Peanut pearls,accidents or deliberate seeding?

[barbaradilek]

I have a strand of “peanut” or twin pearls with a very strong orient which date back to pre WW2.They came from a garage sale in Hawaii,and the lady selling them who was Japanese said her father who had been in the pearl business had left her some beautiful pearls,but the peanuts were rubbish,thrown out and her father had collected them and made them into a choker for her mother before they married.How and why were they made?

 

[pattye]

Wow, Barbara, your twin pearls are lovely! There would have been 2 mop nucleus inserted at the same time in the oyster which then grew together instead of separately.
In PEARLS by Elizabeth Strack, describing part of the detailed Akoya grafting process:
"In most cases, two nuclei are inserted unless the nucleus is larger than 7mm. Sometimes 10 to 20 tiny nuclei are placed into one animal.........In earlier decades, it was often observed that two implanted nuclei would grow together and form a so-called twin pearl, but today's technology allows to prevent twinning." (pages 348-349)

 

[SteveM]

Wow, Barbara, your twin pearls are lovely! There would have been 2 mop nucleus inserted at the same time in the oyster which then grew together instead of separately.
In PEARLS by Elizabeth Strack, describing part of the detailed Akoya grafting process:
"In most cases, two nuclei are inserted unless the nucleus is larger than 7mm. Sometimes 10 to 20 tiny nuclei are placed into one animal.........In earlier decades, it was often observed that two implanted nuclei would grow together and form a so-called twin pearl, but today's technology allows to prevent twinning." (pages 348-349)

Thanks Pattye, great to have the Strack background! The matching is reminiscent of the patience required to compose natural pearl pieces. and the 'jacks' configuration vs. lengthwise drilling is especially interesting. Barbara, would you be able to post a photo of the piece as it hangs?