[Reiah]

Hi everyone,
I'm new to the forum and am very happy to find this great source of information on pearls. I've always loved pearls but have thought them to be too expensive until recently finding all the online pearl stores. I'm so excited like a kid in a candy store and have begun making my wish list.

One of the pearl colors that i really like is the dyed red. It seems so bold and bright! Do any of the online vendors sell dyed freshwater red pearl strands? I haven't seen it through my limited search. And was wondering if any of the stores do carry them? I'm looking for 7-8MM or 8-9MM.

Thanks!
Reiah

[Raisondetre]

Dyed reds are not the classic strands people carry. You might have better luck on ebay. I'd say it's mostly the lower grade pearls though. They won't do enough in large batches as high grade pearls are worth more if they occur closer to the popular classical colors of white, pink and lavender. I don't think saltwater pearls are dyed red at all.

[Kevin Canning]

thats the thing, you are not going to see high quality pearls dyed bright red, that sort of special treatment is reserved for low quality pearls.

[Raisondetre]

I did see some bright red coral beads in China, they lack the luster of pearls but are definitely very bold. They wholesale for very cheap too. The only red pearls I've seen are at costume jewellery stores. I can't say they looked very good - the coral beads beat them hands down but they gave me a kinda Buddhist feel so I didn't quite get into it as I'm not religious.

[Valeria101]

Is this what you are looking for?

[pattye]

Hi There Reiah!

I have also gotten some fun red pearls from IntegrityPearls.com, Doug is a member here. Good luck!

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

[Slraep]

Come on now, long time forum members, we all know where the freakiest-red-dye-job-of-a-pearl-necklace can be found, don't we. Yes we do!! It belongs to none other than Zeide G. Erskine. These particular red-dyed pearls are called "lopners" and their random colour job just happened to come out splendid! Just like her favourite drink, claret.

Reiah, I would give you the infamous Mrs. Erskine's e-mail except that I do not think anybody can afford to buy her exclusive red strand except for maybe---as Zeide herself once said---Bill Gates, who she thought might have enough money. Although Jeremy might now be able to afford them too, I doubt he would want them, for various good reasons. So they are still up for grabs if someone's got mega-cash to throw away. These red pearls are curious and rare because they were dyed in some secret far away place no one knows about(China), by some secret "technology man" no one has heard of(Chinese).

Slraep

[pattye]

Oh yes,
The infamous most rare of all (faux) natural color red Lop Noors. How I drooled over them, it was truly sick. But I am all better now!

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

[Kevin Canning]

Lop Noors

Very rare indeed

[Valeria101]

Was there any 'grain of truth' in this myth? Anything at all - some ancient 'brand name' for pearls on the Silk Road (where Lop Nur was/is a commercial centre), ancient purple died pearls ? Some legend of flaming pearls? Anything at all?

It was a picture of those pearls on another forum that got me posting here out of curiosity

[Slraep]

Originally Posted by Valeria101

Was there any 'grain of truth' in this myth? Anything at all - some ancient 'brand name' for pearls on the Silk Road (where Lop Nur was/is a commercial centre), ancient purple died pearls ? Some legend of flaming pearls? Anything at all?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Absolutely all lies and figments of Zeide's grand imagination. Although it's very possible that pearls of certain types may have been traded along the Silk Road. And yes, Lop Noor was a thriving community that depended on the lake in question....but NO natural flaming red pearls come, or ever came, from there.

Slraep

[Slraep]

Originally Posted by Valeria101

It was a picture of those pearls on another forum that got me posting here out of curiosity

I found this pic but there is another better one out there somewhere. Gotta find it.

[Valeria101]

That's about as much as I ever found after quite a bit of research... Aside the blank stare of a couple of environmental biologists!

'Flaming pearls' as the Buddhist legend... I don't think that had any real object in view, just a sophiticate symbolic construction Same as we withnessed here, unfortunately, on vastly smaller scale, with one very, very different background and utterly contrasting purpose! LOL! Freakin' 'legend of the net'!