[olmander]

It crossed my mind after discovering the ring on the first page of this thread: I have big mabe earings (15mm), very beautiful, I always thought they are Tahitians. But there is such a pronounced reddish overtone there, - after looking at the ring above I thought - hey, can they be Cortez pearls? Or do Cortez mabe pearls don't exist? Can anybody identify them?

I am not a magician, I am only learning :-)

[jerin]

Hi Olmander,

lovely Mabe earrings but I think they are Tahitian pearls by the look of the green bodycolour. Let´s see what the other members think of them.

[olmander]

On the photo they are indeed greeninsh but in real life it is rather grey than green. The puzzle it that I can not place it in any category of Tahitian colours because of this strongly pronounced red component. Perhaps pistachio... but still not. Maybe Josh knows better?

[pattye]

Hi Olmander,

Cool earrings! What kind of metal are they set in? Yes, there are Sea of Cortez mabes. I am not sure about that color, though. Have you had the earrings a long time, or are they a newer purchase? Any other info you could share might help identify them.

pattye
so many pearls, so little time

[olmander]

Pattye, they are set in white gold. I got them a couple of years ago, it was my first pearl purchase. In a non-discript chain jewelry store in Amsterdam, which normally has nothing interesting and no pearls at all but was closing for reconstruction, so they got extra stuff from somewhere to sell with reductions. This was a ridiculously expensive item for their level, even on sale. But there was no explanation at all about it, just 'mabe pearls', so I had to look on internet and guess myself.

Does it help? :-)

Olga

P.S. I was already for some time trying to find a matching Tahitian for a ring but failed miserably, that's what brought me yesterday to the Sea of Cortez 'diagnosis' :-)

[Josh]

Hi Olmander,
My guess is that they are Tahitians. 1. They are easily within the color possibilities and 2. If you bought them some time ago the chance of them being Mexican is smaller because as I understand they have not been in operation for that long. I'm about to find out a lot more about them (read: going-the-roof excitement).

[Josh]

Hi Olmander,
My guess is that they are Tahitians.
1. They are easily within the color possibilities and
2. If you bought them some time ago the chance of them being Mexican is smaller because as I understand they have not been in operation for that long. I'm about to find out a lot more about them (read: going-the-roof excitement) on my upcoming trip there.

[olmander]

Josh, thanks! I am looking forward to learn more about it. I bought them 1,5 years ago (if it helps).

If you come across a matching beautiful big pearl (12-13mm) for a ring in your reserves, I would be the happiest of the happiest. So far, as you read, I miserably failed to find anything - because of the colour...

Olga