Natural Abalone Pearls

[patriciadear]

Round Abalone Pearls vs Tusk Pearls

Round Abalone Pearls vs Tusk Pearls

I understand that the tusk pearls (and probably the extra large baroque pearls) form inside the abalone itself. The tusk and perhaps the teardrop shape reflect the shape of the gonad area of the abalone where they form. But do the round pearls form inside the animal or begin as blister pearls inside the shell, become round, then detach? How do the round pearls form?

Hope someone can answer this question..
Patricia

 

[patriciadear]

blurred photo earring pearls

blurred photo earring pearls

This is a blurred photo of small flat-bottom abalone pearls, intended for use in stud earrings. The size should be readily apparent. There are two sets of matching pearls in this particular group. A couple of the below pearls show the bottom. Bottoms are nacre, just as pretty as the top.

 

[patriciadear]

Flat bottom small baroque pearls

Flat bottom small baroque pearls

This is an assortment of larger, flat bottom, irregular/baroque Abalone pearls. Most of these pearls have 'curly' tops (and remind me of sitting or nesting birds.) Hard to imagine how they could be used in jewelry, but I'm sure it's possible. These pearls are delightful in their own way.

 

[patriciadear]

Sterling capped Abalone Tusk Pearl

Sterling capped Abalone Tusk Pearl

Abalone Tusk pearl. Set in a sterling cap.

 

[patriciadear]

Side view, Abalone Tusk Pearl with Sterling Cap

Side view, Abalone Tusk Pearl with Sterling Cap

The above Abalone Tusk Pearl is tilted on it's side in this photo. This pearl is 1 1/2 " long, 3/4" wide, and almost 1/2" deep. The pearl is silvery blue with flashes of pink, green, purple, etc. All of my pearls shimmer with the same rainbow colors.

 

[patriciadear]

Unset Abalone Tusk Pearl

Unset Abalone Tusk Pearl

This is the last of my Tusk Pearls. It's the smallest at 1 1/4" long, 3/4" wide, and about 1/2" deep. But it's also the most pristine, beautifully formed tusk pearl in my collection. Every side of this pearl is perfection.

 

[patriciadear]

The last photo

The last photo

These are two awesome views of the first, large, 2 1/4 inch Abalone Tusk Pearl posted at the beginning of the thread Caitlin calls "PatriciaDear's Abalone Pearls". I wanted you to see how lovely this pearl is from every angle, and decided to end my postings by leaving you with one last lingering view of my largest pearl: The Beautiful Santa Barbara Abalone Tusk Pearl.

 

[patriciadear]

The End

The End

One last word. Measurements for all of my pearls were taken at their widest points. I measured in inches, using a flat ruler because I realized that the process of accurately reporting exact size and weight should and will be accomplished by a professional. My objective in these posts was to indicate the astonishing color and share the size and shape of the lovely California Abalone Pearls remaining in my possession. I don't know if it's possible to find pearls like this today. I was in the right place at the right time in the '70's. And I'm grateful to the brave and generous divers who found these pearls and couldn't resist saving them. The fact that they were entrusted to me is a miracle of synchronicity: Two or more events that are apparently causally unrelated occurring in a meaningful manner.

Many thanks to friend and photographer Roger Smith for his diligent and patient perservance. And to Caitlin for encouraging and prodding me along... What would we Mermaids and Mermen do without Caitlin?
Patricia

 

[Caitlin]

There! A big visit from an Abalone Tooth Fairy right here on this forum!!!

Thank you so much for the photos!

 

[patriciadear]

You're welcome! I hope people can find their way to this string and reply with feedback and observations. It was a pleasure to share the pearls with your members, and now I'm enjoying the pearl forum site itself. By the way, if anyone is interested I noticed a few (very small) NZ abalone pearls posted on ebay. The starting prices seem low to me. Perhaps some of the pearls on Ebay were cultured? It's a puzzlement.

 

[Caitlin]

Here is a link that currently has 79 abalone pearls listed

 

[patriciadear]

Photographer Roger Smith just sent a CD, including a few more photos, so thought I'd post this one of the 2 1/4 Inch Tusk Pearl in my hand. This photo does a better job of capturing the illusive color, brilliance and sheen of this amazing pearl.

 

[Caitlin]

Hi!
Any more photos you can put up--or send to me?

Just a thought on the ebay listings. Those are retail prices on the paua pearls. They are listed at the minimum the seller needs to get to make a profit plus a little more. As no one is bidding, I can practically guarantee you can get it for the listed price. If you were a buyer who wants to resell, it will be really hard to get much of a markup on those prices.

I keep a watch on all the abalone pearl sites I can and the same pearls have been shown for more than one year in practically all of them. One site still has the same pictures they had up to 2 years ago. It looks like nothing has sold. Frankly, even the gorgeous West Coast Pearls appears to have a slowish turnover in finished jewelry. I am getting to know some of their magical mermaids by name.

Edited to add: They probably know as much as anyone about Pacific abalone pearls and current pricing. They are at the center of the new, organized business of buying and selling the pearls from locals.

The downside of Abalone pearls is that most of them are so gnarly.
The ones that aren't funky are priced way high. The weird organically shaped ones are rarely even seen on abalone sites. The ones with organic patches that can't be covered are too gnarly for the general public.

IMO it looks like there are far more abalone pearls for sale at high prices- than even retail customers want to pay.

 

[patriciadear]

Yes, think I have more photos, Caitlin.. will take a bit of time to sort through the CD to find out if they are worth posting. I tried to research ab pearls online because I wanted to figure out how people managed to photograph the illusive and shifting hues that appear in California pearls. But I couldn't find much, if anything at all. I agree, many of the more affordable pearls online are either small, compromised in some way, or wildly shaped.. It's a great time to buy if you've been yearning to own an abalone pearl, but both buyers and sellers seem stuck right now. We may be seeing the tip of the iceberg if sellers haven't changed stock for such a long time. There must be a backlog of pearls hovering somewhere? If not, then Abalone Pearls are much more endangered and rare than we realize. If anyone has pearls that resemble mine I hope they will post a photo and or comment. My pearls came from a time of abundance. A time when pollution and over harvesting did not seem like viable concepts. If pearls from a bygone era like the '60's and '70's are out there somewhere or if similar pearls still appear today, I'd sure love to see and hear about them!

 

[Caitlin]

I think some of the best are still making a living, but need more growth in sales to get the inventory moving better, as does everyone.

Paua pearls definitely seem to be far more common on the internet. California abalone pearls never developed much of a market. They are rare anyway and they were traditionally traded, given away, or sold for a pittance up until quite recently when Abalone Companies got into the business selling the pearls as well as the shells and fewer divers get to keep their findings, unless they are diving for themselves.

You may have a very "important" stash of these gems.

Circle and study this subject. It's becoming my new obsession! I'm going to armchair this!

 

[patriciadear]

What does "armchair this " mean? Magnificent obsession

 

[Caitlin]

I means I am going to research it. What else does an armchair pearlologist do?

I looked up A-pearls in Elisabeth Strack's mighty tome called "Pearls". Not much there, but she mentions Tish and Wes Rankin prominently and uses a lot of their photos. She has a kind of list of things to look for in various features of A-pearls. shape, color, smoothness of surface...

 

[patriciadear]

I'll look for her book at Amazon.. What other books do you suggest for starters?

 

[GemGeek]

Elisabeth Strack's book can be bought from the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers on their web page. Just google it.

 

[patriciadear]

Thanks! I did find one copy of the English translation of this marvelous book online....but it's a very expensive book.. going to research it.. try to find a less expensive copy. but know that may not be possible. Do you have the book? Is it well worth the price? (about $150.00) Are there any other books you might recommend?