[pattye]

Hi All,

Here is a pearl? necklace that has me stumped!! The color was described as champagne/purple/green. It is 18" long and has 58 pearls, ranging in size from approx 7-7.5mm. Usually I don't go for such small pearls, however it had a unique glow in the photo (yes, it was on ebay)
Is it a great dye job?? I haven't run across this color before. Any thoughts??



Thanks very much

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

Opps! I'll try to get a more clear photo, sorry all.

[pattye]

Try again,




Thanks for your patience and any help and comments!!

Pattye

[jshepherd]

I remember one member who would have called them kamschatkana naturals, or something like that. They are dyed freshwater, though. The color is nice!

[pattye]

Thanks Jeremy!

I guess the closest thing to faux Padparadscha pearls these days! LOL!

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

[Caitlin]

That is faux faux haliotus kamschatkas, or perfectly round cultured abalone pearls. The originals were faux, so my copies of the original faux are called, "faux faux"

Here is my strand which I took in a similar pose to the originals. It does look similar. I do love the dye job on these.

BTW those are faux, faux, pteria sternas in between. I thought the colors matched perfectly so I combined them.

[Caitlin]

Oh, I forgot to say, the paraparadshas are a color- a peachy pink orange- extremely rare in the gemstone for which it was named. Maybe Ana knows...... I remember seeing a drop pearl that was supposed to be that color, but I think it looked pink to me. It came straight off Ebay- at least the photo did...

[Caitlin]

While I am at it here are some other faux kamschatkanas. I was given written permission to upload this picture.

[pattye]

Thanks everyone!

That last photo Caitlin put up looks much like my pearls' shade--rosy-coral with green on the outside!! My photo came out way too dark. Anymore of those pearls around, Caitlin??

It's my impression the dyes are getting better and better, wish I could say that for my photography! I will keep trying, however.

Below are some baroque genuine pteria sterna---lovely subtle colors in person!! (Yes, they are now mine! )



DruzyDesign photo used with permission.

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

[Caitlin]

Let me be the first to say that I like that strand the best of any I have seen so far from them. I have loved Sea of Cortez pearls since I found out they are a special breed of mollusc native to Mexico, pteria sterna.
I wish the idea of boutique pearls would catch on for freshwaters too.


I would love to see your verbal description of them, Pattye.

[pattye]

Well, Caitlin,

Needed to meditate on the Sea of Cortez strand a little first, it has a body color of almost metallic silver beige, but overglows of beautiful pastel shades of pinks, greens, lavenders, yellows and more on every single pearl. The colors play so beautifully off the baroque shapes, with a complexity more like a chord of music than a single note, held until one is amazed by the depth and breadth!

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

[Valeria101]

Originally Posted by Caitlin Williams

Oh, I forgot to say, the paraparadshas are a color- a peachy pink orange- extremely rare in the gemstone for which it was named. Maybe Ana knows......

Right. It is a coveted type of sapphire - the name does not apply to any other gemstone that may have a similar color, it is a matter of tradition. Where the 'pad' color ends and either orange or yellow begins is a matter of debate and commercial negotiation.

That's the shortest summary Icould come up with. Richard Hughes has a short, neat bit about the matter HERE. BTW. his 'Ruby & Sapphire' book is a cracking read, even if one only cared about pearls, or topaz, or anything but corundrum. No kidding! I've read it in one night and never looked back...

And here's one instance of the padparatcha color range - a crazi lil' bit from Richard Wise's Blog (another good read, btw - check the two articles called 'The Rocky Road AHead...' ).

.....

Does it make sense that these guys are so famous?


The magic color might appear in other stones, but not quite as pure or intense. Even when that happens, the P word is only reserved to sapphire. To translate that to pearls... not sure what would it mean. Among freshwater pearls the shades in the pad range seem very common - actually, most of the 'pink' are peachy enough to qualify. So you'd have tons of 'padparatcha' pearls. And the sense of rarity and mystical appeal (the sapphire label comes from Hinduist and Budhist background where the association with the lotus is a weightly thing) of the descritption is lost.

I'm not a fan of calling anything else 'pad'. maybe, one day things wuld be settled enough in freshwater pearl culture to allow a certain color to be recognized as naturally and reliably rare. Then... who knows, that should have a special name; hopefully not something borrowed on the cheap from sapphire. Could be wrong, but so far it seems to me that the coveted pearl rarities of today still have good chances to become mass production tomorrow. O wouldn't know what to associate with an entrenched sapphire label that has milenia of track record to prove its worth. [obviously, just an opinion... worth talking about if someone could come up with a good sample of possible pearl pinks!?]
Sorry for the rant...

Want to know what exactly padparatcha colors look like? A florist nearby should have a sample. Jewelers might as well, although you would need a good shop and allot of luck to find more than one stone to look at anywhere. Besides, 'padparatcha' is not a single shade, but a relatively wide range of looks that needs to be learned. The sapphire prices offer pretty good incentive to put in the effort though, whether you're on the buying or selling side. The subtle beauty gives good incentives to learn about these things even you're on neither.

Nelumbo Nucifera, the wild Indian lotus grows happily around here and in the US, although a miriad of garden hibrids are more commonly cultivated. The link above even provides a detailed range.



The color is what it is and that some gem is plentiful in this range is lucky. A strand illustrating the range of pink and peach freshwater colors at their best would be quite a sight, methinks... Add a golden one for a hidden clasp, and all colors of a flowering lotus would be right there. No need for borrowed names whatsoever. [IMO]

[Valeria101]

Originally Posted by pattye

Below are some baroque genuine pteria sterna---lovely subtle colors in person!! (Yes, they are now mine! )

Wow, Patty, Wow! How about clasp? And (even in the meantime) a portrait with them on