Tom Stern's natural pearls

[DrTKStern]

Fabulous! Do you own these? Each one is stunning.

Yes, these are part of a recent batch of 45 more.

 

[SteveM]

Yes the Pteria Sterna pearls are very nice. With some satisfaction, they remind me of some colorful Sea of Cortez keshi in a bracelet I was lucky enough to obtain for my wife a while back.

On another subject, I was wondering if Paspaley's misfortune and liquidation of natural pearls is having any tangible effect on the market, or is it just a blip on the screen?

 

[DrTKStern]

Yes the Pteria Sterna pearls are very nice. With some satisfaction, they remind me of some colorful Sea of Cortez keshi in a bracelet I was lucky enough to obtain for my wife a while back.

On another subject, I was wondering if Paspaley's misfortune and liquidation of natural pearls is having any tangible effect on the market, or is it just a blip on the screen?

These Pterias came from the Celebes Sea, same oyster as Mexico. Pterias penguin also present in same waters. Paspaley has some fantastic naturals, but I do not notice any effect on the market..yet.

I'll bet your Pterias keshi cultured pearls are beautiful!

What is your opinion of the technical quality of the photographs themselves?

Best to all,
Tom

 

[GemGeek]

If I may chime in here, the photo is truly outstanding. It is very hard to capture all the qualities of a fine pearl in one shot. Adding more pearls, and of different colors, only complicates things.

Getting one aspect to the fore can send another aspect into oblivion. It's a light balancing act!

Thanks for sharing,
Blaire

 

[SteveM]

What is your opinion of the technical quality of the photographs themselves?

I do understand from the plural reference and the plural title of the image that it is a composite of four individual photographs. The detail and realism is amazing, and it would be nice to see the each pearl from different angles a la pearlparadise.com.

The shadows appear to be cast on a translucent surface, indicating lighting from below?

 

[SteveM]

A nagging question before retiring (in the beautiful city of Toledo, Spain) this evening:

Considering Pteria Sterna's (Concha N?car) North American origin, introduction to the Spice Islands would have come at the hand of man?in which case should naturally-occurring pearls from P. Sterna outside of Mexican waters be considered natural?

 

[DrTKStern]

Photography

Photography

I do understand from the plural reference and the plural title of the image that it is a composite of four individual photographs. The detail and realism is amazing, and it would be nice to see the each pearl from different angles a la pearlparadise.com.

The shadows appear to be cast on a translucent surface, indicating lighting from below?

Hi,

Actually he lined up all 4 pearls on a glass sheet, had lighting from several directions, and took all at once. He worked hard to get the lighting to his satisfaction. I know so little about photography, and I want feedback before I send a large number of pearls.

Thanks. Any other comment?

Tom

 

[DrTKStern]

A nagging question before retiring (in the beautiful city of Toledo, Spain) this evening:

Considering Pteria Sterna's (Concha N?car) North American origin, introduction to the Spice Islands would have come at the hand of man…in which case should naturally-occurring pearls from P. Sterna outside of Mexican waters be considered natural?

I believe P. sterna and P. penguin both occur naturally in Celebes waters. Similarly, in the new pearl book by Wada and Tempikin, a more widespread distribution is discussed. The book is reviewed on Pearl-Professor.com

After an introduction by Elisabeth Strack, a good summary of the pearl through civilisations and time, it starts with the biology of pearl oysters and their classifications. From the start, you feel in step with the authors Wada and Tempikin who reconsider the number of species and the note an inappropriate inflation in the number of species in the genera of Pteriidae. Morphology of the shell is not the ultimate criteria anymore. Local adaptation, variation and so on, are facts and are integrated into this paper.

Finally, pure zoology in a book related to pearls! Pinctada fucata, - martensii – radiata – imbricata are considered together, in one word: the akoya oyster. The following quote is crucial : “Taken together, these studies suggest that the akoya pearl oyster is a cosmopolitan, globally distributed species, characterized by substantial intra-specific variation, largely due to climate genetic differentiation and morphological plasticity.”

 

[DrTKStern]

photo

photo

If I may chime in here, the photo is truly outstanding. It is very hard to capture all the qualities of a fine pearl in one shot. Adding more pearls, and of different colors, only complicates things.

Getting one aspect to the fore can send another aspect into oblivion. It's a light balancing act!

Thanks for sharing,
Blaire

Thank you so much for your comment. He used Photo Shop, or at least indicated he might. There is a vaguely digital look to me, like a super high resolution CAD drawing. Or is it just me?

Best,
Tom

 

[DrTKStern]

Hi, All,

These photos are of new pearls reported by GIA and Bahrain Central Laboratory. They are about 10 carats each, and the pair comes from Pterias sterna.

Photos by Dale Rex Saltiel.

Best,
Tom

The pair is 18.62 carats, or more than 200 chow.

 

[DrTKStern]

A nagging question before retiring (in the beautiful city of Toledo, Spain) this evening:

Considering Pteria Sterna's (Concha N?car) North American origin, introduction to the Spice Islands would have come at the hand of man…in which case should naturally-occurring pearls from P. Sterna outside of Mexican waters be considered natural?

Hello,

Because of its blue-gray color, I suspect pearl number two comes from Pinctada margaritifera, also found in Celebes and South China Sea. Pearl #1 is Pinctada maxima, gold lip.

Best to all,
Tom

 

[john675]

The colors playing on these pearls are mesmerizing.

 

[GemGeek]

The colors playing on these pearls are mesmerizing.

You are getting sleepy....you will hand over your wallet... Muah hah ha! Pearls know their power to seduce!

 

[pattye]

Very wonderful pearls! Makes me wish for large photos of each individual pearl taken from all sides-----------

 

[DrTKStern]

Jewellery Arabia

Jewellery Arabia

Hello, All,

Next week I'll post some new photographs of pearls, including a 55 carat lunker my men just brought me.

Jewellery Arabia will be in Bahrain, November 17-21, 2009. You can find the best of the best pearls there. Airfares via Paris can be quite reasonable in that season.

It is against the law to sell cultured pearls in Bahrain, although some special dispensation for this show only was obvious last year, as in some sections there were bins of cultured pearls at VERY low prices.

Pearl strands went for $350,000 to $3,000,000.

Best regards,
Tom

 

[pattye]

Hi Dr. Tom,

Looking forward to more photos, of course! And a full report on the November sale. Fifty five carats??!! Can't wait!!

 

[hacostas]

I believe P. sterna and P. penguin both occur naturally in Celebes waters. Similarly, in the new pearl book by Wada and Tempikin, a more widespread distribution is discussed. The book is reviewed on Pearl-Professor.com”[/B][/I]

Pteria sterna does not occur naturally in Celebes waters. And there are no reports of Pteria sterna being found anywhere other than in the Pacific coast of the Americas. These two pearl oysters do not share any part of their geographic distribution.
The pearl CHAPTER by Wada and Temkin in the pearl oyster book, mentions the separate distribution of Pteria penguin (in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific) and Pteria sterna (in the Eastern Pacific).

H

 

[DrTKStern]

Pteria sterna does not occur naturally in Celebes waters. And there are no reports of Pteria sterna being found anywhere other than in the Pacific coast of the Americas. These two pearl oysters do not share any part of their geographic distribution.
The pearl CHAPTER by Wada and Temkin in the pearl oyster book, mentions the separate distribution of Pteria penguin (in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific) and Pteria sterna (in the Eastern Pacific).

H

Dear Hacostas,

What you say is also what I thought UNTIL getting two independent pearl labs reporting Pterias sterna from Celebes waters. On other similar pearls, the reading was Pterias species, or Pterias penguin; but I am simply reporting that I have certs identifying Pterias sterna from Celebes area. Both laboratories were fully aware of the origin of my pearls.

I found it interesting, but in the great scheme of things probably insignificant. I have not checked with learned malacological societies on this question, but when I have time, I'll ask a couple of professors.

All the pearls looked identical to me.

Thanks much,
Tom

 

[GemGeek]

I have been hearing about significant "drift" of pearl-bearing oysters far from their original boundaries, perhaps influenced by changes in ocean temperature/acidification. Certainly, the acidification has a major bearing on the availability of food sources.

 

[hacostas]

It is indeed interesting. However, I would say your pearls are from other Pteria species that do distribute in the Indopacific. There's at least half a dozen species of Pteria living around these waters.
You should get a photo of a Pteria sterna from the Indopacific, that would be the first documented occurrence. And it would be a big news, especially this side of the Pacific.
Hector Acosta-Salmon