Where can I buy Mabe Pearls?

[pearlescence]

you can't buy them from me- certainly when you search the website for marbe as someone did yesterday.....

 

[New Zealand Natural Pearl]

Cultured Abalone Mabe

Cultured Abalone Mabe

Thanks Marcus - the ring is our design anything we post
are ours - just to remind you Rob is a Manufacturing jewellery.
Andrew - Oakura is in Taranaki - North Island West Coast.
We can look and see Mt Egmont one way and the sea the other.
Surf and ski all in one day that is what we are famous for.
We only posted these cultured Paua Mabes to keep this thread
moving - nothing had been posted since July. As you would know
we specialize in the natural abalone pearl but from time to time
we are offered cultured. These were from a farm in our region.
I do believe the farms for culturing are in the South Island.

 

[olmander]

Hi Carlo,

I am a bit to late to check the news and to respond, but maybe it still may be helpful.
I saw osmena pearls in a Chinese shop in the center of Amsterdam, even bought one last winter, and as I noticed last week, they still have them. So, if you ever travel from Germany to Holland, you may look (give me a shout, I'll tell you directions). I also bought one and we discussed it earlier on the forum because I was also confused about its origin (they sell it as blister pearls). It was very helpful and I learned a lot about these pearls. See the thread https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/natural-pearls/2241-large-blister-pearl.html

Best regards

Olga

 

[louise]

mabe or osmena gray pearl post earrings

mabe or osmena gray pearl post earrings

I am looking for a pair of half-oval 1/2" mabe or osmena gray pearl post earrings in silver settings, just like the pendants Caitlin posted (but on posts . Thank you so much for letting me know where I may look!

Louise

 

[jerin]

Hi Louise and welcome to the forum.
In October 2007 I purchased an Osmena pearl pendant from this seller: blgm 1959.
If you want to send an e-mail, write to tigshad@hotmail.com.
Name of the seller: Bridget Grassick.
I do not know if she has earrings made out of Osmena but you could try it, anyway.
Good luck!

 

[louise]

Thanks, Inge!

 

[antiguamarie]

oval blue mabe pearl?

oval blue mabe pearl?

Hi, I'm new to the forum, and know nothing about pearls -- hoping to get help from the experts.

I saw and fell in love with a ring made with a beautiful "stone" which, based on the photo attached, a few jewelers have since told me is an oval blue mabe. I'm trying to find a similar one -- you can't see it in the photo, but the blue color has rose and purple rainbow tones and its very iridescent, almost metalic - just beautiful.
I have a jeweler who will make the ring, but she isn't a pearl specialist, and says she can find lots of round blue mabes, but so far no oval ones, and the large oval shape is important to the design.
Does anyone know a) if this really is a blue mabe, or maybe something else like an osmena shell; and b) where could I/my jeweler find such an oval blue mabe to buy?
Thanks in advance for any assistance or advice you might be able to offer.

 

[Caitlin]

That has too much color for an osmena- IMO. It's gorgeous!

 

[GemGeek]

It looks like it could be a natural or cultured abalone pearl. Paua abalone pearls are the most colorful. I say it might be natural because of the height, but osminas can be dyed to produce the color on your pearl if it was a good speciment to begin with. However, jewelry grade abalone pearls are very rare and expensive and it would be reflected in the purchase price. There is a rare chance that it's a mabe with a colored insert, which takes advantage of the superior orient on normally gray mabes from the pteria penguin oyster. Sorry for the TMI!

 

[GemGeek]

You might enjoy looking through here:
https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/p...pearl-tour-eyris-blue-pearls-new-zealand.html

 

[antiguamarie]

abalones

abalones

thanks very much for the responses -- I looked through the older link to the New Zealand trip and got a lot of information from that. From the photos it really does look like it could be an abalone -- I'd stumbled on that possibility just yesterday and even phoned their US distributor, who told me that there were no oval shaped abalones. I didn't quite believe that, so I'm following up by emailing the Eyris folks directly.
Thanks again, and I'll keep checking back in case there's any additional info.

 

[GemGeek]

There isn't any reason not to have ovals, since they are cultured. Hmmmm... I never thought of that!

 

[antiguamarie]

update from Eyris pearls on oval abalones

update from Eyris pearls on oval abalones

Hi,
I heard directly from the folks at Eyris in NZ, who told me that they no longer produce ovals anymore (didn't say why but someone else said there were some production/quality issues) and only have one remaining, which costs USD$1,500 before taxes, shipping etc. You were right about sticker-shock!
The photo they sent of it is attached, next to a re-post of the one I liked. Theirs is 11mm x 14.6mm. The size is right, but I don't think it's what I'm looking for in terms of color and iridescence, though. Darker and doesn't seem to have the rose tones. I've also asked them for a photo showing the dome height.
Maybe I'll have to redesign the ring and go with a round one. There'll be a better chance of finding the right color, and also hopefully it'll be more affordable.
thanks much for the help; I'll keep checking back here in case of additional info.

 

[pattye]

You might check with Carolyn Ehret (Ehret Design Gallery on ebay) for Sea of Cortez mabes. The color on them is gorgeous with amazing intense rose, purple, aqua and blue overtones on a more silvery base color. and they are not cut round, but more drop shape or oval. They tend to run in the low hundreds. I don't know if they can be reshaped after the backing is applied. These have heavy nacre making them suitable for rings. I see the Cortez pearls were mentioned earlier in this thread--but no real great photos close up. The complexity of their ever changing colors make them a favorite of mine, and the 2009 harvest should be pretty much over right nowl

I do love large rings, and your design is lovely!

Perhaps also contact our member JMarcus, up in Bellingham WA, who makes mabes? He might have some ideas---and could custom make something for you---

 

[Sueki]

The Cortez mabes are gorgeous - and very, very colourful.
Here are some I purchased from druzydesign.

 

[Caitlin]

Antiguamarie That is a huge mabe and well worth the price and since it is no longer being produced- it is a rare example from a world-renowned company.

 

[antiguamarie]

another blue mabe question

another blue mabe question

thanks to all for the good advice and photos - following up on all and considering whether I can make that investment for the Last Oval Eyris..
meantime, on ebay, I'm finding a bunch of blue mabes that don't specify that they're abalone, like the one attached here. As always you can't really tell from the photos but they don't seem to have the verve of the abalones, but some are quite nice.
Can someone explain what are these non-abalone blue mabes? Do blue mabes occur naturally in other species, or if they aren't ablaones, does that mean that they're dyed?
thanks again.

 

[pattye]

It's very difficult to tell from that photo. My hunch is that they are dyed, originally whitish. For such a ring as you are planning, I doubt you can get the complexity of color you want in a dyed mabe. Sueki, thanks for the great photos of the Sea of Cortez!

 

[GemGeek]

Mabes are grown over a form attached to the shell. The form is removed from the nacre and epoxy or resin is used to fill the inside and a piece of mother of pearl is attached to the back. Some of the mabe colors are created by coloring the inside of the empty nacre shell before filling, or using a colored implant - the nacre being thin enough for the color to be transmitted.

The Eyris oval will not have a high dome. There is an optimum height range for quality and higher implants just don't work as well in culturing abalones. Pattye and Sueki are right about the Sea of Cortez mabes. They take your breath away and they do come in ovals. The height of the dome on your ring hints at natural abalone or osmina as the source. Let us know what you decide to do.

 

[antiguamarie]

thanks - I think Pattye is right that complexity of color won't be found in a regular mabe. Here's a link to a paper written on the Eyris company in NZ, all you ever wanted to know about abalone pearl production, and more
http://www.australiangemmologist.com.au/abalone_pearls.pdf