from what specie did these came from?

[perlas]

experts please!

i bought some small black pearls 8 years ago at palawan, philippines from a local peddler.

i'm trying to look for this type of pearl but i couldn't find it anymore.
these are small ones around 3.5mm. the color of each pearl varies from peacock, to silver-grey to bronze. shape is round to off-round.

attached are some pictures.

i placed a 12mm brownish-grey south sea together with the strand so you'll have a better idea of the size.

hope you can help me out. i haven't seen anything like it.

thanks!

 

[jshepherd]

Are you suspecting that they are a natural of some type? They are too round to be Penn and too many to be scallop - they look like dyed freshwater to me - although the pictures are not coming out well here.
Do you happen to have a high-res pic of 3 or 4 together?

 

[perlas]

i don't know how to attach a good picture but i can send you by e-mail, hopefully a better resolution.

honestly, i have not given proper care to it placing it here and there but the color/luster has not changed over the years. i even strung it in a metal strand.

the color varies from pearl to pearl be dyed, but then again, i'm no expert. the luster is also different from pearl to pearl.

you are right. the thing that got me curious about this strand is they are too round and smooth. 8 years ago this is seldom seen in CFWP. They look literally like very small tahitians of all shades.

i looked at the drill holes and some chalky white stuff is coming out a little (since i strung it stupidly in metal strand).

 

[jshepherd]

The color differential in the strand does not have a bearing on whether or not the strand is dyed. Pearls are not typically dyed on a strand. Freshwater tend to vary a lot in a dyed strand.
If white nacre is coming out around the drill holes it is either going to be a dyed freshwater strand or a bead-nucleated strand. But the size is much too small to be from Pinctada marg. - naturally dark nacre with bead nucleation.

 

[jshepherd]

After looking at the pictures again, and after giving it some thought, I can only come up with dyed Chinese freshwater. There is a possibility of "something else", but you mentioned buying them from a local "peddler", not an International dealer. Palawan would be a close local source for pearls, but South Sea pearls. I think if they were anything other than Chinese freshwater the dealer would have known, and the price would have reflected such. As for the color, it is certainly not atypical as I can see from the pictures. They look like standard, dyed, freshwater pearls.

 

[Zeide Erskine]

Such small pearls would be dyed all the way through with no white left at the core, so that cannot be it. Nacre dust, however, will always look light no matter what the color of the pearl. Keshis tend to be rather round in the beginning and develp their baroque shapes as they grow. I still think they look like early hyriopsis dyed black. The rice crispy shapes were more typical of cristaria plicata.

Zeide

 

[perlas]

jeremy and zeide,

thanks!

i'm trying to cut (actually scrape is more like it) a single pearl with a cutter. so far all black. i'll let you know if there a bead or what. then i'll take a picture of it.

 

[jshepherd]

So using layman, we both agree that the are freshwater, right Zeide? I cannot think of anything else they would be.
I have pieces in stock that look identical, but a bit larger...

 

[jshepherd]

You are going to need to get near the core before you will be able to determine whether or not the strand is dyed. Try slicing a single pearl. You will be able to tell quite easily if you can see the traces of dye deepning and lightening toward the center.

 

[jshepherd]

Such small pearls would be dyed all the way through with no white left at the core, so that cannot be it.

Not necessarily - the piece was strung on wire. Wire could have "bit" into the nacre (8 years on wire), and smaller pearls are not color treated as long as the larger ones. The dye does not need to completely permeate the pearl to have the dark, dyed color.

 

[perlas]

i smashed a pearl. i was tough. when it smashed, it's like peeled off nacre all over. no bead nucleus just layers of brownish nacre. the outer layer is brownish. the pearl i smashed is brownish gold by the way. i'll attached a picture soon. the core seems darker.

 

[jshepherd]

The core around the drill hole? This would be dark as well, lightening toward the edges...It would go dark, light, dark...
And how did you smash it? I have very techincal, professional way of doing that. It involves a pair of vice grips and a hammer. Not as pretty as a saw, but it is much quicker and my fingers a safe ZE

 

[perlas]

i attached some photos of the smashed pearl and yes, the nacre goes light,dark,light,dark.

enjoy!

some additional photos of the unsmashed ones too... much more closer -- these are the off-rounds at the end of the string.

 

[jshepherd]

Now I have not cracked a lot of freshwater, but that last shot looked a bit strange to me. It looked like layers of nacre breaking from conchiolin to bead. Was the inner surface smooth?

 

[perlas]

Zeide,

you just lost me. what is a kamtchatkana?
you mean these are naturals?

i know these pearls are different coz i haven't seen anything like them. i've been trying to look for extra strings for years coz they really look good.

the core looks darker and i can see the layers.

 

[perlas]

i tried to smash it into a 3mm puncher (coz it seems that it's gonna take me years if i use the cutter).

what happened was the nacre peeled off and i was left with a 2.5mm peeled pearl (still circle). so i smashed it some more and more layers or dark, compacted nacre was exposed. i can't see any nucleus. the chipped off nacre is smooth and shiny. some seem lighter than the original outer color but the core is darker than the original outer color.

 

[jshepherd]

How about this. Can you tell us a little about the pearls. Did you buy a few strands from a peddler than had several hanks? Were these special pearls? Did you pay a lot?

 

[jshepherd]

But cultured would likely equal stick. So if round, or even off round...what are the chances...really? It just does not fit - a peddler in Palawan...

 

[perlas]

i went on vacation to palawan.

there were just pearl peddlers all around the pier. i'm based in manila.
i bought what the peddler tagged as "blue pearl" for USD5, a set of necklace (14 inches) and bracelet (6 inches, now 3.5mm shorter) in cheap clasps. it was simply wrapped in cotton and paper. it looks gorgeous and i haven't seen this kind of pearl around.

there was only one of this kind coz i checked from peddler to peddler. i could have bought more but only dyed CFWP were all around at USD10/set. i remember thinking this is too round. all shipments from china 8 years ago were potato and ringed ones.

i've been looking around for 8 years but can't find a match for the strand. also 8 years ago, this kind of pearl was not in manila (i thought if they were abundant and imported, manila should have it first). can't find it up to now.

can't find it also in asian neighbors.

 

[jshepherd]

Well, blue pearl does often mean abalone - that would fit. But personally, I feel like finding a strand (or strands as pictured) would be like finding a Picasso in a garage sale in Cannes. It just does not seem plausible...although possible...