What is the story on faceted FW pearls?
http://www.agrainofsand.com/Beads-Fa...Pearls-58.html for some pictures
Here is something top of the line faceted:
http://www.jewelryexpert.com/CATALOG...tian-Pearl.htm
How do they do it? What kind of treatment make the cut pearls so lustrous?
And I suppose the irridescence is due to metal vapor depostion?
http://coolbead.com/
It looks like more and more poor quality cfwp will be subjected to these treatments to "fabulize" them in the future.
Metal vapor depostion has a big future. Not only can it provide the "mirror" in the akoyas, it can provide orient in otherwise lackluster pearls of all kinds. I bet Tahitian that pass through Japan get just this treatent. Because it really does "fabulize" the pearls!
And look what it can do to shell beads!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...EWA%3APIC&rd=1 NEW! Fabulized Multi-Color Shell Nugget Beads! Ka-BOOM!