[pandaexpress]

Hi I am a brand new member and have been lurking since last Friday when for whatever reason it popped in my mind that maybe I should get some pearls for Valentine's Day. Almost dropped a pretty penny on some at that online diamond store everyone knows and by chance I decided to do some Googling and almost bought something from Premium Pearls - then I was like - I better check that store out online to make sure before I click buy and then I stumbled here! SO good thing I kept Googling eh? Thank you for everyone's honest feedback about stores and about pearls. As of last Friday I knew NOTHING about pearls and still don't know that much but everything I've learned has been off this forum. Thanks to Jeremy, Angela, Ashley, Cailitan and others who are so knowledge.

So I stumbled upon a video that Jeremy had on his PP site and noticed that it showed pearls getting bleached in bottles under fluorescent lighting so that they would match better.

Do they do this to Freshadamas and the Freshwater elite collection that Purepearls sells?

If so, does bleaching pearls hurt the pearls longevity? Make the nacre weaker? Does it have any long-term effect? Or is there no way around this since everyone does this?

I will have lots more questions since I am a total newbie and really appreciate everyone's patience and understanding.

Thanks.
Tony

[Raisondetre]

Freshadama by definition is untreated gem/loose quality pearl with some orient. They are usually just oiled, polished and drilled. AAA may be bleached if it's white. Bleaching can dry out the pearls, but not if it's done well - right concentration for appropriate length of time. Freshwaters are solid nacre and would hold out better than say bleached Akoyas. Not sure how much it affects longevity by. I expect my freshadamas to hold out for at least my life span. If I ever have kids they can have it when I'm gone, but I'd rather they buy new ones for themselves .

[Pearl_dreams]

I think the white Freshadamas are bleached but the natural colored ones (peach, pink and lavender) are not bleached. I searched the forum for info on this and the only thing I came up with was Jeremy's posts 23 and 26 on this thread:
A misnomer?

Perhaps Jeremy will come along and enlighten us about the current practices regarding the Freshadamas.

[Valeria101]

Ask for non bleached and if there are any, you;ll get them. I believe that the natural 'white' you'd get is slightly cream - the normal pearl white, if you asked me, not the stark chalk-white of the bleached.

I should get some too...

[GemGeek]

Originally Posted by Valeria101

I should get some too...

Of course you should!!!

[jerin]

Originally Posted by Valeria101

Ask for non bleached and if there are any, you;ll get them. I believe that the natural 'white' you'd get is slightly cream - the normal pearl white, if you asked me, not the stark chalk-white of the bleached.

I should get some too...

Hi Valeria,
I too have been thinking a lot about the bleaching and pinking. This month`s special is a necklace with gem quality pearls and they are offered with silver, rose or ivory overtones - it would be interesting to know whether the ones with ivory tones are not or less bleached - and the ones with rose and silver overtones have undergone some treatment, I hope Jeremy reads this post. He should be able to answer these important factors as it is of some importance to many of us customers.

What do you think? In general I believe all pearls incl. Freshadamas are bleached a bit and perhaps treated as well (pinking).

[jshepherd]

I caught this one!

Yes, the freshadama have been bleached. We have collected and sold unbleached loose grade in the past. These pearls are a bit creamier but hold strong luster indefinitely. We discussed this one a year or so ago here and we had a lot of people calling asking us for the untreated stock. I explained the reason for bleaching as increasing the percentage of freshadama-marketable pearls. This is what gives nearly all freshwater their bright white color and sharp, newly processed-like luster.

The colors, however, are not enhanced. The white pearls with rose overtones (freshwater) have not been pinked.

The true exotics, the ones that (in my opinion) will put even the freshadama to shame, should be released within a week! Those pearls have not been bleached and the browns and greens and gold colors show that in a remarkable way.

[Pearlgully]

Back in April, 2006, I purchased my first white freshadama strand (9-10mm). At that time, I asked if the pearls were treated and was told that they were in fact bleached but that that bleaching process was for a shorter time period than for other CFWP. My pearls are beautiful.

Shortly afterwards, I purchased the 7-8mm unbleached freshadama pearls. They are beautiful, too.

When comparing the strands side by side, I can see a difference in the color.

I am curious to know if the current lot of freshadama are the same as the originals?




Gail

[knotty panda]

Originally Posted by jshepherd

The true exotics ... have not been bleached and the browns and greens and gold colors show that in a remarkable way.

I can't wait! I'm ready for some wonderful colors!

[Pearl_dreams]

Yes, the exotics sound great! And my birthday is just around the corner, too...

[jshepherd]

They have taken a bit longer to prepare than originally planned for a couple of reasons. First we have been trying to devise the best way to merchandise them for the special genre of buyer that will be appreciating them - that would be the people here, of course. Secondly, we spent a couple of weeks working on a small private-o gift to include that I think everyone will truly enjoy, and hopefully display proudly

I am curious to know if the current lot of freshadama are the same as the originals?

I am not sure what you mean. Are you referring to the exotics?

The exotics are all comprised of cherry-picked 'strange colors' as they are referred to in China. Many of you have seen multi-color strands that have a few really exotic pearls mixed in here and there. Those are the pearls that compose the exotic strands.

[Caitlin]

I'm not on that list yet. Please include me- I want to see the pictures even though I do have a solid copper one and and a multicolored metallic one and one other copper from a year or so ago. I made them into necklaces for my red headed daughter. She will wear them to the lecture......

[mikehrz]

I'd like to find out about the exotic colors too. Parents' anniversary coming up...

[GemGeek]

Jeremy, I hope you release them by Saturday the 2nd. I'll be driving to Tucson on Superbowl Sunday and will be in a conference for two days. Then I'll be running around Tucson, so if you release them later, please, please do so by 7:00 a.m. on the day of release.

Thanks!

[nlerner]

"So, all the pearl sharks have gone into feeding frenzy."
says my Eli.