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Zeide Erskine
Guest
Good Boy
Good Boy
Now that's what I've been talking about. Good job!
Good Boy
Now that's what I've been talking about. Good job!
jshepherd
Pearl Paradise
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2004
- Messages
- 6,299
Thank you. I have added a poll to the top of this thread. I would like to see which strand people think is freshwater or Mikimoto quality Akoya (certified Hanadama).
There is a place to vote at the top of the thread. Don't give it away, .....
I really want to know how people will vote! There are a few characteristics in each strand that definitely may give it away, but they are subtle.
There is a place to vote at the top of the thread. Don't give it away, .....
I really want to know how people will vote! There are a few characteristics in each strand that definitely may give it away, but they are subtle.
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Zeide Erskine
Guest
Pouting
Pouting
You actually deleted that! O.k. may I point out that even in this e-pic you can tell that the freshwaters have orient and the hanadama do not? Or are you going to delete that, too?
Zeide
Pouting
You actually deleted that! O.k. may I point out that even in this e-pic you can tell that the freshwaters have orient and the hanadama do not? Or are you going to delete that, too?
Zeide
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Zeide Erskine
Guest
Rigged election
Rigged election
I did not know that there were Hanadama in the Bush family.
Zeide
Rigged election
I did not know that there were Hanadama in the Bush family.
Zeide
Caitlin
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2004
- Messages
- 8,502
Smart people will stock up on fantastic freshwater pearls such as the above, now, before the public learns the truth and they become in (deservedly) high demand at equal to higher prices than sea pearls. Intrinsically, freshwater pearls are the best cultured pearls in the world because they are solid nacre.
I don’t care what the mystique is on the sea pearls, they are ultimately beads, beads skillfully dipped into oysters. Then the resultant nacre-covered beads are subjected to a hype almost as profound as that of diamonds. I do not object to the mystique- it helps raise the price and it takes real skills to get the nacre on the beads- unlike digging for diamonds.
BUT, I think the real mystique should be around the solid nacre pearls!
The best of the FW pearls are BETTER than the best of their oyster-dipped buddies in the very qualities that give pearls value. It also seems that the Chinese are getting better at growing best quality FW every year. So FW pearls will remain a great opportunity for average folks to get some great pearls.
Will someone email the correct answer to me?
Caitlin
PS Is not the "The Book of the Pearl" chock full of pictures of royalty and nobility wearing freshwater pearls? They used to be equally valued, right?
I don’t care what the mystique is on the sea pearls, they are ultimately beads, beads skillfully dipped into oysters. Then the resultant nacre-covered beads are subjected to a hype almost as profound as that of diamonds. I do not object to the mystique- it helps raise the price and it takes real skills to get the nacre on the beads- unlike digging for diamonds.
BUT, I think the real mystique should be around the solid nacre pearls!
The best of the FW pearls are BETTER than the best of their oyster-dipped buddies in the very qualities that give pearls value. It also seems that the Chinese are getting better at growing best quality FW every year. So FW pearls will remain a great opportunity for average folks to get some great pearls.
Will someone email the correct answer to me?
Caitlin
PS Is not the "The Book of the Pearl" chock full of pictures of royalty and nobility wearing freshwater pearls? They used to be equally valued, right?
Caitlin
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2004
- Messages
- 8,502
How long would it take to grow a huge South Sea pearl in a freshwater host, say 12mm and up?
It is nearing time for specialty markets such as you have mentioned- gourmet pearls. This market will not replace the akoya market, but give a greater choice and thereby increase the market.
I would LOVE to see a mussel-grown Tahitian. I am falling in love with mussels. What accommodating critters! do you think they could grow up to 50 Tahitians in one mussel or maybe only 24 would be better? I could see these making a profit if many could be grown in each mussel!
It is nearing time for specialty markets such as you have mentioned- gourmet pearls. This market will not replace the akoya market, but give a greater choice and thereby increase the market.
I would LOVE to see a mussel-grown Tahitian. I am falling in love with mussels. What accommodating critters! do you think they could grow up to 50 Tahitians in one mussel or maybe only 24 would be better? I could see these making a profit if many could be grown in each mussel!
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Zeide Erskine
Guest
Growing the biggies in FW
Growing the biggies in FW
Hi Caitlin,
This is not going to ever be a mass product. You can grow fairly big transgrafts but they have to be cultured one at a time. The reason being that the host mussel only produces a fixed amount of nacre. If there is only one pearl sac, the pearl and the shell can both grow merrily. The more nucleations, the smaller the pearl because the mussel sets priorities and its shell is It. Although the pearl growth in cold climate is a lot slower than in tropical lagoons, the mussels live a heck of a lot longer. For that, they don't like being fussed over. So you just implant them and wait. How long you wait depends on how fast you want your return on investment. A 12mm pearl grown that way takes well over 10 years depending on mean temperatures and calcium content in the water. The more snow melt flow the better, the more rain (especially acid rain from the Beijing area) the worse. And then there are the franken fish that you cannot do anything about.
Zeide
Growing the biggies in FW
Hi Caitlin,
This is not going to ever be a mass product. You can grow fairly big transgrafts but they have to be cultured one at a time. The reason being that the host mussel only produces a fixed amount of nacre. If there is only one pearl sac, the pearl and the shell can both grow merrily. The more nucleations, the smaller the pearl because the mussel sets priorities and its shell is It. Although the pearl growth in cold climate is a lot slower than in tropical lagoons, the mussels live a heck of a lot longer. For that, they don't like being fussed over. So you just implant them and wait. How long you wait depends on how fast you want your return on investment. A 12mm pearl grown that way takes well over 10 years depending on mean temperatures and calcium content in the water. The more snow melt flow the better, the more rain (especially acid rain from the Beijing area) the worse. And then there are the franken fish that you cannot do anything about.
Zeide
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Caitlin
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2004
- Messages
- 8,502
Mass market would defeat the purpose. I was thinking along the lines of small vinyards that sell directly to the world market, rather than big brand names.
Nowadays you can get Harry and David pears directly from Oregon and likewise wine from any number of small California vinyards that sell direct to the public. For that matter, you can get espadrilles directly from Basqueland too!
Nowadays you can get Harry and David pears directly from Oregon and likewise wine from any number of small California vinyards that sell direct to the public. For that matter, you can get espadrilles directly from Basqueland too!
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Zeide Erskine
Guest
The interesting bit
The interesting bit
I find it more fascinating that the larva first form a clump that looks like a food fish to the salmon and when the salmon (or rainbow trout) then comes in for the kill, drop apart and attach themselves to its gills. Now that's what I call an intricate strategy.
Zeide
The interesting bit
I find it more fascinating that the larva first form a clump that looks like a food fish to the salmon and when the salmon (or rainbow trout) then comes in for the kill, drop apart and attach themselves to its gills. Now that's what I call an intricate strategy.
Zeide
oh I never read that part, I assumed they just stuck to the gills if they happened to float through. What A great strategy since juvenile salmanoids have a voracious appetite and will try to ingest just about anything that moves slow enough for them to grab it.
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purepearls
Guest
In regards to the earlier posts about Freshwater versus Akoya pearls in this thread, (because many viewers on this pearl-guide are consumers) it is important to reiterate that though elite Freshwater pearls do exist they are extremely rare still today (referring to those that rival Akoya pearls). To get a hold of these gems is a privelege at this point. We have sourced a number of these strands and they are amazing but they are the rare 1% of all Freshwater strands.
So that there are no misunderstandings for consumers shopping retail, most "cultured pearl jewelry" sold in jewelry stores and retail departments are medium to low grade Freshwater pearls at this time. These immaculate Freshwater pearls that are discussed about on the forum are only beginning to hit the marketplace and are being bought as fast as they come in.
So that there are no misunderstandings for consumers shopping retail, most "cultured pearl jewelry" sold in jewelry stores and retail departments are medium to low grade Freshwater pearls at this time. These immaculate Freshwater pearls that are discussed about on the forum are only beginning to hit the marketplace and are being bought as fast as they come in.
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Zeide Erskine
Guest
Percentage of gem freshwater pearls
Percentage of gem freshwater pearls
Hi Amanda,
One percent is an extreme overstatement. The actual figure is about 0.00025% and that is 0.25kg per metric ton of fine grade output. That means rice, baroque, and potatoes as well as low luster, cercl?, and damaged pearls have already been eliminated from the comparative base.
Zeide
Percentage of gem freshwater pearls
Hi Amanda,
One percent is an extreme overstatement. The actual figure is about 0.00025% and that is 0.25kg per metric ton of fine grade output. That means rice, baroque, and potatoes as well as low luster, cercl?, and damaged pearls have already been eliminated from the comparative base.
Zeide
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Richard W. Wise
Guest
I think the disagreement here me hinge of the definition of top quality.
A few years ago I saw a quantity of top quality round freshwater. Jim Peach had them at Tucson in 1989 or 1990. These were extraordinary and Peach was getting southsea prices for them. I bought an 11mm round single for $650.00 and he was asking up to $1,600 for single pearls. He had a breathtaking strand 12-14mm round mixed pastels for $85,000 wholesale. At the same show i was offered an exceptional strand of Burmese Goldens for $40,000.
I laughed at the price but I have not seen anything to compare since. One dealer told me that the reason was with 5-7 years of cultivation time, the Chinese could not compete with the Australian plated goods. At any rate all the big stuff I have seen since is quite inferior.
There are a couple of images on my site, www.rwwise.com of what seem to me to be top quality though I would like to see Zeide's examples before making any absolute statements about what constitutes the best. Images are difficult I realize, particularly with pearls. These were quite cheap. Seems like if you pick carefully you can sometimes pick real bargains out of the tons of production.
A few years ago I saw a quantity of top quality round freshwater. Jim Peach had them at Tucson in 1989 or 1990. These were extraordinary and Peach was getting southsea prices for them. I bought an 11mm round single for $650.00 and he was asking up to $1,600 for single pearls. He had a breathtaking strand 12-14mm round mixed pastels for $85,000 wholesale. At the same show i was offered an exceptional strand of Burmese Goldens for $40,000.
I laughed at the price but I have not seen anything to compare since. One dealer told me that the reason was with 5-7 years of cultivation time, the Chinese could not compete with the Australian plated goods. At any rate all the big stuff I have seen since is quite inferior.
There are a couple of images on my site, www.rwwise.com of what seem to me to be top quality though I would like to see Zeide's examples before making any absolute statements about what constitutes the best. Images are difficult I realize, particularly with pearls. These were quite cheap. Seems like if you pick carefully you can sometimes pick real bargains out of the tons of production.
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Zeide Erskine
Guest
Top grade
Top grade
Hi Richard,
Your picture of the 4 round freshwater pearls is about the quality I am talking about. This is also the grade that I have dubbed "freshadama." I consider these fine cultured pearls as opposed to pearl plated beads.
Zeide
Top grade
Hi Richard,
Your picture of the 4 round freshwater pearls is about the quality I am talking about. This is also the grade that I have dubbed "freshadama." I consider these fine cultured pearls as opposed to pearl plated beads.
Zeide
jshepherd
Pearl Paradise
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2004
- Messages
- 6,299
I disagree with the picture of the 4 loose pearls. While the shape looks good as well as the surface, this looks like standard earring quality to me. I do not see the orient and luster appears to be lacking in the first two, although the luster stands out well on the 4th pearl. Am I looking at the wrong picture, or does the picture not do them justice? I know orient is the hardest thing to shoot well, but luster tends to jump out. This is a raw image in a light box.
For pic collectors - you do not have permission to use this photo - especially on eBay.
For pic collectors - you do not have permission to use this photo - especially on eBay.
