PPBs Re-Revisited

SteveM

SteveM

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Just came across an early photo of the first pearl I ever purchased, in Rarotonga. This was an unremarkable yet at least silver/gray-ish pearl intended for my mother-in-law (no joke?she's a nice lady, from Spain and appreciates pearls?thus the gift). We dutifully carried it home in its velvet bag and didn't look at it for another 3 months, at the time the gift was to be given. What a shock! As the pearl was not moved, abrasion cannot account for the loss of surface color. What is the range of possibilities?

As the seller offered our money back (kept the pearl as an educational piece), we won't divulge the name.

Already prior to this experience, we had fallen for the natural poe pipi, which was extremely fortunate from a timing/availability standpoint. But this PPB experience may offer a bit more insight into my beeline to naturals, keshi, etc.

Steve
 

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What an interesting story, Steve. Of course there are many allures to all-nacre pearls, but this is sure illustrative!
 
That's so ugly it's obscene!

Couldn't imagine what happened...So treatment gone all wrong perhaps. Although the red rot appears to be coming from inside the pearl. Maybe you should slice it to see what monster could have possibly hatched from it :confused:

It had a good fate though: to turning you towards natural pearls :)
 
Ana is absolutely correct about the decay coming from the inside out. Yuck! One the bead is placed, not much the farmer can do to prevent invading microbes, is there.
 
Valeria101 said:
That's so ugly it's obscene!
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Does it rate with the Pearl of Allah and that diamond-encrusted skull? Maybe there should be an award?

Anyway, serves to make that which is beautiful even more so!

Type: Black Pearl, probably Cook Island but just as likely substandard Tahitian, which gained entry after cyclones and farm mismanagement all but wiped out perliculture in the Cooks during the late 90s.
 
Hi Steve,

That is pretty shocking! Your photo is so good it is easy to see the decay thru the nacre. I haven't seen anything like that showing up after the pearl was purchased. Wonder how often that happens? :eek: Hopefully, very seldom!

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time
 
I'm amazed that it didn't keep you from becoming a collector. ;)
 
GemGeek said:
I'm amazed that it didn't keep you from becoming a collector. ;)
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Will take that as a challenge to lose the 'collector' tag, to be replaced by 'pearl admirer' along with everyone else here!
 
I meant it as a compliment, but if you want to be a scruffy, catch-as-catch-can pearl person like me -- the more, the merrier! ;)
 
That's pretty icky looking!! I've never seen that happen AFTER a pearl appeared normal. Steve, have you looked under the bed lately???

Slraep
 
GemGeek said:
I meant it as a compliment, but if you want to be a scruffy, catch-as-catch-can pearl person like me -- the more, the merrier! ;)
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Taken as a compliment (don't tend to use the Smilies—they do serve a purpose!). But in the interest of accuracy, I am indeed among the scruffies here, and look forward to further merriness. :)

Slraep said:
I've never seen that happen AFTER a pearl appeared normal
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Remember, it was my first 'pearl.' It was just a gray shiny ball to me at the time, and it did not get much of an inspection! No one, not even my primary source in the Cooks, can explain this phenomenon to me satisfactorily (one suggestion even included some sort of chemical reaction with the bag itself).
 
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GemGeek said:
Slreap, that needed a "Muah hah ha!" :D
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You're right GemGeek! Muah hah ha haha hah ha...!!! And maybe just looking under the bed isn't enough. Maybe a good look in dark closet corners is in order too!

Slraep
 
smetzler said:
No one, not even my primary source in the Cooks, can explain this phenomenon to me satisfactorily (one suggestion even included some sort of chemical reaction with the bag itself).
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I doubt it unless the bag had a really low Ph level. But I did hear of someone ruining pearls in the strand they were wearing when vinaigrette splattered onto some of them while the wearer was munching on a salad. The splatters went undetected and the pearls were put away only to be taken out at a later date with spots of what appeared to be eaten away nacre.

Hmmm....was the pearl perhaps worn(before you bought it) as a pendant by someone who sloppily ate some French fries laden with ketchup at Mc D's???

Seriously though, did you detect any bad odour emanating from the pearl at all after having discovered the "thing"? Could have been a pocket of rotting material that some people describe as horribly smelly when drilled through, that somehow found its own way out. Geez, blehhhck. Good thing no one was wearing it at the time.

Slraep
 
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No odors, and the spot is actually a raised area, giving the impression that it could be a remnant of the grayish layer that covered the bead upon purchase. Contamination by a caustic material (such as vinegar) seems as likely as anything. Not sure how we can definitively conclude this thread at this point unless we were to send the thing somewhere for analysis.

But I do think it is time for conclusion!

(Now, back to view those incredible 1930s Bahraini pearl/gems…)
 
I am always a little paranoid when I prepare food with my pearls on. After this thread, I will remove them when I cook (and eat).
 
The color of the bruise (for lack of a better word) and the fact that it appears to be generating from within reminded me of a pic somewhere here on the forum which I cannot find. I enlisted Blaire's help. She recalls the picture. It is one of a pearl within a pearl. While that sounds glorious, it really isn't. Perhaps our pearl farmers can tell us how that happens. Maybe its a situation where two nucleations converge and one consumes the other which then becomes parasitic. Gross, huh?

Quite the opposite of peanut pearls which join, never to be parted. My "devotion pearls", as I call them. Ah, I'm such a romantic! :)
 
Knotty, It's the first time I heard about "devotion pearls." That's so sweet! I do know about the circled pearls being called "circle of love!"

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time
 
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