Exotics!!!

[Pearl Angel]

Welcome to PG Beth!
I am also new to the world of beautiful pearls. If you would like to see exotic photos just read through this thread or search for any postings by jshepherd on this thread. He is an expert from Pearl Paradise. Under his name you will find the link to his web site and also some great videos on pearl farming. Several Pger?s also have posted wonderful pics of pearls they own and so generously shared them with us. I have spent hours reading all about pearls on this resourceful site. Make sure you read the home page. This is the best pearl internet guide you will find. I don?t think there is any quick method of learning about pearls other than reading this site. The PGer?s are also very helpful in answering any questions you may have regarding pearls. Enjoy your Pearl Journey.

 

[Pearl Angel]

Jeremy

The photo is just amazing, thank you. Heartbreakers for sure as purlgurl noted. They really do look like metallic mirrors. I am anxiously awaiting your reply regarding size and colors.

 

[judimcc6]

OK, so I'm confused here. What is the difference between a pearl's metallic sheen and luster? Traditionally, the surface of a pearl is describe by the quality of it's luster. What is the physical difference between metallic and luster? I have seen FWP with a coating that creates a metallic sheen, but it's obvious that it is not natural. I assume that isn't what you are talking about here.

 

[jshepherd]

Yes, exactly what you are talking about. The metallic sheen that is "obviously not natural," but it is. That is what is in my opinion, metallic.

We've all seen them in pairs - not a big deal. It can be difficult to get a large number of consistently metallic pairs, but still, all of is who've purchased in China have seen them. They are very distinct, and the luster is very different from a "lustrous pearl." Sometimes fireballs have a metallic luster - that's one a lot of people would recognize.

 

[SteveM]

Yes, exactly what you are talking about. The metallic sheen that is "obviously not natural," but it is. That is what is in my opinion, metallic.

We've all seen them in pairs - not a big deal. It can be difficult to get a large number of consistently metallic pairs, but still, all of is who've purchased in China have seen them. They are very distinct, and the luster is very different from a "lustrous pearl." Sometimes fireballs have a metallic luster - that's one a lot of people would recognize.

Any science exist regarding the origins of metallic luster, or tendencies such as district, species, farming?

 

[jshepherd]

Not that I've seen.

The first time I tried to make a round strand was when I went with Doug Fiske to Weitang. We were interviewing processing factory managers and were at a second-stage factory. The pearls there were only separated, and were going from there to third stage where they were going to be treated. At the factory I bought a five-kilo bag of their rounds. Doug and I poured them out and picked out a handful of pearls that had metallic luster - naturally. There was not enough to make a full strand, but we collected a few more later that week. That was the first metallic true-round strand I'd ever made, and the strand that was featured in the Gems and Gemology article.

We did ask about them but heard no real answers. Just that they were called "strange colors" and "metallic." Yes, they called them metallic.

The metallic is almost exclusive to the natural-color pearls too. I don't know why. I've seen a few white pearls here and there, but have been told it would be difficult to make a single strand.

 

[jerin]

Thanks for the explanations, Jeremy. Still it would be very interesting to get information on whether there might be a connection to the breeding grounds, food, minerals or whatever that could influence the mussels to produce such lovely pearl colours!

For me I like to compare them to the Akoyas when it comes to luster even though the latest pics you posted, do show an even higher metallic luster than the Akoyas, both the natural coloured silverblue ones and the processed white ones.

 

[judimcc6]

The luster on the Akoyas is partially caused by the colder temperature of the water and slower growing period. Could that be part of the factor with these freshwaters?

 

[jshepherd]

The luster on the Akoyas is partially caused by the colder temperature of the water and slower growing period. Could that be part of the factor with these freshwaters?

I don't think so. Freshwater pearls are harvested during the colder months anyway, and the pearls we collected in Weitang were mixed in with thousands of more normal looking freshwater.

 

[judimcc6]

How odd...What are your thoughts? Could we be looking for an evolved mussel? Scientifically speaking, there has to be a reason and the quest is to find out why. Weitang is probably a co-op of farmers. Have you found metallics at other locations?

 

[pearlescence]

Metallics have always been around - just tends to be one or two on a strand, or some pearls with good lustre and metallic patches.
what would be interesting to know is how farmers select their nacre slivers for grafting. do they take from metallic producing mussels Presumably these slivers keep their own dna and nacre standard which does not get passed on so that taking from a metallic producing mussel would not necessarily produce metallic graft material.
Although presumably rigorous selection of good pearl producers would fairly quickly improve the farm stock generally.
What do we know of freshwater mussel (or sea oyster) breeding and genetics?

 

[jshepherd]

Sure, I've seen metallics in other locations. Weitang was the first time I'd seen them in an unprocessed state because of the type of factory it was. But metallics can be found throughout China. It is possible to buy cards of buttons that are nearly all metallics. A lot of really good multicolor strands will have a few metallics mixed in. The pearls are usually a green-gold color, or maybe slightly bronze.

The type of shell they are using has not changed much since the switch from Cristaria plicata. The Hyriopsis cumingi and Hyriopsis schlegeli (and one hybrid of the two) are the primary shells used.

I don't think selective grafting really has much to do with it. The rounds (non-beaded) are always going to be first graft, and unlike South Sea and Tahitian harvests, a freshwater harvest is much more industrial. They are not examining every pearl that is harvested and collecting shells that produce the finest.

Speaking of the finest, to give you an idea of how rare very fine freshwater pearls are, Doug and I visited a farmer who had just harvested his personal crop. The pearls were all in one large wicker-type basket. I don't remember how many pearls there were, but it was probably in the range of 100-200 kilos. We started looking through the pearls and didn't see a single fine round. I am not saying there weren't any, as we didn't dump out the basket, but from digging through the top, there was not a single gem that jumped out.

It really is a matter of volume in China. Sometimes the true volume is difficult to imagine. But consider this:

1000 metric tons - approximate production
Approximately 2000 average size pearls in one kilo
2,000,000 pearls

When I was in China with Fiske, we determined total production to be approximately 1,600 metric tons.

 

[pearlescence]

Interesting info. thanks Jeremy. Are the farmers just paid by volume or weight then with no consideration at all for quality of product? (ie no incentive to turn out anything even half decent?)
Has not production dropped in the last year or so, but I would say (subjectively) that quality has increased - I seem to be getting a lot more lustre and good shape for the same money

 

[judimcc6]

Are there any "boutique" pearl farmers? That is not really the mind set of many Chinese, but there must be some rogue pearl farmers out there that are trying to produce the finest. The industry has really exploded because of the increased quality of the Chinese production in the last 10 years. It's going to be pretty interesting to see what the next 10 years brings...

 

[Caitlin]

Boutique pearls seem to occur in saltwater places more than freshwater.

It's hard to boutique freshwaters in the farming stage. So many tons are needed to get the top 10%r and the top 10% of that.

Maybe in the factory sorting stage. Isn't that what Jeremy does?

Anyway if you want to go to the saltwater sources, there are a lot of little islands out there with boutique crops. At present they are mostly known collectively, not individually. I think these kinds of pearls are like wines, each with its own bouquet. I'd like to see this kind of idea take hold in pearls. Even the lessor pearls are desirable.

 

[Ramona]

It appears to me there were some fast-paced developments in bead-nucleation going from the flameball type to the large rounds. There seems to be some effort to produce more unusual pearls, but are these the ideas of a few farmers or the industry?

 

[pearlescence]

Is there some sort of pearl farmer's society or union which acts to sponsor research or disseminate good practice etc?

 

[jshepherd]

It appears to me there were some fast-paced developments in bead-nucleation going from the flameball type to the large rounds. There seems to be some effort to produce more unusual pearls, but are these the ideas of a few farmers or the industry?

These efforts are from the biggest of the producers. The small farmers, which make up the majority of pearl farmers in China, may grow a crop of pearls the way they grow a crop of vegetables. It is just to supplement their income, and is more agricultural than anything else.

There is no sort of farmers society of union that I've ever heard of. There is a sort of union among the workers, but not the farmers. Most of the farms are only run by one or two people except during seeding and harvest.

 

[barbie biggs]

Sure, I've seen metallics in other locations.

I don't think selective grafting really has much to do with it.

It really is a matter of volume in China. But consider this:

1000 metric tons - approximate production
Approximately 2000 average size pearls in one kilo
2,000,000 pearls

When I was in China with Fiske, we determined total production to be approximately 1,600 metric tons.

So Jeremy, out of 1,600 metric tons: what percentage turns out to be metallic, gem quality? If that is quantifiable?

 

[barbie biggs]

These efforts are from the biggest of the producers.

There is no sort of farmers society of union that I've ever heard of. There is a sort of union among the workers, but not the farmers. Most of the farms are only run by one or two people except during seeding and harvest.

Could the farmers afford a union? What would be the incentive for them?

barbie