Candled Natural Pearls

[Bodecia]

Hi All.

This starts with the smaller pearls between the pearls, followed by Pearl 2 ......


Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.
Dawn?s Pearls - https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8351

 

[Bodecia]

Pearl 3

Starting with in-between smaller 4mm pearls - then Pearl 3.


Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.
Dawn?s Pearls - https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8351

 

[Bodecia]

Okay Pearl 4 now after smaller pearls.

Thanks Andrea Hope to find out just how beautiful. But I think it looks really good.

Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.
Dawn?s Pearls - https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8351

 

[Bodecia]

Now Pearl 5

Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.
Dawn?s Pearls - https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8351

 

[Bodecia]

Lastly Pearl 6 .

Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.
Dawn?s Pearls - https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8351

 

[Bodecia]

Hello again,

Am I correct in assuming these are different pearls in each image? Are they drilled through and wired?

At first glance these pass light nicely, and present with natural features, but I have a couple of concerns. These may be dispelled or confirmed by some follow up work. I have my hands full at the moment, but I've downloaded the images and will mark some details and repost them later.

But for the moment, if at all possible can you attempt to capture the wire in one of your views? It would really help to gain a perspective of the surrounding contrasts at the nucleus. Please post a regular photo of the entire piece too.

Dave, I took two or four photos of each pearl. They are wired and wire wrapped. If you need me to take more photos I can do.

I didn't try to take good photos of the smaller pearls and only took photos of them as dividers between the larger pearls so it would be easy for me to remember what I had done


Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.
Dawn’s Pearls - https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8351

 

[Bodecia]

Hello Dave, Blaire and All,

This is a necklace which arrived yesterday (Monday). It has a Platinum Clasp with a decent size diamond. The pearls range from 6.5 mm down to 3.5 mm app. I believe it is a natural pearl necklace. I have compared it to a cultured pearl necklace and loose cultured pearls and believe it is natural but I would really like opinions on it. I am not 100% on it but close and one needs to be 100% on such.

I have never come across a necklace just like this before with the roundness of the pearl and a beautiful lustre. You will not see the true beauty of it in these first photos. What you will see are filthy pearls and clasp. I will take photos soon of it beautiful and clean.

I could be wrong but hope I am not.

This is just a few photos of what I believe is the largest pearl. Hope I didn't mix up the photos. If I did it would be two pearls I will add many more within the next day or so.

I took these candling photos at varying times of night and some in early daylight. I do have some more that I think are better so will go look for them.

This is just a start. Hope you enjoy them.


Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.
Dawn?s Pearls - https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8351

 

[Bodecia]

Another pearl from the same necklace. This is one of the larger pearls.

Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.
Dawn?s Pearls - https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8351

 

[GemGeek]

Very interesting pearl. I look forward to seeing more candling photos. Good luck.

 

[GemGeek]

And another! The pearls are so round. If it does turn out to be natural, you will be very lucky indeed.

 

[Bodecia]

Hi All again,

I should have mentioned that I bought this as a natural pearl necklace although that was just what the seller said he had been told. Still I examined the photos I have uploaded and decided I liked what I saw and took a punt. Now I am just hoping they are what I think. They really don't look like the cultured pearls I have taken photos of.

These photos are also of one of the larger pearls.

At the end of these I have added a cultured pearl for comparison.

Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.
Dawn?s Pearls - https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8351

 

[Bodecia]

Thank you Blaire - GemGeek, much appreciated.

Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.
Dawn’s Pearls - https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8351

 

[Bodecia]

One more photo of a pearl around 6mm. The pearls are a good size. I am forever hopeful

Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.
Dawn?s Pearls - https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8351

 

[kiwipaul]

Hi Dawn, I have seen far fewer pearls than you, but what do you see when you look with a loupe down the drill hole on one of the bigger pearls?

Every cultured pearl I've ever examined has that clearly defined boundary between the nacre and the bead. How far "in" it is indicates the thickness of the nacre.

Something I've seen with old cultured pearls is the nacre will often become damaged around the drill hole, exposing a glimpse of the bead. If they've had a really rough life there will be wear-through on other parts of the surface.

One good sign (to me) with this necklace is the smallest pearls near the clasp still look to have good nacre. In my experience (a lot of which is from looking on-line rather than handling) is that old and well worn pearls will usually have deteriorated pretty badly near the clasp.

If there is no sign of a nacre boundary, and no wear through to a bead, then you could be on a winner

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

This one has a patch calcite on the bead. Although there's stippling the contrast appears uniform and subsurface. I don't see natural features.

I'm still looking at the other one, but want to see the wire because I can't get any contrasts either. I'm seeing washboard mussel rings in one of them.

I'm leaning cultured all the way around, but trying to find something to suggest mixed.

 

[Bodecia]

Hi Paul,

I did find a small spot on a small pearl not far from the clasp with a tiny area of peeling but there was more nacre underneath. I looked away for a moment and lost the small spot.

They haven't had a hard life but I have checked many of the drill holes but unfortunately can't get a really good look down them. But I did get a few half decent shots. They are not big drill holes and the thread is rather thick.

I also found that when doing candling for hours on end I need to change my batteries at least every couple of days or the results will be skewed. I think they need changing now although the torch still works but not strongly.

Photos below - First a photo of the necklace after a clean & after those the drill holes of same.

I do need to change my batteries and take some more candling photos too.

Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.
Dawn?s Pearls - https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8351

 

[Bodecia]

This one has a patch calcite on the bead. Although there's stippling the contrast appears uniform and subsurface. I don't see natural features.

I'm still looking at the other one, but want to see the wire because I can't get any contrasts either. I'm seeing washboard mussel rings in one of them.

I'm leaning cultured all the way around, but trying to find something to suggest mixed.

Hi Dave,

I hadn't reloaded the page so didn't see your post before I was ready to post more photos. I will go back and read earlier posts on calcite deposits. I think I know which photo/photos you are referring to as Washboard Mussel appearance but I have seen that look in a natural pearl before so didn't count it out because of that but did note it. Okay, I have been back for a quick read but need to go back for a long read and to take notes.

I have been hoping regarding this necklace but still had my doubts. If cultured it is an exceedingly beautiful pearl necklace. Very luscious.

On page 19 the bracelet pearls clearly show the wires through the bracelet so I am not sure what you are asking for. There is only one photo that doesn't show the virtually the whole pearl so I am confused regarding that.

I have had that bracelet for years now without listing it as I thought the smaller pearls were natural but I wasn't sure about the larger pearls although I did think that the candling photos had shown a possible initiating event which showed up greenish in some of my photos. Naturally I was hoping you would read as possibly natural.

I am not sure with these pearls that I can get a look at or down the drill holes due to the wire wrapping. Probably impossible. If natural or likely I would have been happy to break the bracelet but if the larger pearls are cultured I might as well sell as is even if the smaller pearls are naturals which I feel they must be.

I do have some earrings to post. Only took normal photos of them today so will post them maybe tomorrow. I also have a double strand necklace and a beautiful and big natural pearl necklace. Both of these I am positive are natural so maybe I should take some candling photos of them for comparison. The other (not one above) single strand necklace I only bought a short time ago and although I did take a couple of photos I didn't both to take many as I just know they are natural. They are so very obvious but for the purpose of learning and for reference I should do them too. Although I do enjoy candling it kills my back and is very time consuming

I suppose I could have done that with some I had listed but all I did with those was to look at the monitor as I slowly pulled them over the light. Didn't bother to take photos of them although I probably should have.

I must say though I do find all the technical jargon hard to follow especially in regards to why this or that means X.

Better get back to my listings soon. But will post my earrings before working on eBay. Way behind with that work.

Can you let me know if you found the bracelet pearls with wires showing photos. If that is not what you want I don't understand.

Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.
Dawn’s Pearls - https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8351

 

[GemGeek]

Looks like there is a conchiolin line that would mark the start of the nacre layer over a bead, but if it is, it is very thick nacre, explaining why the bead doesn't candle. Or it could just be another layer of conchiolin within a natural pearl. We could get a better idea if the string was removed.

 

[pattye]

It seems like the necklace will need restringing before selling (or keeping), so why not remove a few pearls to look down the holes (marking carefully, of course) and then restring?

 

[Bodecia]

Hi GemGeek & Pattye,

Looks like there is a conchiolin line that would mark the start of the nacre layer over a bead, but if it is, it is very thick nacre, explaining why the bead doesn't candle. Or it could just be another layer of conchiolin within a natural pearl. We could get a better idea if the string was removed.

Yes, I saw that but wasn't sure if it was bead or another layer of conchiolin or just a second try at drilling. I do plan to take microscopic photos right down the drill holes. I might just cut the strand in half for now and check a few. After all I am dying to know for sure. And since you mention that it, the conchiolin does seem very thick it that is what it is. I actually took photos of drill holes in another double strand of known naturals and will add photos later (maybe tonight) of them for comparison.

I don't have enough time right now to do it as I am listing items on eBay. But will do asap. If I put them in my own jewellery box which is woefully empty at the moment they will be safe from me misplacing them. I am going to find it hard not to do immediately I am soooo Obsessive Compulsive.

Pattye, I have never marked pearls for restringing in order. Only for where to drill or which side to drill etc. I generally lay them out on one of my boards and work on making sure they are in order. How do you mark a whole necklace?

I am almost, but not quite, ready to concede that they are cultured. I was so hopeful but then I am often. I didn't over pay for them so it is just a disappointment not a huge money loss. If cultured I can easily recoup my money. They are still very lovely. Actually enough for me to consider keeping them at least for a while. I am going to start listing a lot of my naturals & beautiful natural pearl rings. Not all though

The main this is I don't list pearls before I am 100% positive what they are.

Before long, once I catch up on my listings on eBay I do hope to also list some of my best pieces on Ruby Lane. It looks as though it might be a good place to sell and does no have the eBay stigma attached to it. I must say though eBay does have thorough protection for buyers and sellers and I am not sure yet about Ruby Lane.

Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.
Dawn’s Pearls - https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8351