Cause of pearl "rings"

[Sea Urchin]

?Carved rings are naturally occurring imperfections that result from the pearl rotating inside the mollusk as it is growing.

That's not right, is it?

From this link: http://www.amazon.com/White-Freshwa...&qid=1413073727&sr=8-1&keywords=endless+pearl

 

[SunSeeker]

I believe ridges, grooves, and circles (rings) are naturally occuring as a result of the pearl rotating inside the mollusk. However, carving is a man-made manufactured, or artistic process (Galatea). I could not get the link to open to see the actual pearls

 

[pearlescence]

As far as I know no-one is exactly sure what causes rings - either rings which are ridges or valleys in the nacre or bands of colour like the rings on Jupiter (mostly Tahitians). (just as there is no real scientific explanation for molluscs producing coloured nacre..in the dark, inside their shells, where no-one will see)
It does look like the pearl has rotated, yes, but that is simplistic and empirical and most probably an attempt to glamorise low quality pearls in that context.

 

[cyndayco]

It does look like the pearl has rotated, yes, but that is simplistic and empirical and most probably an attempt to glamorise low quality pearls in that context.

How does that glamorise a low quality pearl? If it is accurate, then it only helps us to understand how pearls are created.

If we want to discuss subject of glamour, I could think of at least five claims (most of which are factual) that have successfully made collectors buy pearls they would not otherwise buy. Lord knows, these marketing pitches worked on me. LOL

I'd list them here, but I choose not to wear out the welcome mat.

 

[pearlescence]

If the seller said ' these pearls have lots of rings which diminishes their retail value'.. I have nothing against rings on pearls - indeed on some pearls I think they are very attractive and pearl quality is in the perception of the buyer as much as in the price set by a seller- but in this context I think the intention is to make it sound better than it is. I can think of one mass pearl seller who bigs up these sorts of quality of pearls as the 1% of the harvest in terms of quality. He sells shedloads, which I do not begrudge, but what I do begrudge is the fudge, so that his buyers think that his dyed potatoes are the epitome of pearls.
Instead saying that the rings are because the pearl has rotated does mean that the flaw (flaw in that rings diminish value) is somehow made not such a flaw
It is obfuscation.
I hope I've never glamorised a low end pearl!
And we don't know how these surface features are formed. That is a guess at best. There's no science I know of. As I said. Same with the colours. Pearl colour makes no sense at all..where is the biological or evolutionary advantage in making coloured nacre..inside a shell..in the dark, when you are a mollusc which doesn't have to lure a mate with any prettyness.

 

[GemGeek]

Pearls do rotate http://arxiv.org/abs/1304.3704
It is likely to influence ring formation as that type of pearl is clearly rotating on an axis.
"Carving" is probably an English translation problem.

 

[pearlescence]

Thanks for that Blaire. I'll sit and read through the paper tomorrow (It's too late for academic papers here).
I'll happily bow to new theoretical information. Good stuff.

 

[jshepherd]

Hubert Bari wrote about the "spinning" causation of the rings in his recent book too. I was going to pull a quote from it but it is at the office.

http://www.rizzoliusa.com/book.php?isbn=9788857200880

It was discussed here as theory about six years ago: https://www.pearl-guide.com/threads/circled-pearls-why-do-they-grow-like-that.3120/

 

[Katbran]

Well this was really interesting ! Thanks very much for that information..I'm going to order that book !

 

[AMc]

I think I still like Mikeyy's explanation best: "This again goes back to the fact that the nuclei actually tickles the oyster. Circle is caused by the oyster rolling with laughter. Prove me wrong if you can." That gives me a little giggle.

Wonder when we can expect an updated Strack speaking on this phenomenon ...?

 

[Katbran]

LOL ... love that quote !!

 

[Red]

Is that Mikeyy trying to glamourize nuclei? Mikeyy's "explanation" would suggest that only cultured pearls have circles, and never natural pearls.

 

[AMc]

Lol Red, that was funny. Both natural and cultured pearls have a nucleus, just not the same type: one is a mother of pearl bead, and the other is a parasitic worm. Maybe the mollusk cultivating the natural pearl is weeping and shaking uncontrollably? OR it could be laughing with triumph over its defeated invader?

 

[tomas@pearls.kiwi]

Pearls do rotate http://arxiv.org/abs/1304.3704
It is likely to influence ring formation as that type of pearl is clearly rotating on an axis.
"Carving" is probably an English translation problem.

Bit late to the party but yeah, no if's or buts about it all anymore.
I read an interesting article on it early last year which compared the surface of the pearl to a ratchet tie down where it is also directionally coarse which enables the spinning.
When things go horribly wrong you get rings and when they go terribly wrong you get baroque's, and I guess terribly horribly wrong you get ringed baroque's?

 

[pattye]

When things go horribly wrong you get rings and when they go horribly wrong you get baroques.

Tomas, Are you saying this because ringed and baroque pearls are worth less at market, or because you simply find them unattractive?

 

[tomas@pearls.kiwi]

Tomas, Are you saying this because ringed and baroque pearls are worth less at market, or because you simply find them unattractive?

Hey Pattye,

Neither. It's just how they form.

The attractive part is all subjective, case by case and comes next But all things functioning perfectly within the organism, they wouldn't exist.

Some people freak out when they hear a gut infection may have formed their pearl, not all the glamorous, but hey, without it you'd have no pearl

 

[pattye]

True, a gut infection in the case of natural abalone pearls~