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Old 07-06-2006, 10:42 PM
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jshepherd jshepherd is offline
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I am doing a search through my email archives to find the link to the company in Japan that has a coating technology that they intended to market to pearl dealers. I am not certain if this ever really took off.

I do recall from the article, however, that the coating was not to increase the luster, but to protect it from fading. I guess that this coating, combined with the temporary enhancement of a heat treatment, would create a longer lasting luster.

The issue that I have with this is the fact that it is not a treatment. It is a coating. You would have to disclose this to customers, and it would destroy sales. We are trying to get away from treatments and return to quality - straight from the oyster.

The company that contacted me years ago about another coating was a US based company (if I recall). It was only to be a couple of microns thick, but it was completely untested, so we had no idea of the possible results.

There is another coating that has had great results (as I have heard, but not yet seen). It is a coating of the nucleus. Basically turning low-grade (with lines) into highest grade. Check Islandpearls.net.
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