Tom Stern's natural pearls

[GemGeek]

Hi,

This 18mm, 78 grain natural saltwater porcelaneous pearl comes from Murex mollusk. Very rare. In other views has GREAT flame pattern equivalent to best conch phenomena.

Tom Stern,MD
San Francisco. CA
Titan Natural Pearls

Oh, that's sooooo cool. Your super-macro photo is nothing short of awesome!

 

[effisk]

Good. I look forward to meeting you face to face. Savings for early sign-ups, and I think for Atlantis rooms, which are quite expensive...up to $25,000 per night.

I think I'll go for a cheaper alternative.

 

[knotty panda]

I was wondering, when did this presentation happen? There's no date on the article.

Looks to be Sept or Oct, 2007.

 

[effisk]

Looks to be Sept or Oct, 2007.

Just found the full GIA report about those pearls. 108 pages, 10meg.
http://perles.effisk.net/blog/images/pdf/giapearlrprt.pdf

http://pearlsofthesantamargarita.wordpress.com/

 

[DrTKStern]

The "Chow" system for valuing pearls

The "Chow" system for valuing pearls

Today I received interesting information from a man in the natural pearl business for many generations. An ancient system of valuing pearls is the "Chow" system, which he describes as per the following example.

Take 2 pearls of equal quality of nacre, shape, and luster but of different size. The "Chow" of each depends upon the square of the weight and upon the sellers baseline per "Chow", for example $100 per chow, when 1 carat equals 1 chow.

Pearl A--10 carats. 10 squared equals 100 chow. Times $10 per chow equals a price of $1000.

Pearl B--20 carats, or twice the weight. 20 squared equals 400 chow. Times $10 per chow equals $4000.

Thus price of a natural pearl, other factors being equal, goes up exponentially.

I would be interested in the comments of members regarding their knowledge of this system, and whether it was accurately presented to me today. The above definitely provides one system for valuing pearls of different sizes according to a formula which is easily modified depending on degree of prefection.

Thanks to all,
Tom Stern,MD

 

[J Marcus]

The "Chow" system that you describe roughly parallels the pricing that one finds in most precious gemstones. It is a matter of rarity and is usually set by the marketplace. They go up exponentially with size because the larger they are, the fewer there are at a ratio generally reflected in the rise in price per carat.

 

[DrTKStern]

"Chow System" origin

"Chow System" origin

The "Chow" system that you describe roughly parallels the pricing that one finds in most precious gemstones. It is a matter of rarity and is usually set by the marketplace. They go up exponentially with size because the larger they are, the fewer there are at a ratio generally reflected in the rise in price per carat.

Thanks. I have heard this is an Indian system, but it sounds like a Chinese word. Anyone know the historical origin of this system?

Best regards,
Tom Stern,MD

 

[effisk]

CHOW: a nominal weight used for pearls in the East Indies.

As read in The universal cambist and commercial instructor : being a full and accurate treatise on the exchanges, monies, weights, and measures of all trading nations and their colonies : with an account of their banks, public funds, and paper currencies, page 273

Author: Kelly, P. (Patrick) (1756-1842)
Imprint: London : Printed for the Author:, and published by Lackington and co, 1821.

Visible in the digital library of the Facultad de Econom?a de Mexico: http://www.economia.unam.mx/hm/bibdig/16/701-750.pdf

"chow" seems to be used in Sri Lanka according to this online conversion tool: http://www.etoolsage.com/converter/...lectUnit=&toolsort=5000&Meas1=&Meas2=&Result=

That's pretty much all the info I could retrieve using Google...

 

[DrTKStern]

Chow

Chow

Thanks, Effisk,

Very nice research. My impression is that the chow is more than a simple weight calculation, but includes luster, perfection, color, and other elements in order to arrive at the "Chow" assigned to a particular pearl.

I'm going to ask some of the old timers from Mumbai what they think.

Best regards,
Tom

 

[DrTKStern]

Bahraini Pearls

Bahraini Pearls

Hi,

I just returned from 10 days in the Kingdom of Bahrain, one of the world centers of the Natural Pearl business. This visit included meetings with Bahrain Customs to understand their very tight restrictions on bringing pearls into the country, meetings with the Bahrain Gem and Pearl Laboratory which must certify pearls as natural, and with some of the oldest pearl trading houses and elite jewelers in the Kingdom. One of my aims centered on determining whether, or to what degree, new Bahraini pearls exist.

Most of the traders and jewelers said that there is VERY little new pearl production in Bahrain, and some said there is none. However, I met one man who pulled a small bag from his safe to show me what he believes is essentially all of Bahrain's production for 2008. In total, this amounted to about the size of an orange, with almost all of them very small, in the 2-3mm range, however with nice shapes, good luster, and lovely colors chiefly in the cream to light gold shades, and with the largest around 9mm. In private, many traders admit many of the pearls sold come from other countries, go through the certification process at the Bahrain Laboratory, and subsequently are sold as Bahraini Certified Pearls.

Bahrain, an island kingdom approximately 45 miles by 20 miles, has oil and natural gas revenues fueling a rational modernization program, far less leveraged by loans than Dubai, where a real estate bubble threatens to burst. Bahrain hopes to weather the global recession better than most. Nevertheless, at the Jewellery Arabia show at the Convention Center, where lavish booths by Cartier, Van Cleef and Arpels, and all the big houses, volumes of sales were off more than 50%compared to last year, despite huge crowds of wealthy Saudi Arabians.

The official rules of the Kingdom state that NO CULTURED pearls may be sold or imported. However, there were tens of thousands of cultured pearls for sale at the show; and jewelers in the city all have cultured pearls readily for sale.

The general level of knowledge of natural versus cultured pearls seems highest of anywhere I have visited, and the prices of natural pearls are correspondingly favorable. The consensus opinion is that the value of natural ocean pearls is steadily increasing due to underlying demand and diminished supply. The local market favors necklaces strung of round pearls, often with the center gem only 8mm, graduating down to 2 or 3mm, but nicely matched and with good luster, commonly enhanced by any number of techniques, including bleaching, polishing, and use of other chemicals to improve the look. This working is done after the certification is completed and is considered normal, just as cutting and polishing of diamonds would be considered not only normal but absolutely required. Buyers have little interest in natural pearls that do not have perfect shape.

The government has studies in progress aiming to somehow restore the pearl fishery of Bahrain. Diving is difficult and dangerous, plus the money paid to the divers is a tiny fraction of what the pearl sells for in the marketplace. Thus, the price of pearls from some rejuvenated fishery will surely escalate.

The Bahraini people rank with the friendliest I've ever encountered, the food is good, the weather at this time of year like the nicest day in California, and very safe to stroll at any time, day or night. I highly recommend pearl lovers spend a few days in Bahrain, where tourist companies can easily arrange for you to go on a pearl diving sail, where you will dive yourself.

Best to all,
Tom Stern,MD

 

[pattye]

Thanks so much, Dr. Tom, for a most informative and comprehensive report. Did you sell some of your naturals there?

Are the cultured pearls they are selling mostly akoyas? Was thinking they might be favored by being more round than most freshwater.

 

[GemGeek]

Thanks Dr. Tom. I enjoyed your report on Bahrain very much. I would love to see it someday.

If you can sneak a photo in next time, even better!

 

[Caitlin]

Hi Dr.Tom!
Thanks for that wonderful report! I would so love to visit there again!


Actually, I am disappointed that cultured pearls are available- crushes another firmly held belief that they aren't!

Do you know what they do with the baroque pearls? After all, they are still natural.......

 

[Nerida]

Tom - great report, thankyou for the insight. If you have some photos, that would be fantastic.

 

[DrTKStern]

Thanks so much, Dr. Tom, for a most informative and comprehensive report. Did you sell some of your naturals there?

Are the cultured pearls they are selling mostly akoyas? Was thinking they might be favored by being more round than most freshwater.

There were all kinds of cultured pearls, from Tahitians to South Sea baroques for $70,000 per strand, and many cultured strands from $200,000 and up. One favorite, for sure, they called Akoya keshi, which they categorized as "naturals." This I found at odds with standard parlance.

Many experts believe that most "Akoya" pearls originate in China and undergo a secret enhancement process in Japan, after which they are re-flagged as of Japanese origin.

I saw one incredibly beautiful pearl, 21mm pinkish, a natural freshwater supposedly from the Amazon basin, mathematically spherical, unblemished high luster, for $100,000. It sure looked like a Chinese top end fresh water pearl to me; but since I didn't plan to buy it, I was ashamed to ask to study the certification. Ever hear of huge Amazon pearls? It was a first for me.

Tom

 

[DrTKStern]

Calculating Chow

Calculating Chow

Thanks, Effisk,

Very nice research. My impression is that the chow is more than a simple weight calculation, but includes luster, perfection, color, and other elements in order to arrive at the "Chow" assigned to a particular pearl.

I'm going to ask some of the old timers from Mumbai what they think.

Best regards,
Tom

In Bahrain I questioned more than 5 pearl traders, who combined had some two centuries of experience with natural pearls. All agreed the formula for Chow is the following:

A. weight of the pearl in carats squared, x 0.6518 = number of chow.

For example, a 5 carat pearl would be 5 x 5 x 0.6518= number of chow.

B. Or, using another formula, they multiply the square of the carats by 88 and then divide by 135, which is actually the origin of the 0.6518.

Why this particular mathematical formula is used I don't know. I recall one of the pearl-guide members may have been a Russian mathematician, who may be able to explain why this 88/135 has become a standard.

Finally, chow is really only used for gem quality pearls. Take a low luster, baroque natural nacreous ocean pearl...traders will think of it in carats to calculate a value. In contrast, take a gem quality, high-luster round, then the value will be based on chow, or the square of the carat weight x 0.6518, which jumps to a new level of valuation.

Best regards,
Tom

 

[pattye]

Thanks again, Dr. Tom, fascinating info, so great to have available here on the forum. No wonder the large gem quality pearls are so valuable.

 

[DrTKStern]

Birth of a Pearl

Birth of a Pearl

Hi,

To start the New Year with a curiosity....

More than a hundred different people in several nations have related to me the myth of a pearl giving birth to another pearl after being removed from the mollusk. "Prove it," I challenge them.

This photograph and explanatory text was just sent to me by a man who knows PLENTY about natural pearls and was submitted to me in support of the notion that pearls can continue to grow outside of the shell.

These photos are of Pterias species pearls, much like those in the Sea of Cortez, with some nacre.

Anyone else ever heard the legend of the birth of pearls inside a jewel box? Please post your version.

Thanks,
Tom

 

[pattye]

I'm speechless!

 

[Caitlin]

Are there any "before" pictures? Before the pearl started emerging?

The pearl world is so full of intrigues, myths, lies and fairy tales, I need some proof of the pearl emerging.

I am not denying this, I just won't accept it without some proof.