| No, bleach does not affect the orient. Some pearls have it, some do not. Most pearls do not as orient is considered an extremely rare value factor. It is more prevalent in colored pearls and in baroques, very rare in white. The job of the bleach is to change the original color of cream/yellow to white, and to make the pearls match throughout a strand.
Orient is very difficult to capture on film. Occasionally we are able to catch it just right, but it is difficult.
To make matters even more difficult, many experts do not agree on the definition of orient. To some it is simply the play of color over the surface of the pearl, to others it is thin film interference, to others still it is the light diffraction passing the the conchiolin translucence of the linear layers of nacre. According to CIBJO, orient is an optical phenomenon caused by the interference AND diffraction of light from within the surface of some nacreous pearls; produciong delicate shades of iridescent colors.
This is why Strack says there is no orient on Tahitian pearls, although the majority opinion would differ from hers. Even Paspaley has their own (albeit unique) definition of orient. Their definition excludes all pearls that are not of marine origin from possessing orient - freshadama do not exist.
I do not think you should feel at all bad about being confused by orient. As you can see, most of the world is! |