

[/ATTACH]
View our Buzz Bee - So very cute pendant.
18ct Yellow Gold, two Diamond eyes and 1.5ct
Natural Abalone Gem Grade Pearl. $1100.00 U.S.

 

[pearlescence]

Again, as a pearl person and a beekeeper I am drooling. That little native bumble bee is delightful..you could add amber for her pollen sacks

 

[Sueki]

The bee is lovely - thanks for the photo.
I adore bug jewellery....
Bet it'd make a great pin, too.

 

[SteveM]

This Victorian brooch from France using a pearl from a white variety of abalone offers a little contrast to this otherwise Paua-dominated thread.

 

[GemGeek]

Viva la difference!

 

[Caitlin]

That looks a lot like an osmina/osmena "pearl". Even the white abalone pearls I have seen have incredible pale iridescence.

 

[Nerida]

Steve that is a gorgeous piece. Thank you!

 

[New Zealand Natural Pearl]

White Paua

White Paua


Love the Brooch Steve.
We do have a white species of Abalone in New Zealand
which produce pearls- Haliotis Australis (yellow foot Paua).
There is little interest in these pearls as they are
generally dull and boring and the personality of colour
in Haliotis Iris has more demand.

 

[SteveM]

That looks a lot like an osmina/osmena "pearl". Even the white abalone pearls I have seen have incredible pale iridescence.

The brooch is posted with corresponding link to Nelson Rarities, thus any claim to abalone pearl is theirs, not mine. In the shot it does certainly appear to be a blister of some sort, and more P. Maxima (or osmina, of which I have no experience but am reading furiously!) than any sort of Haliotus .

The H. Australis shell posted by NZ Naturals is beautifully iridescent. I'm not so sure it couldn't be promoted as a more finesseful alternative to Paua!

Edit: Whoops, Yellow Foot Paua it is!