Funny old pearl...

[hbyrne]

Hello PGers...As I'm doing the GIA course at the moment, I've been obsessively examining every pearl I come across, and this one has me stumped!

It comes from a bag of 'old pearls' I've had 'knocking about' for some time and which i use for repairs.

It is quite distinctively bluey/grey in colour, its outside surface is quite translucent and shows what look like veins...It is 7mm diameter and quite a few lumps/bumps.

It is drilled through and the half-drilled (bigger hole) from the other side. Inside it is pretty dirty and has a cavity through this larger hole like you would get if the bead and nacre had separated.

Pictures are dreadful I know, but maybe the description will help? Please!!! Fingers crossed

 

[GemGeek]

We can only guess at what it is, but it is a cool-looking pearl. You should make it into something!

 

[Bodecia]

To me it looks like some kind of natural pearl that perhaps had a huge blemish where the hole now is. It doesn't look like a drill hole to me and reminds me of one of my pearls in a ring which I put on Dawn's pearls (the pink one). Mine doesn't have a hole but the blemish almost looks like it could have had something put in what might have been a hole. Have a close look and see what you think. I will try to take a better photo of mine.
That pink pearl of mine is the first one in the photos. Looks similar to me.

I don't know what else could cause that type of hole. Are you set up to try candling it. I am going to add some candling to that thread tomorrow and also a set up that I worked out which you could try.

It is a beauty.

Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.

 

[Caitlin]

I looks like it has at least one hole and the blemish is perpendicular to that hole. I would have drilled near the blemish to try to conceal it. I looks almost like a rotten spot, like maybe moisture dissolved it a bit. Just guesses........

 

[hbyrne]

Thank you, pearlfriends, for your views, I'm going to try and clean inside a bit more. It is pretty and I love the metallic colours, it has one 'good' undrilled side, so I just need to find a setting

 

[FrenchPearl]

It's really pretty Helen !

do you think it's cultured ?(re: your comment on " has a cavity through this larger hole like you would get if the bead and nacre had separated")... if it was, the bead would still be inside wouldn't it ?

Any chance it's an abalone pearl with really light color ? that's what I had in mind when I saw it, but I'm seeing abalone pearls everywhere those days (even when there isn't )

 

[hbyrne]

FrenchPearl, I think it must be cultured...the core, which isn't actually 'round', moves around inside a little, and there is grit and dirt in the space between the nacre and the 'core'. But I agree, I thought it looked abalone too.