What are these?

[Caitlin]

I just approved your attachment.They look like freshwaters. I am not sure they are Biwas, but I have not seen the full range of biwas, so maybe an expert will answer this.

Also your first post was so full of things to comment on, ie, your alchemical process. In my opinion the process that produces the powder you added milk to is totally transformative of the material, any organic ick is going to be carbonized. In a way the process itself so transforms the pearls that is it a metaphor for what it will do for people who use the end product (which will be comprised only of minerals). As any process so carefully carried out is really a ritual and done with focus, the preparations are as important as the end use.

I believe Strack about 99% of the time and she shows the icky pearls are being used.

 

[Netera001]

It seems you hit the jackpot on this one!
I never knew there were 'allegedly' so many different types..........

I included a piece on these when writing a book about the use of pearls but only gave them about 20 lines as I knew little about them and sort of figured they were going to be so difficult to obtain it probably was not worth discussing their medicinal value.

Bezoar Stone is quite well know in Unani (Traditional Arabic Medicine) and also features in many Chinese preparations (usually called Calculus Bovis - Bezoar Stone / gall-bladder stone). Given the amount of these medicines made it does make you wonder where all these stones are coming from!
I'll simply leave it that - they are probably not worth mentioning too much until someone can study one up-close.
To be honest the pearls are enough to consider, and are quite fascinating in their own right.
Thanks for looking into the Nava-Moti (9 pearls) etc.
Andrew

 

[Netera001]

can you define icky and strack? - not sure what this means?

 

[Caitlin]

When I looked for the link to the scientists article, it went to Imperial Pearls ??!! the I found this comment from PearlGully

Wondering if this is the same pearl....... In the current issue of "Gem & Gemology" Spring 2008, page 86; I will quote only three sentences from the article. "The Dubai Gemstone Laboratory recently received for identification a 642 ct opaque, banded, yellow-to-brown and white sample that the client represented to be an elephant pearl."........... (conclusion) "The structural characteristics and gemological properties of this sample were consistent with those reported for imitation elephant pearls by Mann and Brown (2006). Consequently, it was identified as a manufactured object fashioned from a molar tooth of, most likely, an Asian elephant."

http://www.imperialpearl.com/Imperial/Pearl-education/Unusual-Pearls.asp The bottom of this page has some kind of mustika pearl though it is not named.

this is an elephant pearl on kari's pages

Googleimages: https://www.google.com/search?q=ele...dAY6UjALo9oGgBQ&ved=0CDAQsAQ&biw=1149&bih=589

An incredible variety of elephant pearls can be found here. None of them look like the one in Strack.

While it is more likely there are elephant pearls than most other kinds of mustika pearls, it seems apparent the the real ones do not come on the market and are not displayed. What we see commercially, is a huge variety of elephant pearls, all manufactured, so far.

After I wrote all that, I think there probably are real elephant pearls and that one Strack photographed could be real, because she moves in the highest circles. If that one is the real one, none of the others look like that, but are usually smooth and egg like. I think these are substitute pearls and Strack may have the only known photo of a real one, because they would only belong to the most elite families and never get to the market. What does get on the market is the substitute stuff. In fact the market is almost 100% fantasy, except for the conch and mollusk pearls.

 

[Mikeyy]

I don't know how medicinal it can be if the oyster spit it out. Just sayin' And BTW I take offense that they would remove the nucleus. That is probably the best part.

 

[Caitlin]

Mikeyy! You joker! Will you come to Tucson? Put your name down on the 2013 list

 

[pattye]

Ah, Mikeyy, our resident divergent thinker! This has been an amazing conversation!

 

[Caitlin]

So sorry!
Ick and icky are slang, meaning disgusting.
Strack is Elisabeth Strack's book Pearls the most definitive book on pearls written so far. about $125 including postage. Possibly at the GIA educational site.

 

[Cyril Roger Brossard]

To answer one question posted about possible health issues /contamination. The heating process used in these remedies can be in excess of 800c so no problems, also if M.O.P (which is also a medicine in Rasa Shastra called Sukti) is used to create the bead/nucleolus (did I get that right?), it?s also has accepted medicinal qualities and so no problem to have it included in the material. Due to the processing of many alchemical remedies its almost impossible not to have some level of contamination present, even the best samples often have variations and hidden elements present. Interestingly all these materials (of animal origin) have different properties, cowrie shell is quite different in its action to pearl (one is heating the other cooling). Even though they are both essentially calcium carbonates they have different effects on the body.

I had an XRD analysis done on the finished bhasma of pearl and found it to be comprised mostly of: calcium, potassium, carbon with trace elements of sodium, phosphorus and sulphur -so all in all - quite a bag of goodies

So all proteins, fatty acids, triglycerides, cholesterol and ceramides are gone... But as you mentioned, the objective is more of the extraction of "calcium, potassium, carbon with trace elements of sodium, phosphorus and sulphur"...
The medical application isn't comparable with the branch that would use the nacrein and lipid extracts, and the predisposition of the patient (receptiveness to the cure) is as important as the components you may extract from the slow incineration process.

Thank you for the very informative post. Much appreciated.

 

[kojimapearl]

Fascinating thread. I have thought a lot about why certain people are drawn to pearls more so than other gems.. And have sold many pearls for medicinal use. Most all of the rest of this thread is new to me... Thank you all!
Caitlin.. This is a fantastic sentence : "In fact the market is almost 100% fantasy, except for the conch and mollusk pearls." so clearly defining the mysticism and real medicines of these cultures, and as well affirming my long standing belief which is that... i believe that most all of these animal pearls probably exsist, but if you show me one... i probably won't believe you.

Cyril , this is SO true : "The medical application isn't comparable with the branch that would use the nacrein and lipid extracts, and the predisposition of the patient (receptiveness to the cure) is as important as the components you may extract from the slow incineration process."

I have very much enjoyed this thread, thanks... Going to sleep to make some dream pearls now

 

[Cyril Roger Brossard]

Cyril , this is SO true : "The medical application isn't comparable with the branch that would use the nacrein and lipid extracts, and the predisposition of the patient (receptiveness to the cure) is as important as the components you may extract from the slow incineration process."

Thank you.

I think there probably are real elephant pearls and that one Strack photographed could be real, because she moves in the highest circles. If that one is the real one, none of the others look like that, but are usually smooth and egg like. I think these are substitute pearls and Strack may have the only known photo of a real one, because they would only belong to the most elite families and never get to the market. What does get on the market is the substitute stuff. In fact the market is almost 100% fantasy, except for the conch and mollusk pearls.

I might be wrong, but shouldn't be "elephant pearls" dissociated from pearls composed of nacre?
Dentine or hydroxylapatite does not qualify as "nacre".

 

[Netera001]

The Arabic tradition of Tibb (Unani Medicine) prepares pearls by the use of rose-water only. They are simply ground into a fine powder with freshly disttilled rosewater and ground for 20-30 hours - they sieved after fully drying. This method is called Pisti. Its actually quite soothing, I've tried it. Its also very cooling.
Like most alchemical - based medicines there are many varied ways to prepare lots of minerals and metals, its not limited to animal products.

The use of pearls is mentioned in the Purana's (India), so there use is pretty old. They still seem to prefer the use of marine pearls to freshwater though.
I was wondering if its possible to get hold of some Abalone pearls to try them?
I expect they are quite costly?
The Chinese use Abalone shell as medicine - its much like MOP in energetics........

"The medical application isn't comparable with the branch that would use the nacrein and lipid extracts. (No these would be destroyed during the heating process).

and the predisposition of the patient (receptiveness to the cure) is as important as the components you may extract from the slow incineration process."

Bhasma's seem to work regardless of the patients state of mind, most often patients (in Ayurveda) are not told what the remedy contains, much like a GP never sits down with a patient to discuss what's in the magic pills........ha
These formulations have been around for about 2000 years + so if they were non-performance I imagine they would have ditched them by now.

 

[Cyril Roger Brossard]

Bhasma's seem to work regardless of the patients state of mind, most often patients (in Ayurveda) are not told what the remedy contains, much like a GP never sits down with a patient to discuss what's in the magic pills........ha
These formulations have been around for about 2000 years + so if they were non-performance I imagine they would have ditched them by now.

Most definitely. I would never implicate understanding the foundation of such ancient practices. I have heard feedback from acquaintances being uplifted by such method. Alas and despite having being exposed to a variety of culture and beliefs myself, I remain quite unsure of such practice, I have seen, I have tried and I have been left unconvinced...

My point remains as receptiveness to a cure is not to be confined to "traditional" methods. I believe that the brain holds much more power than any mineral, or organic extract may it be done by a millennium old shared knowledge or by the state of art medical center.
Thank you again for your very informative input. I shall try to find some reading materials about this topic.


PS: My doctor does tell me what is in the pills that he/she would prescribe, I think it is just the duty of the patient to show interest in the process.

 

[Ramona]

Interesting posts. I think I am one of these stubborn patients that always wants to know what's in the pill and why. But then I also cancelled my health insurance and ditched all my doctors a couple of years back and am taking care of myself now. I do use some Ayurveda remedies, though. There is definitely a value in traditional methods, but it is often hard to decipher the mechanisms. And quality control is a problem.

 

[Netera001]

Alas, this is a massive problem, batch quality varies wildly..........its better to know the manufacturer or at least the supplier. Many remedies are actually quite easy to make, so its worth a go sometimes. Some Ayurvedic formulations are quite easy to produce, just a few herbs, along with oil or ghee.

Getting back to pearls, I was contacted by a friend yesterday who was recently visited a factory in Nepal making pearl remedies, he said the pearls were sweet-water from China, so it seems they (at any rate) they show no preference for marine of freshwater.

 

[pearlescence]

Thinking about it, fresh or sweet water pearls are more likely as ingredients in localised and old remedies since they are more likely to have been available to the local medicines maker in times when there was no international trade.

 

[Ramona]

So, is it possible for heavy metals to accumulate in pearl nacre? It would appear that might otherwise be a problem given the increasing pollution.

 

[pearlescence]

Pollution will kill off the mussels which would sort of solve the problem #biwa

 

[Cyril Roger Brossard]

So, is it possible for heavy metals to accumulate in pearl nacre? It would appear that might otherwise be a problem given the increasing pollution.

Absolutely, if we are indeed talking about china you may consider a study (Trace metal distribution in sediments of the Pearl River Estuary and the surrounding coastal area, South China) lead (no pun intended) by the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, The State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, and The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou.

Surface sediments and sediment cores collected at the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) and its surrounding coastal area were analysed for total
metal concentrations, chemical partitioning, and Pb isotopic compositions. The distribution of Cu, Cr, Pb, and Zn demonstrated a typical diffusion
pattern from the land to the direction of the sea. Two hotspots of trace metal contamination were located at the mixed zone between
freshwater and marine waters. The enrichment of metals in the sediments could be attributed to the deposition of the dissolved and particulate
trace metals in the water column at the estuarine area. The similar Pb isotopic signatures of the sediments at the PRE and its surrounding coastal
area offered strong evidence that the PRE was a major source of trace metals to the adjacent coastal area. Slightly lower 206Pb/207Pb ratios in the
coastal sediments may indicate other inputs of Pb in addition to the PRE sources, including the inputs from Hong Kong and other parts of the
region.

Conclusion was that: clear anthropogenic inputs of trace metals such as Co, Cr, Cu, Pb,and Zn of the sediments in the estuary were significantly higher than those at the coastal area.

Hence, getting pearls for mineral extraction in the 21st century may NOT be as good as it would have been if performed a few thousand years ago (as stated by Netera001 :These formulations have been around for about 2000 years +.)

 

[Daddys Little Pearl]

Just discussed this today with someone very experienced in the history and uses of the Tennessee freshwater pearl industry, and the Tennessee pearls have been used for a long time for medicinal etc, due to their higher purity, especially the natural ones . Although probably no pearls are as pollution free as decades ago, the freshwater in the USA areas may have at least slight higher purity from such.

Daddys Little Pearl