Freshwater "rebirth" pearls

[suzannelowrie]

I bought two strands of huge pearls that looked like high luster iridescent chewing gum: you know, the lumpy wad of bubble gum you chewed for an hour that has your tooth marks all over it? They were white freshwater, hence not kheshi. So what were they? Rebirth pearls. What??? Rebirth. They are solid nacre, with lusterous deep iridescent pools. At GIA they stopped the pearl lab instructor in his tracks. "Wow!" he said as he held the strand up to natural light. And there they sit in my house in Thailand. I don't know what to do with them. Too many large wads of high luster "chewed" pearls. They have such a high luster that I'm thinking of combining them with 4mm white AAA round Akoyas. The combination of saltwater and freshwater pearls is not new. Some freshwater have the same high luster as saltwater Akoyas. I tried varying these "chewed" pearls with 4mm freshwater pearls. Nope. So I'll be shopping in Vietnam for 100 4mm saltwater white Akoya pearls. Or maybe pink or blue-gray? Hah! you say. "What about bright yellow?" OK maybe with daffodil yellow Vietnamese Akoyas. We'll see. It is a pearl problem waiting to be solved.

 

[pattye]

Hi Suzanne,

Those sound really interesting! How about a photo??

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

 

[Nerida]

They were white freshwater, hence not kheshi.

Maybe this is my ignorance - but why not?? I have bought many such pearls, both large and small, as freshwater keishi. Also, I thought "rebirth" was almost another name for "Keishi" and simply referred to the fact that they are a second harvest pearl.

 

[jshepherd]

They are known as regenerated pearls. The Chinese often call them keshi, but they are referred to as "keshi" (with quotes) in the US because (according to CIBJO) freshwater keshi do not exist.

 

[Nerida]

So they are FW keshi, but because they can't be keshi (according to CIBJO) they are "keshi"?? Have I got it right?

Like these

 

[Ashley]

Hi Nerida- Those look like Petal pearls. I love petal pearls You're look like they have a gorgeous Silver overtone to them! I don't believe that petal pearls would be considered "keshi" though...

 

[jshepherd]

They are actually referred to as regenerated pearls. But if described as keshi, they would properly be described in quotes.

It's sort of the same way GIA would not refer to golden South Sea pearls as gold, but rather as yellow or "gold" in quotes because gold is not a color in the visible light spectrum (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet). Gold is actually orange-yellow.

I don't really agree with CIBJO that keshi pearls cannot happen in freshwater pearl production. This is certainly wrong. But the pearls are not differentiated from non-keshi because they are both solid nacre.

Regarding the regenerated pearls, however, they really do not fit the definition of keshi as they are completely intentional; the pearls are removed and the shell is returned to the water to grow regenerated pearls in the existing pearl sacs. But in industry-speak they are most often referred to as "keshi" pearls.

 

[Pearlgully]

The beautiful strand in post #5 is CFW "keshi", atleast that is what I've always thought Chinese "keshi" evolved into. Also, I have always thought that the term "petal pearls" was just another name for the Chinese "keshi" especially when I first saw them hitting the market about four or five years ago.


Gail

 

[jshepherd]

The beautiful strand in post #5 is CFW "keshi", atleast that is what I've always thought Chinese "keshi" evolved into. Also, I have always thought that the term "petal pearls" was just another name for the Chinese "keshi" especially when I first saw them hitting the market about four or five years ago.


Gail

Yes, the petal pearls were the same thing. You can almost always tell by the shape. It is in the shape of a pearl sac, most often flattened by the mantle because a pearl is no longer in it.

 

[Pearlgully]

Thanks Jeremy.

There is an interesting article about Chinese "keshis" / petal pearls in the May 2007 edition of "Modern Jeweler" magazine. A google search will bring it up.

Gail

 

[Nerida]

Thank you Jeremy. I always wondered what the difference was between "keshi" and the much desired "second harvest" or regenerated pearls was. Now I know!

Yes, to me petal pearls are a form of "keshi" or regenerated pearls. That is certainly how they are sold in China. However I usually think of petal pearls as being thinner (flatter) and usually drilled through the apex of the pearl. The ones I posted above are much thicker, and in places, quite nuggety.

Yes, the lustre and overtones of these pearls are simply amazing!

Now all I have to do is sell them...

 

[Nerida]

Thanks Gail for the reference, too. I will look it up this evening.

 

[Mervione]

If I got things right, then keshi-pearls are when the oyster/mussel rejects the nucleus and spit it out right? And rebirth-pearls are when you put a nuclei in the mussel/oyster for the second time? Isn't that the same as petal pearls if so? If going by the information on this thread that is. https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/other-pearls/354-freshwater-keshi.html

 

[Casey.R]

So would there be an obvious difference between a "keshi" that happened naturally in freshwater pearl production and a regenerated pearl?

 

[Casey.R]

I'm guessing maybe petal cornflake looking pearls are just another look that regenerted "keshi" pearls can take on. Anyone know?

 

[GemGeek]

So would there be an obvious difference between a "keshi" that happened naturally in freshwater pearl production and a regenerated pearl?

Shape would be an indicator, as a regenerated pearl is from a collapsed sac, so it would have a flatter shape. Maybe.

 

[GemGeek]

I'm guessing maybe petal cornflake looking pearls are just another look that regenerted "keshi" pearls can take on. Anyone know?

Cornflake, or keshi petal pearls are just kept in the water a shorter time than the bigger "keshi" pearls. Turn them over faster and make more money! Or maybe a bigger mollusk is involved...

 

[jshepherd]

Yes, to me petal pearls are a form of "keshi" or regenerated pearls. That is certainly how they are sold in China. However I usually think of petal pearls as being thinner (flatter) and usually drilled through the apex of the pearl. The ones I posted above are much thicker, and in places, quite nuggety.

Nerida,

The only difference is the time in the water. The process is the same.

If I got things right, then keshi-pearls are when the oyster/mussel rejects the nucleus and spit it out right? And rebirth-pearls are when you put a nuclei in the mussel/oyster for the second time? Isn't that the same as petal pearls if so? If going by the information on this thread that is. freshwater- keshi ???

Mervione,

Keshi pearls are, the the truest sense, accidental pearls. This can happen when the mollusk rejects the nucleus, but it also happens for a lot of other reasons.
Regenerated pearls are pearls that are grown in existing pearl sacs intentionally.
When pearls are harvested, freshwater pearls in this conversation, the pearls are pulled from the pearl sacs. The pearl sacs are not removed, only the pearls. The mussels are returned to the water and the pearl sacs continue to deposit nacre. The pearl that was the recipient of the nacre is no longer there, but the nacre deposition continues. This forms a "keshi" pearl that has the shape of the pearl sac.

 

[pearlescence]

The very thin petal pearls are very wow, for want of a better expression. I have some but haven't yet come up with a really good way to use them to show off how beautiful they are. Some of them are so thin I am amazed that they are drilled successfully. The spoilage must be huge.

 

[Nerida]

Thanks Jeremy. Yes, I thought that it was just a "time in the water" issue with the difference between what I think of as petal pearls and the in the photo (sorry, "keshi"). To me, a petal pearl is just a descriptive term used for keshi that turn out a certain way. So the higher price that I paid for this (& other) strands is probably justified due to the increased production time? I find these pearls fascinating - iridescence is amazing, and the fact that they are thicker means they are substantial pearls on a strand, withstanding longitudinal drilling.