Tom Stern's natural pearls

[gtown]

natural pearls

natural pearls

what do you have and do you have a price list?

 

[Caitlin]

Hello gtown,
Steve is a collector, not a seller.

 

[Orient]

Hello, All,

I would like to reopen discussion of the topic of non-bead nucleated pearls now that GIA has issued a monograph on them.

Here is part of the issue. I have a 20mm white round that was reported by one major lab as natural. I sent it to another lab and was told it is non-bead nucleated cultured pearl. It went to a third lab which could not make a call.

When it comes to very large pearls, to believe in the theory of non-bead nucleated, we must believe the following:

1. At a pearl farm, an oyster was implanted with a bead or piece of tissue.
2. Sometime before harvest, that oyster spit out the bead or digested the piece of tissue, so the pearl sac collapsed, but the irritation of the process continued to be enough to cause the oyster to continue making the pearl.
3. That the rejection of any bead occurred before nacre enclosed the center of the pearl with a hard layer...which must take place very early on.
4. That the rejecting oyster escaped detection by xray, etc. at the pearl farm.
5. That the oyster escaped the standard racks of the pearl farm and fell to the bottom in shallow water. Or that the pearl farmer moved it to some other location, anticipating a harvest in many, many years of an oyster not fed except by natural processes.
6. That for the next 15 years the pearl grew in that oyster just below the cultured racks and was never noticed or investigated by the SCUBA divers that are always in the water. Little pearls might be just 3-6 years, but great big ones are MANY years.
7. That 15-20 years after rejecting the man-placed irritant, the divers decided to harvest this oyster.
8. That after harvesting, the pearl farmer decided to try his luck by putting the pearl on the market as a natural.
9. That the resulting Non Bead Nucleated pearl is so nearly natural in its interior make-up that laboratories have difficulty being sure.
10. That although no one admits to using tissue to culture saltwater pearls, it must be done.
11. That the laboratories can be sure that some tiny tissue nucleation creates a wholly different xray appearance than non-human intrusion by a small parasite. I am reminded of one pearl I have that has the skeleton of a fish inside it and is the subject of a GIA report.


I would really appreciate criticism of this flow scheme to correct any errors of assumption.

Sincerely,
Tom

Perhaps there are other ways in which the Keshi pearls are formed from the one example you provide? I think further research into the ways in which Keshi are formed might be useful. As far as I am aware they do not only form by the rejection of the nuclei or collapse of the pearl sac. Damage to the mantle during the operation can also provide the stimulus to produce Keshi and then there are mantle and gonad considerations to take into account too. Perhaps the feedback from a pearl farmer who is involved in the production of cultured pearls would be best? Just some thoughts to chew over, but I think that many of the questions posed become a lot trickier when the other ways in which Keshi may be formed come into play. I think there are some helpful links/references in the GIA's article on the microradiographic structures of non-bead cultured pearls.

Just my two pennies worth......

 

[DrTKStern]

Pearl of Asia High Resolution Photo

Pearl of Asia High Resolution Photo

Hi, All,

I am doing a magazine article and have a desperate need for a high resolution photo of the Pearl of Asia...the one that belonged to a Shah and was given to Emperor Qinlong of China.

Please, if you have one or know of one, send it as an attachment to my email DrTKStern@aol.com

Regards to all,
Tom

 

[Caitlin]

Hi Tom!
I reported on this yesterday. I want to move your post over to that thread.

I am quite excited about this development!

 

[DrTKStern]

Madonna and Child

Madonna and Child

Hello,

Two of our employees, when they saw this pearl, pronounced it a miracle and named it Madonna and Child.

Photograph by Jim Grahl.

GIA cert as natural saltwater pearl. 2.75 carats.

Thanks,
Tom

 

[pattye]

How beautiful! I can easily see the Madonna and Child.

 

[Caitlin]

I love it! It is a little marvel.

 

[GemGeek]

That pearl is amazing, beautiful and strangely touching.

 

[Bodecia]

Oh, wow. Just stunning. Love that 4 piece set on first page. Drool. Will have to come back on line in a few hours and check out the rest.

Dawn

dawncee333 on ebay

 

[Chameleon]

Ooo, I can see Madonna and Child too. Amazing pearl!! Ca how many mm tall, the little statue is?

Maria

 

[Mikeyy]

Ooo, I can see Madonna and Child too. Amazing pearl!! Ca how many mm tall, the little statue is?

Maria

I see an astronaut looking at a moon rock. But its still pretty.

 

[DrTKStern]

Will measure but I think about 10-12mm

Will measure but I think about 10-12mm

Ooo, I can see Madonna and Child too. Amazing pearl!! Ca how many mm tall, the little statue is?

Maria

Will measure but I think about 11-12mm. Tom

 

[GemGeek]

I see an astronaut looking at a moon rock. But its still pretty.

Thanks. Now it's really really strangely touching!

 

[DrTKStern]

Gift to Vatican

Gift to Vatican

Hello,

Two of our employees, when they saw this pearl, pronounced it a miracle and named it Madonna and Child.

Photograph by Jim Grahl.

GIA cert as natural saltwater pearl. 2.75 carats.

Thanks,
Tom

Dear All,

Now a number of people have looked at this pearl and see in it a miraculous Madonna and Child.

As part of his thesis, my son, Thomas M. Stern, researched the giving of special objects to the Vatican. Because so many people agree he has a "miraculous pearl," he has initiated the process whereby this pearl will be donated to the Pope.

Regards,
Dr. Tom

 

[Caitlin]

I am glad P-G has a record of it- arriving in this Holy Season, no less. Thank you.

I collect images of images of Our Lady in unusual places- so, nice image.

Great idea of what to do with it. Are you going to set it in a nicho/frame of some kind before you give it? Whatever will happen to it once it enters the Vatican? will it ever be seen again?

 

[Mikeyy]

I guess that leaves NASA out.

 

[DrTKStern]

I guess that leaves NASA out.

You are soooooooooooo funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mikeyy]

You are soooooooooooo funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm here all week.

 

[SteveM]

Could be very good timing for the pearl. Benedict should be acutely appreciative of a miracle or two these days.