Opinions?

[effisk]

...He was known as The Surgeon for his exceptional skill and patience when using a knife to remove the microscopically thin outer layers of an ugly majhoolah pearl to reveal a perfection of quality, color and luster underneath - an operation that sometimes took weeks...

This is what is called "peeling" by A.Matlins in her book. I wonder if many are willing to take that risk nowadays...

The full link to the article is: http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/199005/servants.of.the.pearl.htm.

Yes that's the link I posted in my message above. I haven't found much about these Arabic terms in English apart from this article.

I saw the other article too, but did not take the time to read it yet. I'm still at work, will have a look at it tonight.

 

[Caitlin]

Hi effisk
I followed the link. Great article. I found this paragraph:
"Hajji Ibrahim is still remembered by old pearl divers all over the Gulf as an extraordinary pearl man. He was known as The Surgeon for his exceptional skill and patience when using a knife to remove the microscopically thin outer layers of an ugly majhoolah pearl to reveal a perfection of quality, color and luster underneath - an operation that sometimes took weeks. Hajji Ibrahim died in 1981 at the estimated age of 111 years, one of the last of his generation totally involved in the pearl."

I heard of this man from my grandfather's stories when I was a kid and visited Bahrain the "winter" of 54-55. He is a legend in my family. I just mentioned him the other day...... now I'm glad to see his name.

 

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi FX,

The full link to the article is: http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/199005/servants.of.the.pearl.htm. It is a rather good one, too. I am still looking for an authorative link to the pearl dealers' finger language and will post it as soon as I find one. There is a certain discrepancy in the article, though Jiwan (or jawan since vowels are somewhat discretionary in Arabic) is cool pink from icy light pink to lavender and sindaali is used for warm pinks from flesh to golden peach. When the color approaches outright orange with metallic golden overtones and pink flashes, even Arabs call that padparadscha. Here's another god one from the same archive: http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/199805/city.of.pearls.htm

Zeide

 

[effisk]

...He was known as The Surgeon for his exceptional skill and patience when using a knife to remove the microscopically thin outer layers of an ugly majhoolah pearl to reveal a perfection of quality, color and luster underneath - an operation that sometimes took weeks...

This is what is called "peeling" by A.Matlins in her book. I wonder if many are willing to take that risk nowadays...

The full link to the article is: http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/199005/servants.of.the.pearl.htm.

Yes that's the link I posted in my message above. I haven't found much about these Arabic terms in English apart from this article.

I saw the other article too, but did not take the time to read it yet. I'm still at work, will have a look at it tonight.

 

[effisk]

Here's another link I just stumbled upon.
I just post the link here, I'm going to bed. Will read that site for my breakfast tomorrow.

http://www.nbd.ae/NBD/NBD_CDA/CDA_Web_pages/Pearl_Museum/arabian_waters_pearlmuseum/
The site is about Pearls in Arabian Waters.


edit: sorry for deviating from the original topic of the thread

 

[Pearlgifts]

From looking at the photo, it seems it is shell pearls but not the fresh water pearls. Am I right?

Many of the shell pearls are in the color as appeared in your photo.

 

[jshepherd]

Seriously? No, they are definitely freshwater pearls, and the colors are classic natural colors of freshwater - white, peach, and lavender. Those colors make up more than 99% of any given harvest.
Shell pearls are typically much larger (those shown are 7-7.5mm approx.). Shell pearls also tend to have exotic 'un' natural looking colors.

 

[Caitlin]

If you are referring to the picture that initiated this thread, the pearls are stated to be unprocessed cultured freshwater pearls in original undyed colors.

This was quite a coup to score and I hope it is just the beginning!

I would just love to see some of these in person, but I bet this batch is already gone

 

[jshepherd]

Which one do you want, Caitlin? Point me to the one in the picture!

 

[Caitlin]

The one(s) with the most purple Of course, orange is THE color this year! I am seeing peach- colored bridesmaids everywhere.

I already told you I find that picture inspiring. It has actually shaped my future dreams of pearls. I think maybe working with untreated, unprocessed, multi-colored, CFWP is my future in designing! I would SO LOVE to restring some of these into more rhythmical and shorter patterns. Check out posts # 6 and #10- I am ON this idea!

 

[jshepherd]

Check post 1, second from the bottom. I will get that one out to you tomorrow.
I have actually found a customer (a wedding party) for all of the pieces with the peach/white strands. It was a a random call, and exactly what she was looking for.

 

[Caitlin]

I can hardly wait to see this it in person. I do love that dark purple. Yum. Yum <claps hands and jumps up and down>

I told you I was seeing peachy bridesmaids everywhere! Wouldn't it be great to see a pic of a bridesmaid wearing one of those strands?

 

[purepearls]

I'm not so sure about these. I think they could grow on me if they were set up a little differently. I think they would look better if they were more pastel in color when blended with the white pearls versus the bold colors in the middle. If using the bold colors, I wouldn't blend them with white because the is color gradient is too drastic.

 

[jshepherd]

I am starting to think I should have just disseminated a bag of each whites and naturals to members of the forum to see what they come up with on their own! That may be a great way to come up with new creative styles!

 

[Caitlin]

Yesssss! Bags and bags of pearlsss, my preciousss, sssend them right over here!

 

[jshepherd]

Oh, I am sure you could go crazy with our loose pearl boxes, Caitlin! A couple of years ago I actually took them all to China with me to have them rematched. I came home with more than 100 strands, and they only matched about half! They were just "extra" pieces we had from different jobs.

 

[Caitlin]

I had a feeling you had something like that around.

Sounds perfect for a bead sorter like me.

Sequin-sorter too. Last summer I offered about a pound of mixed sequins on Ebay for like .99. No takers, so I got out my sorting tray and for several days, sorted every sequin into separate collors and sizes. Thousands and thousands. And thousands. I ended up with about 60 different sizes, types, colors. I bagged each one up separately and reoffered them on Ebay in lots. I think I got around $20 for them.

Better than throwing them away. And honestly, it is satisfying to sort stuff out. An endorphin session.


Here one of my eBay photos

 

[Satine De La Courcel]

Pearls, trying to design new stuff.... I would be game.....Of Course....LOL.... there seems to never be enough pearls... LOL

Cheers

 

[National Pearl]

Creative!

Creative!

"I'd like to see them in softer muted pastel colors"

I like them as well, but agree with someone else's earlier statement. Will you be making them available on your site to test the market for them?

 

[jshepherd]

No. Too much work at this point to do them in house. I was just "playing" with colors. I may have them made eventually, but am really just looking for that new, perfect combination.