Anyone heard about Aurora Chakin?

[Pareltje]

Pearl lovers, I got this picture from Pearls for Princess jewellery on Facebook.
Does it mean anything at all? Is it a certificate for supposedly the best quality gssp? Just like hanadama and ten-nyo?

 

[Lugana]

Pareltje, I'm not really strong in PSL certificates for SS pearls, but your certificate shows the "Best Gem Quality" mark (that is the highest they issue). I've never heard the term "chakin" before as a word, but well, it's japanese after all

Just as a side note, I've seen quite a few Tahitian strands with the same "Best Gem Quality" mark and "Aurora effect" qualification in their PSL certificates and those strands were SPECTACULAR. So if the price is right, I don't think you will be disappointed in this strand.

 

[jshepherd]

Chakin is a Japanese word that basically means "tea color." The lab will create certs for any type of pearl - I've seen them for Tahitian pearls too. Not a lot of companies use them because quality is much easier to ascertain with South Sea and Tahitians than akoya.

 

[Pareltje]

Lugana and jshepherd, thank you for your feedback. Everyday I learn something new about pearls. So these days the best quality pearls (I'm taking about WSSPs, GSSPs and Tahitians, maybe the best fwps out there too) can be certified by a gem lab just like akoyas.
Lugana, I must impose a ban on myself from purchasing more pearls now. I have enough pretties to wear and I only have one neck and two ears. It's an addiction. Ehem...but this addiction never gets cured by any medication except with more pearls....

 

[Lugana]

So these days the best quality pearls (I'm taking about WSSPs, GSSPs and Tahitians, maybe the best fwps out there too) can be certified by a gem lab just like akoyas.

From what I know, PSL would accept any cultured saltwater pearl for certification. I've never seen freshwater pearls with PSL accreditation, but I suppose maybe there exist some certified strand of real-kasumi pearls, for example

In case of SS and Tahitian pearls the main reason for PSL certificate is to certify that the color is untreated. So, for example, in tahitians there are some rather blemished strands with PSL certificate. Of course such strands do not get "Best Gem Quality" marks and all the faults are described accordingly, but as long as the comments state that the color hasn't been enhanced - the certificate makes sense to be obtained I suppose with GSS it's even more true because color-treament is far more common in them.

Lugana, I must impose a ban on myself from purchasing more pearls now. I have enough pretties to wear and I only have one neck and two ears. It's an addiction.

The good thing about this forum is that EVERY member understands this feeling

 

[Katbran]

This is good information, I'm glad you asked about the certificate Pareltje ! Lugana - a wealth of knowledge !! I like the idea of the certificate for the GSS - some of the colour enhancements are obvious..some not so much .

 

[Pareltje]

Lugana, we may need a PSL certificate for genuine Kasumi pearls and one for natural unique colored nucleated fwp. Your knowledge is amazing and I propose this kind of information to be added to Pearls As One course.
And once you also start collecting gemstones you will feel guilty for centuries LOL.
Katbran, I thought I had to ask because it was something totally new for me.

 

[Lugana]

Katbran, Pareltje, thank you ladies)) I had to learn about color treatments quite a lot before and during my trip to Japan, and it served me well when buying there (long story, but it was worth it). Oh I would LOVE to try to contribute to an article for Pearls as One on what certificates are available and how to read them, if there were such an opportunity!!

Btw there is another known pearl laboratory in Japan, Pearl Research Institute. They are not reputable for grading high-level pearls like hanadama (because their requirement to nacre thickness is rather not-existing: I've seen reports with .28mm nacre thickness claiming the level of hanadama no way). But in terms of color treatment their reports are somewhat fuller than PSL ones, as they would also tell you what treatment was performed on the pearls (bleaching or dying). PSL report will just comment "untreated" or, if the pearl is treated in any way, then they will not mention anything at all in the report regarding the color processing (which can be somewhat misleading to a customer who might just think they just haven't tested for it, for example).

 

[Pareltje]

Lugana, you're a library of pearl color enhancement! You have so much invaluable information.