GemWise: Tucson 09 Wrap Up

[Richard W. Wise]

GemWise

An Extraordinary Strand of Natural Pearls:

I spotted a magnificent strand of natural pearls from a dealer at AGTA. What makes this two strand exceptional is its symmetry. When considering natural pearls it is necessary to bracket all that you have come to expect from their cultured counterparts. The word round, for example, takes on a whole new meaning when applied to naturals. We have gotten used to the "perfection" of the ubiquitous Akoya pearls from Japan, perfectly round, with matching color. Few realize that all this is a result of processing; the pearls are left in the shell just long enough to deposit a thin coat of nacre, so thin that GIA had to redefine it's definition of "thick" coating from 0.50 to 0.25mm. The pearls are then bleached white to remove spots, then further bleached for uniformity of color, then dyed pink. READ ON GemWise, gonzo journalism for gem & jewelry lovers)

 

[pattye]

I was hoping the red print would link to a photo of these magnificent pearls, but it doesn't. Perhaps if that was the intent, could you please try again? Thanks much---------

 

[Skypearl]

Great info Richard, I enjoyed it nice eye candy too!

 

[boo]

I was hoping the red print would link to a photo of these magnificent pearls, but it doesn't. Perhaps if that was the intent, could you please try again? Thanks much---------

Pattye, click on the purple "GemWise" text following the "READ ON" at the end of the post .

 

[pattye]

What I saw appears to be a single strand--I saw that before. Richard, do you have a good photo of the double strand you are talking about?

 

[Drucilla]

Pattye,
Scroll down under the paragraph entitiled " World of Fantasy," and click on the "Baroda pearls" in red