Are reborn FWPs, keshi?

[Amrita]

Hi all! As I was researching the above question, I cam across the following on P-G:

"Keshi may form in either saltwater or freshwater pearls. They are generally small in size and, because there was no nucleus to guide the ultimate shaping of the pearl, their shapes vary widely. Keshi come in a wide variety of colors, and tend to have high luster and even rare orient. This is due to their solid-nacre composition."

However, I am still not clear whether reborn freshwaters or Zai Sheng Zhu can be "officially" termed as Keshi pearls. Of course, in the common marketplace, they are..

Thanks for any inputs.

 

[Agustus-Collection]

Hi Amrita,

yes they are, we have written a guide about them a long time ago.

Cheers from Bali
Sven

"Second Harvest" or "Reborn" Freshwater "Keshi" Pearls

In recent years, the term Keshi pearls has also come to include Chinese ?reborn? or second harvest pearls. When the word Keshi is used in reference to Chinese freshwater pearls, it is most often erroneous and has also been contested by leading gem trade associations.

The process to culture freshwater ?Keshi? pearls starts with the production of freshwater pearls with or without nucleus.

After that first year the pearls are harvested and than the mussels with an undamaged pearl sack are returned to the water to create a ?Keshi? pearl in the existing pearl sac. This second step takes an additional year.

The process of the second harvest from the same mussel will often produce pearls with high luster. When Chinese pearl producers first began to produce these second harvest pearls they turned to an already recognized market term for a pearl resembling the shape, not the origin. Although grown intentionally (unlike Akoya, Tahitian, or South Sea Keshi which happen accidentally), ?reborn? freshwater pearls often go by the same name.

 

[pearlescence]

keishi...think inflated then deflated balloon (where balloon = pearl sac)

 

[Amrita]

Thanks for the detailed explanation Sven - very helpful!
Nice analogy, thanks Wendy. This should stay in my memory!