[Juliet King]

( The Pearl of the Moon )
It has been found in the Arab Gulf in 1550.
It's weight is 309.89ct
One of the famous treasure of the Chinese empire, after the revolution in China, it was shown in the museum.In the eighties, it was sold to an Arab businessman.

[Caitlin]

Hi Juliet
The Pearl of the Moon appears to a be a largely unknown pearl here in the US, but it certainly looks like it is one for the history books. I can't find any online references to it. At 309 cts, it is about half the size of the Pearl of Asia, which first appeared in India, then went to China. I think it is interesting that it returned to the Middle East after 500 years.

I already know you have a GIA certification for it, so can you share a few more details, like what is the diameter? The color?

Can you get a better picture? Is the pearl set in the frame with the dragons?

I am ignorant of Chinese history, but how did it get from the Arab Gulf to China? What dynasty first owned it?

What museum was it in? Any pictures of it from the Museum? Any recent articles (in the last 50 years or so) about it available in China? Does it appear in any English publications?

Sorry for all the questions. I also know you are interested in selling it so this may the only chance we get to learn anything about it and put it in the modern lists of important pearls. I know the magnitude of selling a pearl like this is a rare event. It deserves world wide publicity- Good luck!

If you do not want to put your contact info in your post, people can send you a Private Message. Non-members can contact me by emailing info@pearl-guide.com

[Juliet King]

Hi Caitlin,

I appreciate yr help.
This pearl was found in Bahrain & one of the merchants bought it & took it to the Basrah in Iraq. He sold it there to an Indian sailor who took it to India & sold it to the Mehraja. Then it was sold the the emeror of China who put the golden dragons & ade it one of his crown jewleries. After the revolution it was shown in Cantun museum in China. The Chinese government sold it back in the eighties as I told you previusly.
Here are it's secs.:



Gemological Report

Item One large piece of pearl material
Length 55,4 mm
Width 51,4 mm
Measurements maximum thickness 22,7 mm

Weight 309,838 ct

Shape baroque, flat (front and back photographs at about 0,7x below)

Cutting style _

Color light yellow, some yellow brown veins

Fluorescence UV 365 : medium. Milky yellow

Properties On the front side. Characteristic structures of pearl material
are recognizable. The back part shows partly similar structures
while some areas are lacking iridescent colors and look like
blister pearl. Tow set-in parts are visible below and on the
vein, ascertained under magnification. The holes on the back side were once provided to fasten it.
On the x-ray photographs, the inside is obviously less dense
and seems to be made of organic material , which causes a of about 2.In conclusion, in our opinion it is a baroque blister pearl of natural origin. With tow parts set in manually.


It's mentioned in some Arab magazines & newspapers. No english publications.
I hope that I gave you a clear vision now.
Thanks for yr help.

[silverseajewelry]

The setting is also remarkable! Thanks for posting.

[Caitlin]

I am moving this thread to Natural Pearls.

What does "pearly material" mean?

[DrTKStern]

Yes, please send more photographs. According to what the curator of the National Museum in Taipei told me, which has the largest collection of Chinese art of any museum, the number of toes on a dragon can often indicate for whom the jewelry piece was designed. Of course, many years ago, only the Emperor could have a dragon; but at some point the rules loosened a bit. Afterward, a dragon for the Emperor had 5 toes; a dragon for a high court official, 4 toes; and for a rich businessman, 3 toes.

On one foot it looks like 5 toes to me...4 easily visible, with 1 a bit up the foot.

Truly a fascinating pearl we would like to learn more about.

Tom Stern,MD
Titan Natural Pearls

[Satine De La Courcel]

Yes please more information, I have a special interest in 16th Century Persian gulf region. Specifically Clothing, Jewlery and Pearling in this region. Any additional information history would be greatly appreciated...

This is such a beautiful piece!


Cheers

Ash

[Slraep]

Originally Posted by DrTKStern

...a dragon for the Emperor had 5 toes; a dragon for a high court official, 4 toes; and for a rich businessman, 3 toes.

On one foot it looks like 5 toes to me...4 easily visible, with 1 a bit up the foot.

Regular Chinese dragons are all commonly depicted as having five toes, the Korean or Indonesian have four and the Japanese have three.

"Official interpretation back in the dynasty period: Five claws dragons are reserved for the emperors (five is the holy number in Five elements (Chinese philosophy), four claws dragon is reserved for kings, princes and certain high rank officials, three claws dragon are used by the general public (which is widely seen on China and other Chinese goods back in Ming dynasty). Since Korea and other nations only held the title of king (with respect to the emperor in China), they are only allowed to use four claw dragon.

Another interpretation: according to several sources, including historical official documents, ordinary Chinese dragons had four toes - but the Imperial Dragon had five. It was a capital offense for anyone - other than the emperor, his blood relatives, and the very few officials who were granted such an extraordinary privilege by the emperor - to use the five-clawed dragon motif.

Korean sources seem to oppose this theory, as the Imperial dragon in Gyeongbok Palace has seven claws, implying its superiority over the inferior Chinese Dragon; of course, this dragon image is hidden in the rafters of the palace and is not entirely in view, even to those who know it is there, suggesting that while the ancient Koreans viewed it as superior, they also knew that it would be offensive to the Imperial Chinese Court.

The Han style dragon is also 3 clawed, which explains how the 3 clawed dragon went to Japan in the Tang or pre-Tang period."

Depiction of Imperial Vietnamese dragons also follow the Imperial Chinese dragon's toe rule. Many beautiful Vietnamese artifacts have routinely been classified as "Chinese". Many are even in Chinese museums. This is a common practice the Chinese won't admit to---labelling an important Vietnamese artifact as Chinese.

A repost of the pic but with better contrast. Can't do much about the resolution.

Slraep

[Ashley]

Absolutely fascinating! I would dearly love to know more details about the Pearl's journey to it's present state- any details would be most welcome! The report seems to break off a bit regarding the pearly material... what is the end of that statement?

I simply must ask for more pictures along with the rest of the group... I would think that a pearl with such colorful history may best be purchased from a reputable auction house, but private sales are not unusual.

[Slraep]

Here is a pic of the Vietnamese Imperial banner. The dragon has five toes. So just because an artifact depicts a five toed imperial/common dragon, it does not automatically mean it is of Chinese origin.

[GemGeek]

Originally Posted by Slraep

Here is a pic of the Vietnamese Imperial banner. The dragon has five toes. So just because an artifact depicts a five toed imperial/common dragon, it does not automatically mean it is of Chinese origin.

Cool!

[Juliet King]

Originally Posted by Ashley

Absolutely fascinating! I would dearly love to know more details about the Pearl's journey to it's present state- any details would be most welcome! The report seems to break off a bit regarding the pearly material... what is the end of that statement?

I simply must ask for more pictures along with the rest of the group... I would think that a pearl with such colorful history may best be purchased from a reputable auction house, but private sales are not unusual.

Dear Mme,
I hope all is well.
Let me know what kind of info you need about its history & peraly material, I'll be happy to advise you about the pearl.
You can contact me on my e-mail address:juliet030426@yahoo.com
Stay safe, may God bless you.

Juliet King