Natural pearls of pinctada

[pattye]

I'm stunned! Those are just amazing!

 

[lisa c]

The 'eyeball' pearls of Douglas' mini documentary were pretty cool! "and now, for something completely different"...

and thank you for the updates and fleshing out the story.

 

[Caitlin]

Can you describe what we are seeing? They look non nacreous......

 

[DrTKStern]

Melo or P.maxima?

Melo or P.maxima?

Douglas's squid-eye lens gives us another range of possibilities among the strange objects that come from the sea. While glass remains the chief suspect, who knows…his source was a trusted diver.

Budi was also the subject of my thread/diary here detailing the process of acquisition of a purported natural SS pearl and the final determination that it was beaded. He learned from both experiences and focused entirely on non-nacreous pearls after that.

Below is a pair of well-matched, GIA-SPECIES-CERTIFIED Pinctada Maxima natural pearls. Just to keep everyone thinking!

All,

Looking at those two pearls in the posting above, #19, please post a clear copy of the GIA report. I've had identical pearls named by labs as Melo species.

Best regards,
Tom

 

[SteveM]

Tom: The pearls are not mine, they are offered by a known natural pearl trader in Bangkok with frequent GIA contact. Thus the certificate is not in question although I have not seen it. The organic composition of the pearls is no doubt a known genetic miscue witnessed by the cultured pearl industry (thus the species confidence). One must assume that the appearance of organically-dominated concretions such as these would cross mollusk family boundaries given that aragonite microstructure is out of play.

Very complex issue, certainly another example of pearl certification being even the most well-prepared laboratory's best educated guess.

 

[Caitlin]

this counterpoint really illustrates, that no matter how much integrity in the process-or knowledge of the subject, there is that stuff that just doesn't fit in boxes. It would be great to compare the two in photos......

 

[Cees]

I live in Bangkok, if I can do something to supply, like pics, a copy of the report please let me know where to go and then I will let u all know

 

[DrTKStern]

Tom: The pearls are not mine, they are offered by a known natural pearl trader in Bangkok with frequent GIA contact. Thus the certificate is not in question although I have not seen it. .

Steve, Is it possible to ask the holder to send you a copy of the GIA report? Thanks. Tom

 

[DrTKStern]

All,

Looking at those two pearls in the posting above, #19, please post a clear copy of the GIA report. I've had identical pearls named by labs as Melo species.

Best regards,
Tom

All,

And since we learn this pearl comes from a Bangkok holder, that is the very lab that read my perhaps identical pearls as a Melo species. I'm just wondering. They are beautiful pearls.

Tom

 

[SteveM]

I had not considered that my statement regarding GIA certification would be called into doubt.

The GIA certificate is not mine to share, but it contains the following results:

(Regarding the two pearls in my prior post, each approximately 11mm in diameter)

Natural Pearl Certification Report
Date: August 13, 2010
GIA Report 7112337285


ID:
Natural pearls, saltwater, Pinctada Maxima (silver- or gold-lipped pearl oyster)
No indication of treatment

Detailed description:
Pearl A: Near-round. Pearl B: Round
Bodycolor: A: Orangy brown, natural. B: Yellowish brown, natural.

Comments:
Surfaces: Non-nacreous [leaves open the question of organic vs. calcareous]
Pearl A: Heavily polished. Pearl B: Polished.


In any case, it would seem that Nautilus is far from the only case of pearl certification based almost entirely on anecdotal provenance. While not yet a reality, genomic analysis of pearl proteins for species determination would be a very welcome development. Working on it?

 

[natural]

Both Of Them are CASIS CORNUTA PEARL

Both Of Them are CASIS CORNUTA PEARL

Dear mr.steve

I will let you know about the pearls in your post #19, both of them i got from cassis cornuta pearls not from pintada maxima and was sold out to bangkok.
and i have more like this species in my shop. The expert should know about it too.

regards
natural

 

[DrTKStern]

Toward identification of unusual pearl types

Toward identification of unusual pearl types

Dear mr.steve

I will let you know about the pearls in your post #19, both of them i got from cassis cornuta pearls not from pintada maxima and was sold out to bangkok.
and i have more like this species in my shop. The expert should know about it too.

regards
natural

All,

Those do not look like any Cassis our men have found in almost identical waters to Natural's; which makes it even more interesting if we can take a look at the GIA report. I'm going to write a piece about unusual pearl types for my thread, exploring various reasons why such widely varying opinions can exist.

Tom

 

[SteveM]

As the pearls were sold to the Bangkok dealer as Cassis Cornuta, GIA's certification of species as Pinctada Maxima was not provenance-based as surmised in my prior post. Nonetheless, the GIA technician seems to have justified his conclusion based on other experience. Would be nice to hear his comments.

 

[Caitlin]

Pinctada, Melo, cassis cornuta? What is going on?????

 

[SteveM]

Pinctada, Melo, cassis cornuta? What is going on?????

A glimpse of the occasional inadequacy of applied science in the certification and identification of natural pearls. We have seen this in spades over at the Nautilus thread. Per my prior post, a word from the GIA technician regarding this certificate would be very helpful.

Tom, look forward to reading that forthcoming post on your thread.

 

[Cees]

Trocadera is close to where I live ( http://www.trocadero.com/directory/Traditional_Collectibles:Geological30.html ), I will pay them a visit soon and will ask them if I can have a look at the GIA report and maybe they let me take a photo.

 

[Cees]

I mean Ceylon Jewels, where these pearls are supposed to be.

 

[SteveM]

…have a look at the GIA report and maybe they let me take a photo.

No one should be kept in suspense here, the information I have provided is transcribed from a scan of the certificate kindly provided by the dealer. So the certificate and its contents are not in doubt, albeit subject (as all such certificates are) to correlation with GIA's archived copy of the same certificate.

Edit: I have belatedly realized that recent posts here have had in mind my earlier statement I had not seen the certificate. I was referring to the original, and apologize for the lack of clarity. I do not suspect digital tampering, nor would there be a motive of any kind. As it has been shown here that the dealer purchased and received the pearls as Cassis Cornuta, his only justification to offer them as Pinctada Maxima is the valid GIA certification. In fact, said certificate left him very little choice!

 

[natural]

Dear All
As i told in my post #31 that both of the pearls i got from cassis cornuta,,! and i sold to Bangkok.
I made source for this species too about that i always found like this pearls.
this is the picture what i got from cassis cornuta.

i wish the expert do not make wrong in the future to give descriptions about the pearls..!

regards
natural

 

[natural]

Dear all
can check my page too in :
http://www.facebook.com/onaturalpearl

regards
natural