what is this pearl

[pearlescence]

Ha - here's me posting a what is this pearl! Someone just asked me and I'm not sure, it was bought in Vietnam and appears to be about 15mm across (the coin is 18mm) It apparently has a nucleus as something rattles inside.
it cost $50us and is 'top drilled' (I assume the enquirer means half drilled)
I did think akoya ....but isn't it a bit big?

 

[jshepherd]

Coin pearl? It's a Chinese freshwater. They all have some sort of nucleus in them.

 

[pearlescence]

Thanks Jeremy. I didn't want to give bad news when there was a possibility of a natural and local akoya ..
Add Vinapearl in Halong bay to the tourist scamming sites then

 

[jshepherd]

Halong Bay is a tourist trap with a lot of vendors selling Chinese freshwater pearls and calling them Vietnamese akoya. On our lunch cruise the guide brought out all these Chinese fw trinkets along with photos of an akoya pearl farm to try and sell them to us. She argued pretty strongly that the pearls were Vietnamese and finally acquiesced when I pulled out my business card. Later on, she asked me what the pieces would sell for in China because she wanted to know how much her bosses were making.

There is even a sizable store in Halong Bay that is completely dedicated to pearls. They have rooms where the show tourists the process of culturing and everything. The entire store was packed with Chinese freshwater save for a few Tahitian pieces and about 4-5 strands of what genuinely were Vietnamese akoya (for a couple thousand dollars apiece). They were calling all the Chinese fw Vietnamese, and baroque akoya were called natural, not-cultured.

If someone doesn't know what they are doing, they are going to get scammed pearl shopping in Vietnam.

 

[pearlescence]

It was not your guide's finest day when you got on her boat. I almost feel sorry for her. Almost.

 

[judimcc6]

But there is this sweet little pearl farm deep in Ha Long Bay, where I bought some strands. They had incredible nacre, but were not very large. I did, as well, visit the large pearl store on the shore of Ha Long Bay and saw all freshwaters there. It's quite a little scam...My hopes are for the real Vietnamese pearl farms to become successful and produce luscious thick nacre pearls. And...world peace...

 

[lisa c]

Hi Judi, I loved your posts about your trip, and buying Vietnamese pearls, and your hostesses' reaction to your choice of yellow gold instead of white gold for the clasp! Too funny, everyone should look the thread up and read it. I can't find it right now, new kids can find it using her member name to look up her posts. Never mind, I'll try to give it a bump...

 

[lisa c]

Judi, did you ever post under judimcce, or another name? I can't find the thread you started about your buying trip to the Vietnamese pearl farm, or anywhere, and I'm lost.