White Freshwater Baroque

[Slraep]

Hi Raisondetre,

Oh but those pearls are beautiful on you! I will echo the person who said they look like REAL pearls. They absolutely glow!!! It's the magic of 100% nacre. Dare I say you look like royalty!!

Slraep

 

[Caitlin]

Hi Raison
I ditto slraep, but I also want to say your photos show a lot too. I wish I could take photos as good as yours!!!

 

[boo]

I had to return Terry's as I couldn't quite do the clasp up myself.

I agree about Terry's bracelet - I have a very difficult time getting mine closed, but the pearls are so pretty I decided to just keep it and hunt down assistance whenever I want to wear it! Your set is lovely, Danae, and looks beautiful on you. Thank you so much for sharing!!

 

[Raisondetre]

Yeah, I thought the stretchy bracelet was a good idea. Probably would risk elastic for gem pearls, but I think freshies are ok. They can be easily restrung as well. Perhaps I should take up beading soon.

BTW, for some weird reason I just use the portrait setting and it comes up better than macro. Maybe my camera's just weird. And remember, diffuse morning sunlight is the best!

 

[Raisondetre]

I'm trying out the coiling thing. Still not too happy with the way the flash is but it looks weird without.

 

[Raisondetre]

 

[purlgurl]

I know this is a very old thread, but thats what you get when newcomers trawl through every post....
I think I may be in love.... Those pearls are the very epitome of everything I love about pearls. If I could order my dream pearls, that is the exact criteria : Luster Luster Luster, Orient that hits you with a POW!, smooth, fat & juicy, but irregular shape. IMHO, thats what makes them look like nature in all her glory made them.

 

[lisa c]

Graft

Graft

[
Argh, really hate neck closeups, but I'd hate to do the pearls injustice. Off to check my lipliner now. Note to self - need to graft neck skin.[/QUOTE]


Are you KIDDING???? I wd KILL for a neck as youthful and fresh as yours. Ack! Relax and enjoy your youth, you're beautiful.

 

[ShashiRatna]

One question to the experts here? I hear there is a difference between orient and lustre. Haven't quite figured that out yet. So in the pictures in this thread - is what we see orient? Is it the yellow blue green colour? Like the colours through an oil spill?

Thanks,
SR

 

[Caitlin]

According to Zeide: luster is made up of 3 things, mirror, orient and water, the latter being extremely rare in a circular pearl where it adds the final note of perfection possible in a pearl. The orient is the iridescence or the over or undertones, Its about the color play. She was referring to Tavenier, who said something very similar back in the 17-18th century. Tavernier was extremely well known in European Pearl Circles as being the best pearl expert in history. His word ruled. Still does in natural pearl circles.

I bought a copy of Tavernier's travels and she is passably correct.

 

[Chameleon]

Fabulous pearls - the "real" thing

ShashiRatna,

I am not expert, but just happened to read an old thread some time ago, explaining the orient. I think you could find it searching the forum using "overtone vs orient".

The way I understand it, the overtone is one extra colour some pearls have addition to the main body colour. Like white pearl with the hint of pink for example. Or just check out the thread "exotics" (under fw pearls) - there you can see lavenders with copper, pink with gold etc, which are the extraordinary examples of overtone.
The iridescence, orient (somewhere I even read that the experts think there is a difference between those two) is the phenomenon that looks like "the oil spill", moving play of many colours. But sadly, true orient is quite rare to find.

Caitlin,

Would you know, how to explain the "water"? Have not found much about it. Could that be the kind of "see thorough" effect on the edges of some pearls. I can ask stupid questions as I am quite new to the pearls myself

Thanks!
Maria

 

[Caitlin]

Hi Maria, yes it is. Usually in nucleated pearls, this effect is minimal to not being there because the nacre is so thin. In a larger natural pearl like the ones from Feb and March 2008 in Toms Stern's natural pearl thread, it is more obvious and can be sort of horny looking. You can see the red through a lot of the pearl, but it is less desirable in a baroque because of the horny look.

We don't have an example of water in a round natural pearl on this forum, but it would be far deeper than the cultured one. And it immediately transports an otherwise perfect pearl to the top of desirability.

Water is translucent, but it also reveals its structure, because in some lights, the iridescence sheets to the edge. Really thin sheets.This means you see the sheets and not the translucence. This sheeting affect is nothing like I have seen before. Its like a diamond crown flashing around the outer edge that alternates with the translucence. I spent more time with that pearl, than I did any of Tom's other beauties, not because it was beautiful, but because it was so fascinating.

 

[Caitlin]

Here are some of Tom's pix.

 

[Chameleon]

Thank you Caitlin, for in-depth answer!
I can see the water-effect from the Tom's pics you posted. Actually, the last pearl is not that ugly . Very interesting, gotta check the thread.

Maria