Strange "cracks" on keshi pearls

[Pearl Angel]

Pattye Thank you for sharing your photos and experience. The color is beautiful. I have learned so much from your experience.

Jeremy The smell test description was wonderful. May I ask when you purchase keshi's from the farms how do you know what you are buying in a lot. Is it weighed or do you do x-rays in the hope of getting ones with smaller cavities?

Steve Thank you for posting the link to article, a fascinating read especially since I am a pearl newbie. The difference between the first and second formation is amazing as shown on the x ray pictures in the article.

 

[kojimapearl]

It looks to me like these pearls sat in bleach for way too long! (which is common for most white Chinese fresh water pearls!) You can see the spots!
It is unfortunate that most pearl distributors in China and Hong Kong bleach their pearls (with offices literally cooking pearls in big jars or buckets of bleach and other chemicals!) .....they were probably really pretty in their natural colors. Bleaching and especially "over bleaching" is terrible for pearls, especially for their longevity! This is a great example of why!
Sorry for your loss, but thanks for taking such great photos of this phenomenon!

 

[pattye]

Sarah,
Thank you very much for the additional insight re bleaching--yes, hopefully natural colors will win out!