Jewels with natural pearls

[effisk]

Hi all,

I went to le Petit Palais in Paris last week-end. The building has been recently renovated and there is a permanent exhibition.

There are a few jewels featuring pearls. Here are a few photos I shot.

These are by Georges Fouquet, around 1900. Very Art Nouveau.

 

[effisk]

 

[effisk]

Here's another photo of two drop pearls on a pendant. These are probably not natural however. It was in a shop place Vend?me.
The pearls are a bit burnt on the photo (overexposed)

 

[pattye]

Very, very lovely! Is that opal inlay on several of the pieces, or all enamel? Thanks for sharing!
Patricia

 

[effisk]

Very, very lovely! Is that opal inlay on several of the pieces, or all enamel?

It is opal on the first pendant and the necklace.

I am intrigued by the nature of the bottom piece on the set of pendants (3rd pic), especially on the left one. The color suggest it is made of nacre, but the shape is very different from what is usually seen in natural pearls (even though I haven't seen that many natural pearls). It seems to have dark inclusions in it.

 

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Effix,

Dark inclusions are typical of untreated pearls. They are the main reason for bleaching and polishing at all.

Zeide

 

[effisk]

Hi Effix,

Dark inclusions are typical of untreated pearls. They are the main reason for bleaching and polishing at all.

Zeide

Hi Zeide.

Are "gold-nugget-shaped" pearls such as the one above common? It looks like several small pearls that aggregated at some stage to form one bigger pearl.

 

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Effix,

The rosebud and goldnugget shapes are the most common shapes in natural pearls. They are indeed seed pearls that have grown together. Most of these pearls have been found to be due to parasitic infestation or washed-back fertilized ova.

Zeide

 

[effisk]

Hi Zeide,

thanks again for answering my questions.

 

[jerin]

Photos

Photos

Hi, Effix

lovely photographs!

 

[effisk]

Thanks Inge,

I actually postprocessed the original photographs using photoshop. Cut off the background and added a light shadow to partly hide the badly cut contours.

I'm quite happy with the way the colors come out though. Museums are usually too dark and the flashlight of the camera makes a mirror of the glass in front of the display.

 

[perlas]

Dark inclusions are typical of untreated pearls. They are the main reason for bleaching and polishing at all.

Zeide

Anyone knows the percentage of hydrogen peroxide solution to bleach the pearls? I might try bleaching and then polishing some untreated south sea pearls with dark inclusion and see what happens.

Thanks!

 

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Sam,

That depends on how patient a guy you are and how much you care about the result. If the dark inclusions are very close to the surface and not too dark or pronounced, a 1.5% hydrogen peroxide solution will do. Put the pearls and the bleach solution in a glass jar with a glass lid and put the whole thing in a south facing window until the darl spots disappear. This can take up to 10 weeks. The stronger your solution, the faster the results. For beading grade that will be dyed later Clorox will do that's going to take just a few hours and the dye will take really well.

Zeide

 

[Taylor]

Wolfers jewels

Wolfers jewels

Hi effisk,
I notice your posts are signed with a mention of Belgium and I wondered if you had seen the Art Nouveau jewelry in the museum there. If you go there, be sure to see the work of Philippe Wolfers. I know he worked in pearls, opal, ivory, and gold.

To all,
I was wondering why the famous pearls thread has not mentioned the so-called perfect necklace that Raymond C. Yard made for Rockefeller. It's the exact opposite of the overdone. Perfect and simple. I've seen pictures in books but don't know of a link to it.

 

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Taylor,

The famous pearl thread was discussing pictures posted by forum member Jennifer that mainly came from a Christie's catalogue.

Zeide

 

[Caitlin]

Hi Taylor
Can you post a link to the Yard necklace? I think it would be great to add many more pix of famous pearls to that thread- just give the links.

 

[Taylor]

I've Googled it and can't find a link with picture but it sold for 464,500 USD in 1996 at Sotheby's... one simple strand but perfect. It took 10 years to gather the pearls for it.

 

[Cam Hatch]

Thank you for posting those photo's! Definately on my list for next time in Paris Does anyone else have interesting places to go that feature pearls?

 

[Bogus]

Thank you for posting those photo's! Definately on my list for next time in Paris Does anyone else have interesting places to go that feature pearls?

Do you mean virtually or in real-life??

Forgive me if all you pearl aficionados already know about this, but I just found this obvious place to look at natural pearl eye-candy: http://www.mnh.si.edu/exhibits/Pearls/blackbeauty1.htm The Smithsonian!

Here are pics of some of my favs....first, The Pearl of Asia, 600cts:

 

[Bogus]

....and the Queen Mary: 24.9 (top) and 28.1 (bottom) cts: