[Bodecia]

Just wondering about this pearl too. Another one with a blueish/silver caste to it. Size of pearl is 6 mm . I thought it might be from the Sea of Cortez. Any opinions. I do like it Like to many pearls ofcourse.

Love some opinions.

Bodecia

[Bodecia]

Still hoping someone with far more experience than me will jump in here and give their much wanted opinion on what they think this pearl is. I was hoping it might be from the Sea of Cortez. I am fairly sure they sometimes can be only 6 mm. I think some of the lower grade Tahitians come in that size too but then it would not have such a great lustre. So I counted out Tahitian. Doesn't look dyed to me but then I am no expert. It is likely to be a really exotic FW pearl ?????

Also not mine although I wish it were.

[pattye]

Hi Bodecia,

The coloring certainly looks like Sea of Cortez. Also it looks like a mabe to me. Did you see it in person? It appears domed and then flattens out, but of course, in person that may not be the case. Can you tell from the bottom of the ring if it has a backing? Sea of Cortez does produce mabe. So that is a good possibility---

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

[Bodecia]

The coloring certainly looks like Sea of Cortez. Also it looks like a mabe to me. Did you see it in person? It appears domed and then flattens out, but of course, in person that may not be the case. Can you tell from the bottom of the ring if it has a backing? Sea of Cortez does produce mabe. So that is a good possibility---

Hi Pattye,

I don't think it is a mabe. The reflection from the gold and diamonds around it are making it look like the pearl ends and it is a mabe but I am it is not or nearly sure. I have only seen photos at the moment anyway Glad you said you thought it maybe a Sea of Cortez pearl. It looks like it to me but I am not an expert.

I am also wondering if in the post

Blue/Silver/Grey Pearls - what type are they?

if it is possible that they are Cortez or Tahitians rather than Akoya. The double strand that is. They don't really look like akoya to me but I suppose they could be FW. I am very confused about them. Any thoughts on those. I wouldn't mind bidding on them but I hate not knowing what a pearl is when bidding. That leads to dissapointment later on.

Thanks for you opinions much appreciated.

Bodecia

[Valeria101]

6mm is not likely to be anything nucleated except Akoya, right? And it does not look white ... so probably not Akoya.

Which leaves non-nucleated versions, i.e. freshwater. And the color could well be a lighter purplish shade under some typically yellowish incandescent indoor lighting. I'd vote for this last option. The setting fits too - it looks like something straight out of a findings catalogue with the stones more likely CZ (as it gets slightly dull with handling) or even white sapphire (which is duller by nature).

I'm a pessimist...

[Bodecia]

Hi Valeria101,

Not necessarily, I have a Sea of Cortez blue/silver pearl which is app. 7 mm. I think I bought it from Care (DruzyDesign) or maybe she added it when I bought a bracelet or earrings. Not sure exactly but if you look up the Sea of Cortez pearls that I think was in a thread or link recently it shows S of C pearls in a hand. Don't know if the hand is male or female but 2 pearls of the smaller pearls would fit across the ring finger. That is not much bigger than 6 mm, maybe 7 mm.

I wonder what is the smallest size bead they insert into the mollusk. Wish one of the Sea of Cortez experts was around. They would know at a glance. Still it is a pretty pearl.

But you could well be right. I am not to keen on the setting myself. Maybe I will invest in a really beautiful single Cortez pearl soon, again. I do have a pair of earrings (from Care) naturally.

Thanks, Bodecia (an optimist)

[pattye]

Hi Again,

Regarding the blue-silver double strand, not at all likely to be Cortez pearls. Carolyn Ehret only offers a few strands per year, so they are extremely rare. Sea of Cortez themself do not make strands, nor does Columbia Gem, (the other US distributor besides Carolyn), who is here in the Portland area, told me there were no strands! I had to take mine in to show them; they were surprised!

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

[Valeria101]

That's interesting! Haven't realized there were Cortez pearls below 8mm that are not keshi. Good to know Even better to see some...

[GemGeek]

There are so few Sea of Cortez pearls, especially rounds, that I would think the seller would know if they had one. Also, I agree that the stones do not look like diamonds. If it was a round Sea of Cortez pearl, it would be very rare and surely set in the very best. Did you see this on eBay and are wondering if it's an estate piece? Whatever it is, it's a pretty pearl, for sure.

[Caitlin]

I would be surprised to see a Sea of Cortez pearl in such a schlock setting. There are only 4 outlets for Sea of Cortez pearls: Their own store, Drusy designs, Columbia-trigem and a fancy goldsmith in Mexico. All of them are high end designers. None of them would have used that setting. If someone bought a pearl fom Sea of Cortez' store, about the only way to get one unset- They would have/should have put it in a more upscale setting.

So my guess is freshwater from China. Those dye jobs are often very good. I saw strands with those silvery multicolorered pearls at the shows. They are more pastel, so I call them Easter egg colors.

Freshwaters are good at imitating any other kind of pearl- fooling the untrained eye.

[GemGeek]

Interestingly, Imperial-Deltah who are the USA dealers for Eyris Blue pearls also had Sea of Cortez mabe pearl jewelry on display. They could have purchased them from Tri-Gem or they might have their own arrangement now. They had the broadest selection of pearl types at the show.

[Caitlin]

Are not Tri-gem wholesalers? I doubt Imperial Deltah got them directly, unless from the Tucson show or the farm. (Some one bought out a whole case worth in the first few minutes and Sea of Cortez had to ask them to leave it until the end of the show, so others could see a range of pearls.) The setting does not make sense for I-D either. They are very mystique-y and that setting is not.

[GemGeek]

Originally Posted by Caitlin Williams

Are not Tri-gem wholesalers? I doubt Imperial Deltah got them directly, unless from the Tucson show or the farm. (Some one bought out a whole case worth in the first few minutes and Sea of Cortez had to ask them to leave it until the end of the show, so others could see a range of pearls.) The setting does not make sense for I-D either. They are very mystique-y and that setting is not.

They probably purchased the Sea of Cortez mabes wholesale from Tri-Gem and made jewelry for their line. I didn't mean that the ring might be from them. Imperial-Deltah's jewelry was mostly high-end stuff.