Please tell me about sea of cortez pearls?

[Valeria101]

Hi Caitlin,

I bought them when I was in St Thomas while on a cruise to the Virgin Is. and Puerto Rico. That was in 1968.

The FAQ page on Cortez Pearls writes that cultivation started in 1993, with rounds available three years later - too late for your strand.

Tahitian black pearls were already around - with cultivation trials started in the early 60s. It would really be way cool if your strand turned out to be some of those! The stupendous colors on your pearls must be coming either from some treatment or thick nacre... the later I'd expect on pearls from early cultivation efforts. Same goes for the shape and size. Fingers crossed!

Those are very striking pearls you've got! Hope they get their ID here ... 'Bet everyone is curious (I sure am!).

 

[Kiki]

Could they be natural ones then ?


Kiki

 

[pattye]

Hi Kiki,

Wow, this is an interesting mystery! Have you considered having them checked out by a pearl specialist and qualified pearl appraiser? Most jewelry appraisers are not really knowledgable in pearls. Many gems are shipped safely, insured, through registered mail, I have done this successfully with my nicer pearl strands. (We also shipped diamonds like this all the time when I worked in fine jewelry retail.)

There is someone I could highly recommend. Sharon Wakefield is in Boise Idaho. I can give you her information if you are interested.

I agree with Caitlin that they don't look anything like Mikis-- way too baroque and too colorful. It is too hard to tell what the drill holes look like from the photos. Have you looked at them with a loupe? Is there any peeling from around the drill holes?

I'm guessing you paid a "real pearl" price for these. I suppose it is a long shot that they are naturals. That's something that one can't tell from a photo.

Still hoping Douglas from Sea of Cortez pearls will give an opinion. Also Jeremy, who is on vacation----

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

 

[Kiki]

Hi Pattye,

I have had them examined and verified that they are
genuine pearls but even my GIA certified jeweler
couldn't tell me exactly what kind the pearls are
because they had never seen the "oil slick" sheen, but
said they did not appear to be any freshwater pearl
but at least saltwater - origin unknown and called
them "Black pearls with color" .

These pearls are so precious to me, that I would not
let them out of my hands. I would appreciate the info
in case I change my mind. I've checked the drill
holes with a loupe. I couldn't find any chipping on
them but it's too dark to really see down into the
hole to see if they are natural or cultured.


I know they're not Mikimoto and never said they were

 

[Caitlin]

NO, of course you did not say they were mikis, but about the only cultured pearl company around in 1968 was Mikimoto---so I have a feeling we are all going to learn something new about pearls from this strand.

It would be very interesting to find out how pearls got to the Virgin Islands, from their place of origin. It is not a place known for pearls of any type.

If they are Mexican pearls, they are from before the current company, Sea of Cortez ever got started, but there was another operation in Mexico before the current one. The guy who ran it was mentioned in some pearl history book I read- Maybe the Kunz book, which I "lost" in my "library" somewhere.

Actually, the Sea of Cortez was the source for pearls for ages. The Spaniards pretty much worked the pearl beds to death, then, around the turn of the century, this intrepid dude started growing pearls down there. It came to an end after one of Mexico's upheavals, I think......

I just thought of tis: that the history might be in the Sea of Cortez Pearls website. I found an excellent article on the Yaquis on that site too. They seem to have frames or something, but i just found the history of Pearl in Mexico on their "site list page, when I scollled down to the bottom.

Jeremy S is off traveling I think, but he might remember. I think Doug et all will remember too.

In any case, I think this is a special necklace. Can we see more pictures? I'd like to look at the clasp.

 

[Caitlin]

Here is a page from the Sea of Cortez website on pearl history in that area. This page mentions a pearl operation around the turn of the century-

The fame of Mexican pearls increased even further when an important development took place in the Island of "Esp?ritu Santo" (near the City of La Paz), in the southern part of Lower California (Baja California Sur). This development took form as a company founded by Medical Doctor Gast?n Viv?s, who started the world's first commercial pearl oyster culture farm, this back in the year of 1893. In his farm he was able to grow some 8 million pearl oysters and employ some 1,000 employees.

He was very successful at collecting "spat" (baby oysters), rearing and developing his black-lipped oysters (Pinctada mazatlanica) for several years, and then harvesting them. The company's main product was mother-of-pearl shell, but he was able to obtain many natural pearls (non cultured) inside his oysters (an estimated 9-14% of his oysters grew natural pearls).
If you consider the fact that most modern pearl farms obtain only about 20% of saleable cultured pearls, you can begin to imagine Mr. Viv?s most extraordinary feat. And, this took place several decades before the Japanese began dreaming of Culturing Pearls...​

​

 

[Caitlin]

This is the next page in the series. If you are interested in the Yaquis or Seris and their connection to pearls, there is a live link on this page:

How Mexican Pearls became a Legend of Old.

Unfortunately, in 1914 the pearl farm was destroyed and the company's safe was looted during the attack of the Constitutionalist Army to the city of La Paz.

After the Mexican Revolution was over, Mr. Viv?s tried -in vain- to obtain an indemnization to his losses and rebuild the pearl farm. This unique and successful attempt at growing pearl oysters, the first commercial venture in the field in the entire planet, closed a chapter...
After the destruction of the "Compa??a Criadora de Concha y Perla", pearls had to be obtained solely by the means of nude diver armadas. A huge effort was done on the part of the armadores (owners of the pearl fishing fleets) and their divers.
Yaqui and Seri Indians were considered to be the best pearl divers available, diving down to depths of 15 meters (around 50 ft) in order to fish those oysters that had been left undisturbed because of the perilous depths...but as the fishing intensified, less pearls were obtained.

Later on came the helmeted divers, fishing for oysters at depths of over 20 meters (60 ft), and pearls once more started ebbing out of the waters. By the 1940's no more pearls came out of the waters around Baja California, those that were found came from Sonoran waters thanks to the Seri Indian fishery around "Isla Tibur?n". Finally -after 450 years of over fishing- the pearls from the Sea of Cortez became a legend of old...

 

[Caitlin]

Here we go: It mentions the 60's on this page:

A Lost Opportunity.

Mexican pearls are born out of two native Pearl Oyster species: the "Panamic Black-Lipped Pearl Oyster" (Pinctada mazatlanica) and the "Rainbow-Lipped Pearl Oyster" (Pteria sterna).
Both organisms are quite able of producing pearls in a wide array of colors: from an opalescent white, golden-bronze, grays, greens and blues, pinkish-violet, and all the way to jet black.
As a matter of fact, some Mexican pearls do hold some similitude to their Tahitian counterparts, although some Pearl Specialists (like C. Denis George -Australian- and Sohei Shirai -Japanese-) consider Mexican pearls to be Superior, because of their beautiful luster and unique overtones/orient.
Mexico lost the great opportunity of becoming the leading country in the culture of naturally colored

(black) pearls. The factors involved in this were many, but bad government practices and decisions were decisive.
It was back in the decade of the sixties when a pilot pearl culture station was started in the Falsa Bay, South Baja California, with the help of Australian Pearl Promoter: C. Denis George.
Mr. George had even started training a Mexican seeding technician, when the farm was seized by the State Government, the pearls were confiscated and -sometime later- the pearl farm was closed forever.

A few years later, French Polynesia was exporting black pearls...and Mexico was not.​

​

 

[pattye]

Hi Caitlin,
Thanks so much for posting all that info!

Hi Kiki,
Here is the information on Sharon:

Northwest Gemological Laboratory
Sharon Wakefield, BS ChE, GG, ISA-CAPP
phone 209 362-3938
email: sharon@gem-science.com

She is a pearl expert and pearl appraisal expert, and trusted by Jeremy Shepherd. If one does a search of her name under forums, there have been entries in the past regarding her expertise. When I talked to her last year, she said there was no one here in the Portland, Oregon area she knew to recommend, that is when I sent my pearls to her. Some people have actually brought their pearls to Boise for appraisals, when they don't feel comfortable sending them off, (which I completely understand.) I feel certain, Kiki, that if you call and talk to her, she might even be able to refer you to someone in your area that would have the expertise to identify the type of pearls.

We will be excitedly awaiting the next installment of "KIKI and Her Mysteriously Glowing Black Pearls----

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time


me

 

[Kiki]

Thank you both for all the good info! This is exciting to read!

Well, I tried to take a picture of the clasp and my
camera won't work right.* This is the best I can do.
*
It has also turned dark here. I tried, because it is
hallmarked with something, but I can't read it...but I can
see that it says "750" after the hallmark though, and I didn't
realize it was 18k...always thought is was 14k...

Now I wish I had gotten the other strand as well, that
was of a silvery pearl, but could only afford the one
long one at the time.

It was expensive then and that's why I didn't buy the
silver one.

Have to say I have not seen anything like it until I
happened upon the Sea of Cortez pictures...

 

[Valeria101]

Now I wish I had gotten the other strand as well, that
was of a silvery pearl, but could only afford the one
long one at the time.

If the gray were anything as glamorous as the ones you have... I can certainly understand...

THIS ONE came up on my weekend browsing

 

[pattye]

Hello you MEGA EXPERTS out there!!

Please, please, take a look and give us your opinion on Kiki's unusual pearls??!!!!!

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

 

[jshepherd]

I would have to go with treated Akoya for the black strand. The shape certainly looks like Akoya baroque, and the year fits Akoya, not Sea of Cortez.

 

[CortezPearls]

I am back...because of their shape they seem to be natural pearls, but the color is more than intense...we have a strand of treated freshwaters that have a similar look (purchased in Hong Kong in 2000), but their color has faded in a couple of years (actually they are now quite hideous to look at). Seems that some are using an oil based dye alongside with the more traditional artificial coloring agents, to make them have this intense coloration.

Anyway, the only real way to know (without personally inspecting these) would be:
1) X-Ray: to determine if they are cultured or natural.
2) UV Ray examination: Sea of Cortez Pearls will display a pink-red glow.

I've included a photo of the comparisson of Cortez Pearls (to the left side) and Tahitian Pearls (right side) under UV light...the difference is obvious: pinkish on Mexican Pealrs...inert (UV is "blue") on Polinesian.

Once you do these tests...it will be easy to come up with an answer.

 

[jshepherd]

The shape would lend toward natural, but not the size, color, or graduation. Combine this with the year and buying them on a cruise ship... has to be akoya.

 

[perlas]

If the gray were anything as glamorous as the ones you have... I can certainly understand...

THIS ONE came up on my weekend browsing

I think what kiki saw were lustrous silver greys. The Tahitians in the link are not shiny and thus does not look "silver". If you've ever seen south sea silver grey hamaages, you'll know what I mean (I'm trying to refrain to post a picture again!). Strack book says that a lot of grey south seas are bleached.

---------------

I've long since admired the sea of cortez pearls... actually any pearls that will come out of the pteria species.

Still out of my reach except for mabes. Once I saw a pair of rainbow mabe which is almost a full round and reminded me of cortez pearls. I should have bought it. Now it's gone and I'm still ranting. Oh well.

 

[CortezPearls]

Last Day of the 2007 Harvest...a day that will live in infamy

I still have to take photos of keshis and the loose pearls that came out of the harvest...but could not wait to take a photo of this particular pearl. I have told some of you about the "Fish Eye" (Ojo de Pescado) effect that I have ONLY seen in Cortez Pearls (this does not mean other pearls cannot have it, only that I have yet to see it). These are overtones taken to the extreme.

So, this is special for me...I present a pearl of utter magnificence. Feast, enjoy...drool if you will (I am still drooling).

Thank You God!!!

 

[nlerner]

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S ! ! !

 

[Valeria101]

PEARL OF THE YEAR !!?

Lovely concept... the best of the harvest. Only one. Each year... haven't heard of anyone doing such a promotion (not counting vine growers, just pearling), but it sure sounds absolutely delicious.

And yes, it does hurt to look at that picture... Awaiting those keshi bullets to finish the kill

 

[Perle]

Oh, wow. Wow, Wow, Wow! That is stunning!

Perle