[jshepherd]

Originally Posted by Bodecia

There are many strands and necklaces sold out of China which are varied in colour. A necklace may have white, pink and lavender in it and called by the seller (on ebay) SS pearls. These pearls are often 8 or 9 mm in diam. Also round or nearly round. What are these strands likely to be. Dyed Akoya, FW pearls or is it possible that they are SW from the South China Sea. If from the South China Sea is it correct in calling them SS pearls? I have also seen 10 mm black pearls called Japanese Pearls - so what are these. Can Akoya grow that big. I do realise that Akoya cannot be black unless dyed but what are they really likely to be... Once again are they likely to be FW or SW. They can be quite good looking too although it seems that Chinese sellers call them anything that takes their fancy at the time. Can get very confusing unless one is an expert.
Sellers all over the world buy these items and then pass them off as whatever they were called by the seller bought from. I feel that most of these pearls are not labelled correctly. But maybe they just aren't sure themselves so pass on the disinformation. i.e. SS pearls or Japanese pearls to make the greatest profit without the hassle of really identifying them or worrying about doing so.

These pearls are always freshwater pearls. The only pearls you will find on eBay from the South China sea are the Akoya that are grown in the Gulf of Tonkin. But the vast majority of the pearls on eBay, even those described as Akoya and not South Sea, are simply low grade freshwater pearls. This is no accident. They know what they are selling. They know none of their pearls are South Sea or from Japan. They just think most Americans cannot tell the difference, and most Americans are exceptionally gullible. By checking the average FleBay pearl seller’s feedback ratings, it is clear that they have judged correctly.

Originally Posted by Bodecia

I have thought that most likely many of these are FW but if FW pearls out of China generally have tails that cannot be. So confusion reigns.

This is not what I meant about the tails. Only the bead nucleated freshwater pearls our of China have tails. The round and near round pearls you see from China are mantle tissue nucleated. There is almost no production, except for the rare discovery, of round bead nucleated freshwater pearls.

Originally Posted by Bodecia

Nucleation with pearls, especially if tissue cultivated FW pearls, seems to me to be a good way to cultivate SW pearls, at least all of the pearl then would be nacre or very nearly so. Is this a widely held view or only one held by a few and if so do you think it would be preferable and even desirable to beading with shell products or glass beads?

This is a romantic thought, but not really realistic. Round freshwater would have to be used and the cost of nuclei would rise astronomically. Aside from that, a large part of the production would not look as good as the original nucleus.

Originally Posted by Bodecia

Jeremy, thank you for your info on the Chinese Kasumi look-a-likes but if this is so then I don't see how they can be considered inferior to genuine kasumi. I have seen quite a few round white either kasumi or the Chinese equivalent.

The value is strictly based on the rarity. My personal opinion is that Chinese freshwater (if top grade) looks better than nearly everything coming out of Kasumigaura, and the value is much better. I view the Kasumis more as collector items.