Circled pearls: why do they grow like that?

[effisk]

Look at these. Some people know to whom they belong. More people will gues when they read the title, which is Pink South Sea 13.5 mm

eh wait the picture has changed! where's the clasp gone? (I was worried you were daltonian or something with the first pic )

 

[Josh]

Hi Olga,
Why do pearls turn? There is no "official" explanation that I have heard but my idea is the following: Nacre is laid down layer on top of layer and under magnification can be seen as a series of very spread out steps. The way the nacre is deposited is fixed so every time a layer is laid down, it pulls the entire pearl to fit onto the next step, rotating the whole deal. Does that make sense? This is why the vast majority of pearls are centrally symmetrical and not baroque.
Where you place the nucleus in the body of the oyster is entirely by your choosing. Everyone has always been searching for "the spot" that makes all the rounds (not the circles) but I guess knowing the best spot just comes down to the skill and art of the individual who is seeding the pearls. Circles and baroques are my personal favorites so I guess it's a good thing that we haven't figured it all out yet.

 

[Caitlin]

Hi effisk
If you are talking to me, I had to change the picture. The other strand of pinctada maxima has a carved MoP shell on the clasp. This clasp is just a simple fishhook. Their owner says she likes to put cheap clasps on good pearls, so people won't guess they are rare and expensive.

Please figure out who it is- and/or guess what they are.......

 

[Mervione]

Caitlin: Pink SS? Do they perhaps belong to Raison? I know she is very into pink pearls...

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Pink anything makes me think of Raison...

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Ooh Mervione beat me to it hehe...

 

[pearl guide]

Don't forget the second part of the question "figure out what they are"

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I thought they were CFWP....

 

[DFrey]

Those have got to be Zeides pink south seas!
Dfrey

 

[Raisondetre]

Nah, can't afford SS just yet ... is this an inside joke or are there pink SS now?

 

[Pearlgully]

ZE / CFWP

Gail

 

[Mervione]

This is what Caitlin said:

"More people will gues when they read the title, which is Pink South Sea 13.5 mm"

But yeah, they do look like freshwaters to me. I?ve never heard about pink south seas anyway, though... Let alone seen any.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Ha, I'm guessing Pearlgully guessed right about Zeide.

They are freshwaters no doubt.

However, I have a question about SS pearls. Are there some that have colors other than white or black?

A few months ago I was in the shop of a jeweler who makes very nice handcrafted jewelry. This man brought out a small tray of button shaped stud earrings that looked to me like natural colored CFWP. The jeweler insisted these were Indonesian SSP and brought out some literature-- a catalog-- showing these, with high suggested retail prices (about $600 per pair.) I made some vague remarks and left (without buying!)

Are there in fact Indonesian pearls of varied natural colors? Would these be considered South Sea pearls?

I wonder if Strack addresses this...? *going to look*

 

[Mervione]

I?ve seen a few blue-ish SSP from Druzy. This leads me back to the question about foreign contaminents... Sigh.

 

[Slraep]

Look at these. Some people know to whom they belong. More people will gues when they read the title, which is Pink South Sea 13.5 mm

Argghhhhhhhhh........MY EYES, MY EYES! Quick, where's the holy water!! Okay, that's better.

Caitlin, the "person" said they were SSs??? Here's the story the "person" told me:

"The peach necklace is also from that research station(Heilongjiang*) but it is transgrafted from Burmese rose-golden pinctada maximas. "

So you see, according to the "person", it is a half breed.

* Northern Chinese pearl research project that the "person" funded. No trace of it now because apperently frankenfish ate all the mussels and the perliculture students abandoned it. Another similar personally funded project was to be revived in Mongolia somewhere.

(I think I need another splash of holy water)

Slraep

 

[mausketeer]

I am looking at my new 36 inch long baroque Tahitian collier, which a vendor has put together for me with love and care, and enjoying all the blue, green, peacock and purple colours coming together with the circles. That's exactly why I like circles more than drops.

Olga

Olga - those are GORGEOUS! I LOVE the circled shapes so much! Can I ask you what size they are (mm) if you don't mind answering?

Jodie

 

[olmander]

Oh no, sure I don't mind!

They are 8,0-9.6 mm (counted on the narrower side), and AA/AA+ quality. Luster is just great.

Anyway, they are very well matched and have such beautiful colours that I still (almost after a month of having them) put them on my bed table every evening to enjoy the colours before falling asleep. I never expected to have to much blue colour on Tahitians...

And I can wear it double around the neck, or as one long necklace

 

[Mikeyy]

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.

 

[olmander]

Wow, Mikeyy, this is a good one!
It explains my attraction to the circled pearls - according to your theory they are just good-mooded

 

[Mikeyy]

Wow, Mikeyy, this is a good one!
It explains my attraction to the circled pearls - according to your theory they are just good-mooded

Oh absolutely they are the happiest of pearls. I would think that would be obvious just by looking at them. The idea that the oyster is unhappy is just a self imposed guilt trip. I think they are tickled to be able to make a pearl.