John Tu's Pearls

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Huge ringed freshwater pearls, I'll add the size shortly. The dark pearls are 12.5mm wide with some larger, whites, 14.0-12.5mm wide approx. I might need to hammer a couple of these to see if they are tissue or bead nucleated. what do you think????
 
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The Kasumi-likes were later growths from the same mussels?

What a haul you have there Pattye. I lurve those green metallics down at the bottom of the pics! :cool:

FYI Pearl Guiders: It's not that people can't buy these pearls here and there, but they will be a lot more expensive from someone else and John always has a great selection when he's doing a Gem Faire. For some reason he didn't have much in Tucson, maybe because of the shipping.
 
John has a great eye for keshi, but they weren't in my budget last weekend. He also has a great selection of SS white and golden, and Tahitians, in addition to high grades of round freshwater and akoya. And many other shapes.

But no rounds for me this time around, lol.
 
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"The Kasumi-likes were later growths from the same mussels? "

Blaire, your are so smart! (I'll let Pattye give the complete answer) :)
John has some very beautiful new Tahitians as well as some really awesome South Seas, both golden and white.
He also has more strands made up into necklaces. Some day I will figure out how to post photos without having someone talking me through the process :)
 
I so want to meet this man and see his pearls. I wonder if he goes to the San Diego Gem Faire?
 
I visited his booth last year and this year in Portland. Last year I only spent time on the freshwaters
and got some nice strands. This year I passed as Marianne was looking at tahitians and I was hooked! They were so big and colorful. Made me wish I hadn't bought an iPad the day before. Suddenly I had much more use for pearls! I did buy a pair for earrings.

- Karin
 
ORIGINAL QUESTION: There is a "relationship" between the small dyed pearls on the left and the Chinese Kasumi-like pearls on the right. See if you can guess what it is?

GemGeek said:
The Kasumi-likes were later growths from the same mussels?

What a haul you have there Pattye. I lurve those green metallics down at the bottom of the pics! :cool:

FYI Pearl Guiders: It's not that people can't buy these pearls here and there, but they will be a lot more expensive from someone else and John always has a great selection when he's doing a Gem Faire. For some reason he didn't have much in Tucson, maybe because of the shipping.
Click to expand...

Great answer, Blaire! John says these were the first bead nucleated pearls (7-7.5mm), some years back, that he bought, hoping to make a killing! So yes, they probably are from the same mussels. They are now selling on his bargain table for less than he paid! At first I thought they were dyed akoya, but when I asked he said freshwater, and shared this story.

IMGP4620.jpg
 
Thank you for sharing, Pattye! Absolutely gorgeous finds. I was hoping to meet John and pick up more pearls in person this fall when I was going to visit my family in Portland, but alas, DH thinks that we should go to Taipei for the period instead. I'm just a bit peeved since the visit to Portland would have coincided with a Gem Faire....
 
I bought some of the bead nukes from John way back when. He's always on top of the newest things. :)
 
Lulu said:
Thank you for sharing, Pattye! Absolutely gorgeous finds. I was hoping to meet John and pick up more pearls in person this fall when I was going to visit my family in Portland, but alas, DH thinks that we should go to Taipei for the period instead. I'm just a bit peeved since the visit to Portland would have coincided with a Gem Faire....
Click to expand...

I'm glad you enjoyed the pics, Lulu~so sorry you won't be here this fall, but whenever you do get to Portland, we shall organize another mini-ruckus!
 
That would so wonderful! I love the idea of a mini-ruckus, even though I'm still a relative newbie. Time to ramp up the negotiations with Hubs. :)
 
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