Tom Stern's natural pearls

[DrTKStern]

I stumbled upon Mr T Sterns' remarkable suite of royal jewels earlier on in the thread. This set is are absolutely beautiful! The pearls with the high carat gold look so luxurious together.

Tom, could you please tell us more about this beautiful and immensely interesting suite of jewels if possible.

You mention the suite is probably 17th century. Could I ask, what makes you think they are 17th century? - on first impression, from the one photograph, the jewelry looks to me to be more in keeping with victorian era jewelry. Are the pearls themselves 17th or earlier?

Hi,

My knowledge of jewelry history makes a very small island. The lore associated with those pearls/setting places it in 17th C, and I have no precise dating. So I am very interested in your opinions, in depth, especially if you have similar examples. I've ploughed through the waves of that region and have never seen another, but all may have gone as loot to some pirate.

Best regards,
Tom

 

[DrTKStern]

Nautilus Pearls

Nautilus Pearls

Hi to all,

I have read all 120 pages of a pre-publication copy of Ken Scarratt's monograph on Nautilus pearls. He heads the GIA Laboratory in Bangkok, and has studied every known Nautilus pearl in his lab, a total of 5 in the world. Once his monograph is published, I'll post a link to enable everyone to purchase it, which is filled with incredible photographs, scientific data, testing data, etc.

In the monograph, he also studied, authenticated, and reported on an even rarer pearl, the only one of its kind, from Argonauta, or "Paper Nautilus," which I found a few months ago.

Best regards,
Tom Stern,MD

 

[GemGeek]

Hi to all,

I have read all 120 pages of a pre-publication copy of Ken Scarratt's monograph on Nautilus pearls. He heads the GIA Laboratory in Bangkok, and has studied every known Nautilus pearl in his lab, a total of 5 in the world. Once his monograph is published, I'll post a link to enable everyone to purchase it, which is filled with incredible photographs, scientific data, testing data, etc.

In the monograph, he also studied, authenticated, and reported on an even rarer pearl, the only one of its kind, from Argonauta, or "Paper Nautilus," which I found a few months ago.

Best regards,
Tom Stern,MD

Wow, I can't wait!

 

[DrTKStern]

Nautilus Pearls

Nautilus Pearls

Hi, All,

Sorry for delay as I was deep in Celebes area. I have a GIA cert for a Nautilus pompilius.

Best regards,
Tom




#74 (permalink) Today, 02:05 PM
jshepherd
Super Moderator
Senior Pearl-Guide.com Pearl Expert Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Santa Monica, CA
Posts: 2,697

I spent some time talking with Ken Scarrat about Nautilus pearls. He had some pretty convincing comments about their provenance. I'm looking forward to reading about them when he publishes.
__________________
Jeremy Shepherd
President and Founder
PearlParadise.com, Inc.

 

[DrTKStern]

New Jeweller Article

New Jeweller Article

Hello, All,

I wrote an article for this Emirates/India magazine and I'm trying to upload it for you. In the Jan-February issue, I also wrote a lengthy article on Nautilus Pearls, which has lovely photographs.

Oops! I guess the file is too big. I'll keep fiddling with it, or trying to find an online link.

Regards,
Tom

 

[DrTKStern]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Slraep
Perhaps it should now be called THE NOT-ILUS PEARL?

Slraep

Hello to all,

Really, quite a brilliant play on words by the doubter.

But if the Not-Ilus pearl did not come out of a nautilus shell, a type of pearl which is recorded in official records going back a century, men threaten to kill someone for lying. Scientifically, this is irrelevant, but it does reflect the incentives to be honest. Of course threats could be mere posturing, however life in those seas can be violent.

Within a few miles, 9 people, including 2 or 3 Red Cross workers, have been kidnapped and continue to be held for ransom for almost 100 days, despite 7,000 soldiers on a manhunt. Hunting for pearls at sea, one comes into contact with such desperate pirates as the kidnappers.

Regardless of the background stories, and putting self-interest aside, wouldn't I put my confidence in someone who has inspected up to almost a million pearls a year, who heads the most respected laboratory on our planet, and who sought consultation from colleagues? Or should I count on a Flat Earth society, that reckons by sorcery?

When one of my patients needed surgery for brain cancer, we used every tool available to be sure before we cut. Had a doubter stood outside the operating room chanting, "Not Cancer" on each and every case, once or twice they would have been right, but we would have placed little predictive value on such opinions.

Pfaw! It's late and I've got too much to do before BaselWorld. I'll talk with a guy in Europe who will show me his possible Nautilus, I hope with a nice swirl.

Regards to all,
Tom

 

[Slraep]

Picture of a clam pearl from JNorris' collection that he generously posted to another thread.

https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/52699-post94.html

 

[effisk]

Picture of a clam pearl from JNorris' collection that he generously posted to another thread.

https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/52699-post94.html

Iit does look similar!

 

[DrTKStern]

Studying subtle differences

Studying subtle differences

Iit does look similar!

Yes, now look for the differences. On a pathology slide taken from a tumor, the differences between cancer and non-cancer can be EXTREMELY subtle...ask any Pathologist. Sometimes it can take young doctors years of training to be able to see the differences. Similarly with radiographic imaging.

In comparison, if you look carefully, you can immediately begin to see distinctions between my Nautilus pearl and the Not-Ilus pearls. Look at mine, look at theirs. 100% of the time you would be able to pick mine on the second try of any lineup.

Regards,
Dr. Tom

PS: I'll try to report from BaselWorld, perhaps on a million dollar wristwatch, the pearl market there, and the gem markets where some say 70% of the world gem business takes place.

 

[DrTKStern]

BaselWorld

BaselWorld

Hi to all,

Attended all but the last day of BaselWorld in Switzerland, where booths could run to $1,000,000 for the week, three stories tall decorated with Formula 1 racing cars, many booths with kitchens and food for potential buyers. Plenty of buying going on, though, according to several vendors, not quite as good as in some years past. Diamonds sparkled everywhere. HUGE emeralds glowed in many showroom windows. Every famous watchmaker exhibited remarkable timepieces.

The offerings of extremely high end cultured pearls, and cultured pearl jewelry constituted a large part of the exhibitions, which took place in 6 large halls. Overall, the show is far smaller than Tucson, but incomparably higher in prices and quality on the average.

Regards to all,
Tom

 

[Valeria101]

Anything particularly noteworthy among said pearls? Design?

Haven't heard 'Tucson' and 'Basel' in the same sentence often at all... This strange year makes some comparison interesting, perhaps.

 

[DrTKStern]

Anything particularly noteworthy among said pearls? Design?

Haven't heard 'Tucson' and 'Basel' in the same sentence often at all... This strange year makes some comparison interesting, perhaps.

Ever-increasing use of multi-colored pearl necklaces, most of which seemed to be heavily processed to increase surface reflections, plus a saying (I think by the President of Mikimoto, but could have been someone else) from the Dubai World Pearl Forum, "Diamonds are a Pearl's Best Friend."

Why? I think that with the collapse of prices for cultured pearls, the way to get money out of buyers is to dazzle them with diamonds.

Also, very large "Keshi" (15-20mm) in high demand, despite the misnomer that has come into vernacular use, because the culturing process has become so efficient that big Keshi have become very rare and are used in spectacular baroque necklaces of high cost.

Why are baroques becoming more interesting and higher value? In Paris on the Rive Gauche I saw some 15mm glass balls coated with something that made them indistinguishable to my eyes from a top-end cultured, but for $25 each. So, baroque go up in value because perfect round cultureds are so easy to imitate with synthetic processes that satisfy most consumers...and presently I don't know of any manufacturer making baroque shapes. If anyone knows of synthetic baroques, I'd really like to get one.

Best,
Tom

 

[Pearlgully]

Also, very large "Keshi" (15-20mm) in high demand, despite the misnomer that has come into vernacular use, because the culturing process has become so efficient that big Keshi have become very rare and are used in spectacular baroque necklaces of high cost.

Hi Tom,
I'm confused. What misnomer are you referring to; is this it, "..... because the culturing process has become so efficient that big Keshi have become very rare ....."? Are you saying SS keshi are not rare?

Also, do you happen to remember the prices of these keshi strands?


Gail

 

[DrTKStern]

Hi Tom,
I'm confused. What misnomer are you referring to; is this it, "..... because the culturing process has become so efficient that big Keshi have become very rare ....."? Are you saying SS keshi are not rare?

Also, do you happen to remember the prices of these keshi strands?


Gail

By misnomer, I meant that keshi originally meant small pearls, and now the term is being applied to non-bead nucleated cultured of huge size. Rarity is increasing due to the pearl farms finding out early the bead is no longer inside the shell. SS keshi are indeed rare and increasingly so. One strand of 17-18mm with nice color matching cost about 22,000 Euros, or about $28,000.

Regards,
Tom

 

[pattye]

Tom,

As always, interesting commentary from you. Here's a link to the Majorica collection, pretty classically done, with a number of baroque and even some ringed pearls. http://http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/templates/P5.jhtml?itemId=cat000197&parentId=cat000160&masterId=cat2830733&cmCat=&page=&view=all&filter1Type=&filter1Value=&filter2Type=&filter2Value=&filterOverride=&sort=&icid=viewall

But--I do not think they would really fool anyone, nor do I think that is what Majorica is trying to do. I thought the single baroque/ringed pearl pendants were interesting---I had not seen those before.

 

[DrTKStern]

Tom,

As always, interesting commentary from you. Here's a link to the Majorica collection, pretty classically done, with a number of baroque and even some ringed pearls. http://http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/templates/P5.jhtml?itemId=cat000197&parentId=cat000160&masterId=cat2830733&cmCat=&page=&view=all&filter1Type=&filter1Value=&filter2Type=&filter2Value=&filterOverride=&sort=&icid=viewall

But--I do not think they would really fool anyone, nor do I think that is what Majorica is trying to do. I thought the single baroque/ringed pearl pendants were interesting---I had not seen those before.

Hi, Pattye,

They were not like Majorica. Made in France, a single outlet. Much less dense, great orient. Next month I have another meeting in Paris, and I'll buy a strand for photographs.

Best, Tom

 

[knotty panda]

But--I do not think they would really fool anyone, nor do I think that is what Majorica is trying to do. I thought the single baroque/ringed pearl pendants were interesting---I had not seen those before.

I think it's Nerida who has been handling these for some time and has posted pics.

 

[effisk]

Hi, Pattye,

They were not like Majorica. Made in France, a single outlet. Much less dense, great orient. Next month I have another meeting in Paris, and I'll buy a strand for photographs.

Best, Tom

I know these guys. Their pearls are very popular for fashion shows and photography. They do look very good. I asked about their process but they are very secretive about it.

Rive gauche? I believe they are on the other bank, rive droite.

 

[Nerida]

Hi all - sorry, hadn't caught up on this diversion in this thread... umm, Pattye, by the look of those prices Majorca must be the Tiffany's of the faux pearl world.. Yes, as knotty said, I do carry ringed and baroque shaped imitation pearls - I actually am trying not to, but keep getting asked for them. I sell 12 or 14mm baroque shaped "pearl" strands for well under $100 and sometimes feel guilty about the markup as they are very inexpensive for me to buy.. If I could get prices like Majorca for the pieces I would be very happy!! When I did the trade fair recently for the gift industry, I deliberately left the imitation pearls out of my range because giftwear retailers wouldn't necessarily be prepared to learn the difference between real and fake.

I am interested in the French product.. any link effisk?

 

[effisk]

I think they have a website, I'm not sure. I have their card somewhere, I will check that tonight and post the info I have.