Candled Natural Pearls

Wow, very interesting photos. Dawn, I have your store as a favorite. Such beauties there and I check it often ;) Nothing but snow and ice here so it's horrible. I think I will wait until after Christmas for more candling. My photos look nothing like what I see, so hopefully a new camera can make a difference.
 
Can't wait Dave. Lucky you. Mussel heaven. Photos from you are always interesting. That is an understatement. Are you going to make some jewellery up too?

Way to hot here to do any candling at the moment :(

Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.
 
Helen. We can see a little despite a lot of stray light.

The gold pearls appear nucleated with identical beads. The outline is visible on the upper half of the left pearl and the top right corner of the right pearl.

Notice how the left pearl looks like a globe. Those shades are inclusions of conchiolin near the surface. The image above the loose pearls has a dark ring at the hole and a dark patch capping the bead.

From those images, they appear to be cultured pearls.

The silver gray pearl merits a trip back to the drawing board. I need a better look, from 3 angles... please .... :)
 
Thank you Dave for your insights. As soon as you interpret the images, I can see what you mean.

The goldy ones were what I thought were the stray cultureds...not to be disdainful of them, but although they look the most beautifully gleaming and pretty in the box, somehow I'm always drawn to the wrinklier, more textured, more 'interesting' pearls (I think this must offer some insight into my personality, haha!)

The dark patch on the disc shaped pearl is a cavity which I cannot seem to clean...I can (using my interdental brush!) feel round the edges of this cavity through the drill hole. The grey pearl also has dirty cavity all the way around. Maybe I'll try taking the pics in the dark next time.
 
Hi all and Happy New Year with loads of pearls in it :)

I finally got my microscope working correctly and have started taking candling photos with it. Have a few now so will add them. This has been my New Year's Eve work. All day and finally around 5.30 p.m. it worked. I am still at it but very tired now. Oh it is 2014 here and I think it would still be 2013 in most of the world.

Actually I think I have worked every day since Xmas and probably before on candling to some extent. Got one microscope working on my old PC but wanted to get my Mac to accept it for better photos. Finally.

Now I need to by digital scales that measure to .000 rather than the ones I have and also a ultra sonic cleaner that will get rid of dirt in drill holes. Especially those half drilled which I have found impossible to clean properly.

Will list one pearl at a time giving them a number so it can be referred to if wanted.

This one is number 1 - A 1.75 carat Natural pearl, Persian Gulf in my opinion. Over mature on one side and really strange looking but a great specimen pearl.

Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.
 

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Next one. Number 2 - Another Gulf Pearl. 1 carat app. 6.12mm x 5.86mm drilled. Not sure if the photos have gone through correctly.
 

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Number 3 - 1.15 carats - app. because of my limited scales. Would like to know what is thought of this pearl. It has a wrinkly surface which you will see.

Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.
 

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With Number 3 (above) I am not positive that it is natural. It does have a lumpy, wrinkled surface and one drill hole is on a lip. I did try to clean the drill holes but there appears to be a little difference with each that may indicate a cultured pearl. The Lip that is drilled may just be showing that different look because of the way the hole is situated but I am not positive.

With Number 1 and 2 - I can visually identify them as Gulf pearls but this one is different. Has great lustre but I have my doubts about it. But in other respects it looks like a natural pearl. So help needed :)

I will just post these pearls as I take photos of them, so in no particular order. I am now keeping them in little boxes individually as I check them.

Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.
 
Hi Andrea, still taking photos but should get to bed. My eyes are so tired from doing this. It is very tiring work but fun at the same time. :) I have loads of pearls to work on.

Have fun with your cleaning and reading :)

Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.
 
Dawn, Amazing photos. Nice job!!!! Wonder if they have something like that that would work on an iPad. No computer here.
 
Hi CharmedOne, does an iPad have Photo Booth, not iPhoto but Photo Booth where it can take your photos as you are working on your computer. If it does and it would have USB ports then a USB Microscope should work.

Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.
 
Number 4 Photo

One more lot of photos for tonight, actually early morning. This one I just don't understand. It is half drilled and there is plenty of light getting through that half drill hole. I have taken loads of photos of it as it is a nice pearl but is it natural or not. That is the question and I can't tell with this pearl. Probably should have taken photos during daylight and might try again tomorrow. I hate to put a pearl away with a question mark on it. But that is where it stands at the moment.

It came out of a stick pin with a very nice gold and diamonds setting but that really means nothing. Real but real what?

Most of the pearls I am taking the photos of I can dismiss as cultured straight away. I have gone through some cultured pearl strands and just sort of pulled them through my fingers above the hole which was enough to confirm them as cultured.

I do feel I am getting the hang of it but every now and again one leaves me totally confused. :(

I loaded the photos but not sure if they are going through or not. If not will load them again.


Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.
 

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Number 4 the above pearl - doesn't look like Akoya but then it does look like a Gulf pearl either and in the photos it looks scaly. Weird.

Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.
 
Thank you so much Dawn. Yes it does have photo booth. I will have to get one now :) Which of the two worked best for you?
 
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