Do Good Pearls Scratch?

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Daddys Little Pearl

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Jan 6, 2013
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Went to my first large bead show today, and one dealer, highly recommended by local customers, had some strands of AA grade very large, maybe 11mm, white pearls and even to my untrained eye no doubt they were at least AA , beautiful pearls, very lustrous, great reflectivity, very round, but there were surface scratches on a lot of them, maybe at least one third of the strand. Not blemishes, not anything that looked like natural marks, but man made scratches to my eye. I am just not used to seeing scratches on real pearls visible to the naked eye, I was not using a loupe. When I asked her about the scratches, she said they just needed washing. OH REALLY??? I don't think I have ever owned pearls with scratches on them. Would love the experts to explain if real pearls do scratch this easily, and if so what one can do as first aid if already scratched. Is there a difference in saltwater and freshwater as to surface fragility? And no, despite a very good price, I did not buy them. They were scratched. Thanks experts!

Daddys Little Pearl
 
Good for you, braving a bead show! One can learn lots, and viewing pearls (and gemstones) in person is the best way to learn!

First, true AA grade pearls will not have surface scratches on them. Period. I can't be certain what that looked like, but you were wise to avoid purchasing them. There is no general grading standard for pearls, so don't be swayed by letters on a tag. What your eyes tell you is more important. Yes, pearls can scratch, if thrown in a jewelry box with harder gemstones, etc. Best to store them separately.

There is no cure, no first aid, no dippity do that can repair a scratched pearl. A high quality saltwater pearl or natural pearl may be slightly, just slightly less likely to mar, but pearls on the mohs hardness scale are, according to Strack, "3.5 to 4.5......corresponding roughly with the hardness of aragonite.....Black pearls from the Pacific Ocean or from Mexico tend to be harder. ...........they are very tough due to their microcrystalline structure."

Personally, I shop with my 3.5x readers that I use for knotting and all. If the pearls look ok (yes, there will be some natural blemishes) under that kind of magnification, there are seldom surprises when I look at my purchases at home. The bright lights of gem shows and the glory of it all sometimes make it difficult to judge a good value and avoid impulse buys.

You already have a good eye for antiques; those same discrimination skills will transfer to choosing pearls!
 
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Thanks Pattye, if it had not been for the scratches they would have been a great buy. My guess is that they WERE AA originally and they got damaged travelling around improperly packed, etc. They were so scratched I could see the scars without a loupe. ( I carry a 10x with me at all times). Definitely man made scratches. Interestingly she was very honest on everything else I asked her, and all of her beads properly described, labeled , etc. Wish she had been honest enough to say the scratches will not come off. She is considered one of their best sellers.
And yes I was brave for my first bead show .And nearly broke. Blinded by the lights (to coin an old rock and roll phrase). Hated the lights actually, it made good beads look cheap. But I did learn a lot and found I think a few treasures. Posting photos later. Next show in June and I will have a better battle plan and hopefully more knowledge thanks to this forum.
Above you mentioned Strack, I just ordered a big book by that author, ridiculously expensive but hopefully worth it.
Thanks!

Daddys Little Pearls
 
Not scuffs around the middle, nothing natural either, human carelessness scratches, deep enough to show when lifting them helfway up to my face. Large Round Freshwaters. Makes me also think the nacre was probably not as thick as should have been for AA. Such a shame.

Daddys Little Pearl
 
I see a lot of pearls that are so soft that they get scratched just by the strands rubbing on each other. It's because they are over-processed. You are very smart to have passed them over.
 
Congratulations on buying Strack. It is the most informative book out there today, except it is a bit outdated by the amazing advances in freshwater pearls! I use it to look up questions at least weekly.

It is the best book for learning almost everything about pearls!
 
Thanks, only place I could find it was at GIA at full retail with 10% off, seems they are running a little sale. I know there is a book recommendation thread, but what are your other personal favorites? I feel the need to have a well stocked library before I make too many pearl mistakes. Thanks!

Daddys Little Pearl
 
I have a bunch of pearl history books and pearl coffee table books. the best ones have lots of illustrations. The Pearl, People and Pearls, Donkins' Beyond Price. I have an extra copy of that one. It is going for 32.00 at Amazon today for used plus. I'll sell it to you for $32.00 including the postage.

I like natural pearls and the one book that can't be beat for that is The Book of the Pearl by Kunz, 1908 or so -before cultured pearls
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-list...&keywords=the+book+of+the+pearl&condition=new
 
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