[Caitlin]

Nothing like a Sunday AM to reflect on the BIG Picture. And on this forum the BIG picture is the incredible critter-grown jewel, the pearl.

And on this thread, I have been examining the mikimos phenomena from angles Lyra and so many others, under the mystique of the Miki probably did not think about previous to visiting this forum.

Besides being the major beneficiaries of the exploitation of a resource that belongs to all Americans by a few private companies, the bead cultured akoya industry in Japan virtually created the necessity of not only a new pearl standard that emphasizes roundness and shininess, it began to bleach, tint, and otherwise process their pearl plated products to make them look more like the brand newly created standards. Now metal vapor depositions, waxing, and other luster enhancing techniques are standard practice. They do improve luster, but they wear off.

The tinting after the bleaching is supposed to imitate overtone which is lost when the product is bleached. Unfortunately, the product is too thin skinned to exhibit "orient", which even though it is the true benchmark of a real pearl, has rarely, if ever been seen in a pearl plated akoya (and thus was written out of the new standard. Akoyas can not be judged by the ancient pearl standards any more than plastic painted beads can.)