Are these bead nucleated?

[Kaywal]

Are drop shaped fw like these bead nucleated?
Thanks!

 

[knotty panda]

Wouldn't have a clue but they sure are purty.

 

[Kaywal]

Thanks Knotty!
I like the shape and color. It's a 45 inch strand of 9mm fw. I hope it looks good in person!

 

[pattye]

My hunch is not bead nucleated. The ones I have seen are larger usually and not so smoothly "dropped!". Beautiful pearls!

 

[Kaywal]

Thanks Pattye! Can't wait to see them. I'm hoping that they are solid nacre.

What about these? Bead?

 

[Nerida]

Hi Kay -first ones definitely tissue nucleated - second ones not so sure, more like bead nucs but would like to see a larger view of this strand. The intensity of the metallic surface suggests bead nuc to me, as does the spherical sections of the pearls, but that is not uniform... can we see the whole strand, please? BTW love your new avatar ---very pretty!

 

[pattye]

Hi Kay,

What are the sizes on these? If there are beads inside, there must have been different size nuclei to get such a variation in size, at this point could be tissue nucleated that sort of grew together like twins----------maybe????

 

[Nerida]

Pattye - that's what I was wondering - like the "twin" baroque pearls you sometimes see - lots on ebay stores.

 

[Kaywal]

Thanks Nerida! Here's the strand. I haven't purchased it. I was curious about it. The colors are really cool and the shapes are interesting. Wanted to get some opinions. What do you all think? I keep going back to look at the strand!

Pattye, the seller states that they are 10-14mm. She just wrote me back and said that they are solid nacre. Are these hard to find? I'm unfamiliar with these types of baroques.

 

[Kaywal]

Pattye - that's what I was wondering - like the "twin" baroque pearls you sometimes see - lots on ebay stores.

Yup, it's an ebay seller too. So...hmmm

I'll post pictures of the peachy pink drop strand when it arrives.

 

[Nerida]

OK - now I'm going for bead nuked - the spherical globules in some of the pearls, and the very metallic lustre is what's making me lean that way...

 

[Cathybear]

I've had metallic baroques similar to the pic above, that I'm sure were tissue nucleated. Bead nucleated (at least the ones I've been getting lately) have a softer glow to the nacre. I recently bought some drop shaped fwp, expecting tissue nucleated, but they looked different under my strong light.. asked questions, they turned out to be bead nucleated. It can be quite hard to see the difference, but under my strong worklight with magnification I can.. mostly. I keep them seperate to avoid mix ups.

 

[pattye]

Hi again Kay,

They look a bit "flattish" in that last photo, so I will stick with tissue nucleated. Just not seeing the rounded consistent size from pearl to pearl, even with lots of nacre variations, one sees in bead nuked------The color looks terrific, and if the cost is reasonable, you will have a fun strand to play with!

 

[Kaywal]

Thanks again Pattye! Unfortunately, they were snatched up. I really loved the colors, but did not move quickly enough. Hopefully a strand like that will crop up again! I'd like them for a bracelet, so I can admire the colors!

What is a reasonable price for a strand like this? I'm not sure about these. Anyone have an idea? Thanks!

 

[Ashley]

Hi again Kay,

They look a bit "flattish" in that last photo, so I will stick with tissue nucleated. Just not seeing the rounded consistent size from pearl to pearl, even with lots of nacre variations, one sees in bead nuked------The color looks terrific, and if the cost is reasonable, you will have a fun strand to play with!

Agreed Pattye- good analysis!

 

[pearlescence]

Why not message the seller to see if they have any more?

 

[Kaywal]

I did earlier--am awaiting a response.

 

[pattye]

Kay, not sure what price range for the "twinnish" pearls, it depends, of course, how many hands they have passed through. But I would say under $50 for sure, better if $25-30. Lots of inconsistencies in shape, and possible flat backsides not shown in photo. To a lot of us, that doesn't make much difference, we go for color and lustre!

 

[Caitlin]

The drop shapes are common in tissue nucleated CFWPs. I got a strand like that but dyed black and I used it to make a lot of drop earrings.

The second ones appear to be a variation on the "peanut" pearl where two t-nuked pearls in the mantle grow together. They used to be undesirable, but with the super luster, they become an excellent choice.

The luster just keeps getting better in all the CFW pearls from year to year. I got some multicoled (shades if pink and pearls of pearls like that year before last from Sarah in the Pacific Pearlss booth. They strated at $35 and went down to eight, because I bought seceral of them. I think yours are worth more and I agree with Pattye's assessment.

 

[pearlescence]

There is some remarkable work being done in China on production now, and the farmers there deserve a round of applause, I think, for their efforts in quality and variety of production.
Even in the few years I have been involved in pearls from China there has been a huge improvement in quality, prices are remarkable, and innovation in size, colour, lustre, and shape continues with every harvest.
If we think back a few years jaws would have dropped at either strand shown here - and fortunes could well have been paid