Will lustre on Freshadamas diminish over time?

[moonpie]

With all the proper care ie last thing on first thing off etc, will they be exactly the same in 20 years as the day you brought them?

I ask because I've been reading about the bleaching of freshadamas and how it's not permanent, so what does this mean in real life terms?

What can we expect to see happening over the years to a highly look-aftered strand of freshadamas?

Thank you!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

The Freshadamas have not been around for 20 years so we don't know yet.

I venture to say that no pearls that are worn regularly will look the same after 20 years. Being soft, they will gradually absorb skin oils, pollution etc. all of which can have a dulling effect. Caring for them well will reduce this to a minimum.

That said, I have other FWP from the 1980s that still have lots of luster. So I am not very worried about this.

 

[BWeaves]

I have my grandmother's pearls, which she bought in the early 1960s, which are akoyas with thin nacre. I only replaced them last year (2015) with new Freshadamas and both she and I wore her akoyas regularly. If akoyas lasted 55 years, then Freshadamas with thicker nacre should last even longer.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Akoyas have a harder luster from the start, however. The FWP are treated to tighten up the luster. Will this treatment last? Time will tell.

 

[moonpie]

Very interesting... but havnt freshwater pearls always had the bleaching so I guess if freshwaters from ages ago have lasted years no reason why freshadamas shouldn't too...?

On aside, I'm awaiting a 7.5-8mm freshadama strand with strong silver overtone (with least amount of rose or ivory) and roundness was one of the "really important to me" points. As well as very high lustre (when isn't that a priority)!

So this is a pic of the strand but I feel a bit...hmmm... about it. Something feels 'wrong' but I can't vocalise or pinpoint what exactly, so please feel free to give me your honest opinions.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Bleaching is not the same thing as luster treatment. Whether the results of luster treatment will last is the question.

The strand looks pretty. There does seem to be a little variation in the colors of the pearls in front; 3 seem to have a bit more rose than the adjacent pearls.

 

[moonpie]

Ok exactly the problem I was seeing, good to know I'm not going mad or 'pearl eyed' from looking at hundreds of different strands on the net all day... Thank you!

I wasn't aware the freshadamas had any luster treatment, I think it's only bleaching they go through. I know a pp representative told me they have had no 'treatments' done.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Luster treatment is done to all of them at the factory level. It's not a treatment that has to be disclosed.

Jeremy has posted at various times about the luster treatments FWP get. Here is one such thread:
https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/showthread.php?1805-Luster-treatment

 

[lisa c]

Do you have them in your hands yet, moonpie? Is this your photo? Oh, sorry, I see you're "awaiting".

I see overtones of blue, cream and pink all over, but this is a photo.

Well, since you mentioned that Roundness is very important to you, are you concerned that the pearls on the sides look flattened? I think you'll have to see them in person to judge, or you could give them a quick call and ask them to double check. 8-way-rollers are rare in freshwater pearls, so it's not uncommon to have really round pearls at the front of a strand, slightly off round at the sides.

Absolutely round pearls are easier to get in an Akoya strand.

 

[moonpie]

Thanks Lisa. I don't notice any button ish shapes on the pearls in the side... I know even freshadamas won't be perfectly round but they are the closest I can get in my current (tiny) budget.

I've spoken to Mia whom is going to change a few of the individual pearls with the overly rose or ivory tone. I'm hoping after that I will look at the stand and feel instant love! I've seen a couple of freshadamas (and even in this same size) online in people's reviews and I've thought 'that is absolutely perfect'. Right now, I don't feel the same way about this strand so I hope once it's been adjusted a little it will be 'perfect'. I'm in the UK so I won't do returns (absolute hassle not to mention losing money on bank conversion charges and vat which don't get refunded) so I'm a little extra insistent on it being perfect in my eyes/what I want before its posted out.

Thanks for the link pearl dreams, going to read that after I've got my son off to bed!

 

[lisa c]

I think that's super moonpie. Fingers crossed!

Budget, tell me about it. I save and save and save, but pearls that you love are worth it.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I think the strand must not be strung yet, so the pearls are very close together. I think it is just an optical illusion that the side pearls are flattened.

 

[moonpie]

Oh the pearls were strung. I felt (still do) so bad that I didn't love it straight away and feel bad that it now has to be re strung. I should have asked for a pic before it was sent of for stringing, duh me! Its just that ive seen freshadama strands this size online, silver overtone and they looked perfectely matched (colours overtones and size wise) and just generally bright. I don't see all that in this strand as it is.

I think it might just be this very closely cropped pic of the side pearls being flattened, in the bigger pic I really don't see it.

 

[moonpie]

Just managed to read that link on luster treatment... a bit worried now! I don't want my strand to 'go bad' after only 3 months.... I'm planning on it lasting 3 decades��

 

[Pearl Dreams]

That was in reference to low quality freshwaters. In a more recent post Jeremy discussed how over the years he has come to know which factories process pearls best.

I bought my Freshadamas in 2007 and they are still lustrous.

I really think your strand will be okay, don't panic!

 

[GreenBling]

I purchased my freshadama 5 years ago, do not notice any change in color or luster. Had it restrung with a different style clasp recently and the local jeweler commented about its very high luster and roundness. Think you will be very happy with yours once the front ones are changed out.

 

[cmd2014]

To my eye, the center pearl is a bit off-round compared to the rest of the strand, and there are about 4 pearls that look like they may be a bit more rose toned than the rest of the strand. But cameras pick up more colour than our eyes, so this may not be visible in person (my Akoyas are like this. In pictures they look quite multi-tonal, but in person they look perfectly matched). I'd be more concerned about shape, as that is what will be most visible once on. They also seem a bit short. They might hang better if they were just a smidge longer, but the model may have a slightly larger neck than you do. Plus, they will loosen up a bit and hang better once they are worn for a bit.

But I am being deliberately over-critical given that you are not in a position to be able to send them back (which I can also relate to).

 

[GemGeek]

Since you are talking about Freshadamas, they are a higher grade of pearls and are selected in-person by experts from Pearl Paradise. They can tell if pearls have been over-processed, so you shouldn't worry about them going dull. I have two strands of Freshadama pearls, about 7 and 8 years old and they look terrific.

 

[moonpie]

Thanks for all the info guys you are great!!! Now I'm driving myself crazy over what to go for after I got sent a pic of the range of freshadamas and a white metallic. I'm going to post the pic up, can you guys let me know which strand is your favourite and why? Thank you!!!

 

[Caitlin]

I have natural pearls I wear daily that are from 50-100 years old. While the nacre rubs off over time as can be seen around the drill holes, it just exposes more nacre.

That is my theory for the freshwaters too. Once I wore a freshwater bracelet for over a year, day in and day out on a challenge re how the thread would hold up as opposed to silk. It was made of pink and lustrous potato pearls from the bead shoppe. At the end of the 15 months or so, not only had the thread (power pro) stood up to daily washing, which silk never could, the pearls were even more lustrous than before.

If you want your pearls to keep their luster, wear them! In a life time you will only wear a few/thousandths of a mm off the surface. For an example, my MiLaw's famous ropes of akoyas were worn daily for decades. Some had wear around the bead, none had wear through the body of the nacre, even though that was the part that rubbed skin daily.

What is the one "treatment" all the pearls growers do? Buff them a bit to take off the stuff that clings and bring out the luster....