Indonesian Natural Pearls

[fairy1]

Hi everybody,

My name is Dianne, I am new to this forum and new to pearl's world. I am interested in knowing more information about pearls as well as making business.

I am currently working at the remote island in Maluku, Indonesia. One month there, one month in Jakarta. As in the remote island, after working hours, there is nothing much to do. So I was wandering around and talking and socializing with the locals. Several times we talk, they offer me some pearls.. They said that they got it when they were diving at sea - ( so I guess the pearl categorized as Natural Pearls as there are no pearls farm around ). The pearls were so beautiful it capture my heart. After that encounter, I was eagerly researching on pearls and I met this forum.

So, does anyone here wants to buy natural pearls in retail or in bulk? I have around 3 kg of natural pearls. The size is around 8-9 mm. The colours are peach, pink, violet, gold and white. I also have some 13 mm pearls, the colours are gold and white. If you are interested please do not hesitate to contact me :
pericantiq@yahoo.com

Thank you for your time
Best Regards,

Dianne F Lika
(fairy1)

 

[fairy1]

Pictures

Pictures

Here is the picture of pearls that I got.

 

[Ramona]

Hi Dianne,

Welcome to the forum. It is nice to have somebody here from the Maluku region. I would advise you to test your pearls and confirm that they are indeed naturals. Any buyers would then be much more interested. To me to be honest, the pearls look cultured. But then, it is hard to judge from the picture.

 

[Nerida]

Hi Dianne, and welcome.

I would probably place a bet that your pearls are imported Chinese freshwater pearls - the colours, size, shape, texture and quantity you have would indicate that it is extremely unlikely that they are naturals. They are pretty, but honestly I don't think I would go to the expense of having them tested...

 

[Caitlin]

They look like cultured freshwater pearls. Those the the shapes, colors, and sizes of freshwaters. They are beautiful, but not from the ocean and not natural. They are from China.

Perhaps you can dig deeper into where they came from. Who found them when? Find an actual fisher who claims to have gotten them from the ocean. Ask around where the fishermen are and go talk to them.

If you got just one pearl certified, you'd see what I mean. Usually you need to get "naturals" certified, because so many people claim something is natural when it isn't.

They are beautiful, have beautiful color and luster. You were right to fall in love with them.

Perhaps you could read "Tom Stern's Natural pearls". The first year he collected them, a number of people brought in cultured pearls for him to buy. He had to get them all certified and returned all the cultured ones. A number of them were also called "Keshi" which are by-products of culturing pearls.

 

[DrTKStern]

Hi, Dianne,

Just so you can experience the process, pick a nice pearl and send it to GIA Bangkok for a report. You will learn a very great deal, not just about the pearl, but about the world of pearls and laboratories, etc. It will cost you under $200 including FEDEX.

Please keep us informed. If those pearls were natural wild ocean pearls, I would consider an offer of $3,000,000+, depending on total carat weight.

Best regards,
Tom Stern

 

[GemGeek]

I hope you didn't pay a lot for them. Pink, peach and violet would not be natural pearls from that area, unless some kind of extremely rare find. If they were wild pearls, there would be very few and they would probably not be so lovely. I hope you enjoy your collection, even if you can't sell them.

Welcome to the world of pearls.

 

[fairy1]

Thank you for all your comments..

Firstly : Do you guys have Chinese Freshwater Pearls's pictures that most of you mentioned about ? So I could compare them with mine..

Secondly : I get it from local fishermans.. They said that they accumulate this pearls since their parents. Moreover, because I said that I would buy all their pearls, they were extremely happy (they usually sell in retails) and the words spreads to all people in the island and also other near islands too. And so, I could accumulate around 3 kg of pearls and maybe they would give me more in this near future.

Thirdly : I will try to send some of my pearls to GIA Bangkok and get them tested and certified. Thank you for the suggestion. Because I am really new to this world of pearls, if.. if the pearls are confirmed to be cultured, do anybody here are interested to make business with me? or anybody could give suggestion on what to do next ?

Thank you.. ^^

Cheers,
Dianne F Lika
(fairy1)

 

[DrTKStern]

Thank you for all your comments..

Thirdly : I will try to send some of my pearls to GIA Bangkok and get them tested and certified. Thank you for the suggestion. Because I am really new to this world of pearls, if.. if the pearls are confirmed to be cultured, do anybody here are interested to make business with me? or anybody could give suggestion on what to do next ?

Thank you.. ^^

Cheers,
Dianne F Lika
(fairy1)

Dianne,

Just send 1 pearl, because you pay for each pearl tested. If GIA reads it as saltwater, natural, call me.

Datu Dr. Tom

 

[Bodecia]

Hi Dianne,

Don't buy any more until you really know what you have. In my opinion they are lovely cultured freshwater pearls. I do hope you have not paid too much for them. I think the fishermen are using your lack of knowledge about pearls to make good money.

Truly they are so obviously cultured freshwater pearls that I would not waste $200 on having them checked out. If you plan to have them checked out more for interest sake then spend the money.

A lady who works in a jeweller's shop near where I live in Australia told me she had recently been to Indonesia and a fisherman had sold her a huge, close to 1" natural pear shaped pearl.. I said something to the effect that she meant cultured to which she insisted she had a natural pearl. Actually I doubt she has any idea of the difference but I could not get it through to her that fishermen do not just go out and pluck natural pearls out of the sea any longer and she must have a beautiful cultured pearl.

From the sound of it at least her pearl is a South Sea pearl but cultured for sure. Nothing wrong with that either as long as she didn't pay a huge price.

But this type of thing must go on a lot in the islands of Indonesia and really who can blame them as most would be on shocking wages if any. So they cheat a lot of tourists. No it is not nice but obviously it is wide spread and understandable given their poor living standards.

I felt annoyed at the woman in the jeweller's shop because she did not want to know the truth and working where she does should know better. The ignorance of those working in jewellery shops is amazing. And that even goes for the jewellers themselves. Choke, gag.

Dawn - Bodecia
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 - natural pearl collector and all round pearl lover.

 

[pattye]

Hi Dianne,

Welcome! I agree with the others, you have pretty cultured freshwater pearls. The colors and drop shape are consistent with those. Many photos of freshwater pearls and more are on the forum here, check through threads "Lowly Beaders" and "Show Us Your Pearls" for starters.

Also highly recommend this book, available in paperback, PEARL BUYING GUIDE, How to Identify and Evaluate Pearls & Pearl Jewelry, by Renee Newman GG, 2010 edition. It has lots of photos and great information. It would be around $20 plus shipping.

I hope you continue your love for pearls!

 

[Caitlin]

Dianne
You have a lot to learn about pearls and the pearl trade. I suggest you read old threads here. You will learn much of what you ask. Start with the Freshwater Pearl Forum. You can learn all you need to know to recognize fw's from that forum and the "show us your pearls" forum.

Meanwhile, spend the money for just one pearl certification, for the experience as DR Tom says. The pearl world is full to capacity of competition from multi-generational pearl families. That is what you are competing against. That whole lot of pearls you showed could be bought at the wholesale Gem Shows for less than $50-in the USA. IF they were drilled and strung. Not one of the pearls is round, and although they have great luster, they are bead shop pearls because of those shapes which diminish their value in the fine pearls market. That doesn't mean any of us look down on such pearls; the strands made from them are great for business wear and casual wear.

Find out where the local farmers are buying those freshwaters, ask for pearl markets or go looking in the marketplace. Meanwhile, tell them not to buy any for you as you have been told they are cultured freshwaters from CHINA.Which is what the GIA lab will say, as well......

 

[Orient]

Dianne,

Just send 1 pearl, because you pay for each pearl tested. If GIA reads it as saltwater, natural, call me.

Datu Dr. Tom

I think you will find that you pay the same price for one, two or three pearls (so 3 pearls would be best). Once you go above three you reach another category or price tier. See here: http://www.gia.edu/lab-reports-services/fees_payment/lab_fees/LAB_feeschedule_Pearl_1210_THB.pdf

Since the pearls look colored the three pearls on one report category looks like the one that would apply.

Hope that helps.

 

[KarinK]

Hi Dianne,

Insted of paying for having a pearl tested you might just want to try to smash one of the less attractive ones. If there is a bead inside it is not natural but cultured.

I haven't shared this story yet here on the forum but the reason I got interested in pearls was because someone sold me necklace with Tahitian pearls for $70. I didn't have a clue about any pearls of any kind. The black pearls obviously turned out to be dyed freshwater pearls and while I later realized having paid $70 for Tahitians would have been too funny, I definately was overcharged for the freshwater pearls. BUT, the experience led me to learning about pearls and now I know what I am buying and I love pearls in a way I never did before

- Karin

 

[pattye]

Dianne's pearls in question are most likely tissue nucleated freshwaters, and as such will not have a bead inside.

Karin, so many of us have had a similar experience as yours, which also led us to want to know more and deepened the affection for pearls!

 

[Cees]

I am not sure at all that these are fresh waters, to me look like oval South Sea's as in the islands Halmahera, Kei, Banda, Aru,etc there are many south sea pearl farms. The islanders not even have money to buy Chinese fresh waters there, so why bring them there. Tourists have not discovered these islands in big quantities like Bali, Lombok, where u can find fresh water pearls from China.

They look ovals to me and the size should be around 10 -12 mm. Dianne mentioned colors which can confuse like peach, but the overtone pink in white of course possible.
They are of course not natural but cultured and the people she bought them from are possible fishermen who bought these from pearl farm staff. Most of these pearls end up in Jakarta, Surabaya or Lombok/Bali and are mostly bought by Chinese-Indonesian business people

 

[Bodecia]

Cees,

It would be wonderful if they were South Sea pearls but truly I believe, as most seem to here on the pearl-forum, the are certainly freshwater pearls.

I am sure as you pointed out that most of the islanders would not have the money to buy even these freshwater pearls but they probably did not and are mostly likely paid to sell for someone else from the main islands. These sellers probably carry pearls everywhere with them on the off chance of meeting someone who knows little about pearls and is gulliable enough to believe that they have just fished up the mollusks themselves from off one of the thousands of islands . They probably make little per pearl themselves but then if they do not have to outlay any dollars and sell a lot of these

naturals

then they are probably more than happy.

Most tourists would fall into this cateogory. For instance as I mentioned in another thread a woman who (whom?)) works in a jewellery shop in the town near me insisted she had bought a totally natural, nearly one inch pearl from local fishermen near Bali.

I think pearl-farm staff would be in danger of losing hands if they dared to sell SS pearls themselves to tourists or anyone else. If the

possible fishermen

could not afford Freshwater pearls how could they possibly buy these from pearl-farm staff ...

They look and given every appearance of being Freshwater pearls from China. Nice pearls but not Saltwater pearls and not South Sea pearls.

Sorry.


Dawn - Bodecia
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 - natural pearl collector and all round pearl lover.

 

[Bodecia]

Cees and others,

I did not intend to have huge quotes as those that have appeared on my reply. Talk about overstating something.


Dawn - Bodecia
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 - natural pearl collector and all round pearl lover.

 

[Cees]

Dear Dawn,

I asked Dianne to send me some more pics and from her new pics I could now clearly see they are fresh waters and enchanted as well.

 

[tango jhaveri]

to me the pearls look freshwater culture..going by the pics...the shape and color along with luster suggest that..
its impossible to find so many violet and pink color natural pearls as they would it self be worth millions then..
natural pearls cannot have so good shape..i agree there can be a few pearls but this entire lot with one shade one shape..its impossible to be natural..
so i would not waste money on getting them tested..