[Bodecia]

Thanks for the links Valeria101 and the information smetzler. Found the links and all the informations very interesting.

There is also a so called Abalone blister pearl type often listed on eBay. I will include a photo of one of them. I am presuming that they are some kind of little blister pearl or not coming out of the shell itself. They do rather interest me and I would like to know what they actually are and what causes them to grow like that. Some can look really nice. Some.

I have wondered if the orginal Abalone shell pearl ring that I listed might have actually had one of these blisters on top and it might have been knocked off during wearing. Look at the side view and you can understand why

Thanks all, Bodecia

[J Marcus]

I think that I can clear this little mystery up. I've looked at, both inside and out, a few hundred Abalone blister pearls (and this piece in the ring is almost certainly an abalone blister pearl) and have processed a fair number into mabe's. The yellowish line around the red stone (ruby?, garnet?) is the conchiolin layer that is to be found between layers of nacre in a haliotis' shell. Inside of that can be seen the layer below. There is no metal around the stone and it looks like there is a minuscus of what is probably a glue around the very edge. Most, though not all, natural abalone blister pearls tend to be quite thin on top with only from 1 to a few layers of nacre and those often very thin. If the blister pearl has not been filled with a polymer and converted to a proper mabe' then it may have been very fragile at the point that the stone has been placed. It is possible, though I can't tell for sure, that the blister pearl may have suffered damage at that point and the stone may have been glued in to fill the void. I would call that best case.

I have a few abalone blister pearls that are beautiful except that they have a hole through the nacre of the blister or near it. I am planning to inlay gems, properly set in gold, into these. I'm not sure what this does to the value of such a pearl, but without this or a similar repair/enhancement, they probably have very little value and it seems a shame to discard such an object of beauty. When I am able to do this, I will post photo's to this forum.

I have seen quite a number of the pieces like the one Bodecia posted just before me. They all appear to be of a "certain age" and seem to be something that was popular sometime in the first half of the 20th century. It is my opinion that these most certainly are not blister pearls. The red, high center of these gems is the colored outside layers of a Haliotis Rufrescens, Corrugatta, Wallalensis (not sure of the spelling) or similar abalone and I know of no blister pearl that has formed on the outside of a shell--it's probably a biological impossibility. It was carved into this form from a piece of shell.

Regards,

J Marcus
http://www.flyrodjewelry.com/about_abalonemabes.html

[jerin]

Hi J Marcus and welcome to our forum!

Thanks for a very interesting article on Abalone blisters and Mabés. We look forward to more posts and photos!

[hopepaua]

Hi, I'm new member of this forum, I'd like to share the photo of Natural Blister Paua Pearl.
Thank you

[jerin]

Hi and welcome to the forum, Hopepaua.

Lovely picture of a lovely Oyster with "blister-children".

[J Marcus]

Greetings Hopepaua,

Those look very nice. Are the two loose ones natural as well and are you processing them into mabe's? I'm assuming that you are a New Zealander. Am I correct in this? I've heard many wonderful things about New Zealand. Perhaps you can enlighten us with more.

Kind regards,
J Marcus
http://www.flyrodjewelry.com/home.html

[hopepaua]

Originally Posted by jerin

Hi and welcome to the forum, Hopepaua.

Lovely picture of a lovely Oyster with "blister-children".

Thank you , I hope many more babies are coming!
hopepaua

[hopepaua]

Originally Posted by J Marcus

Greetings Hopepaua,

Those look very nice. Are the two loose ones natural as well and are you processing them into mabe's? I'm assuming that you are a New Zealander. Am I correct in this? I've heard many wonderful things about New Zealand. Perhaps you can enlighten us with more.

Kind regards,
J Marcus
http://www.flyrodjewelry.com/home.html

Hi, J Marcus
Thank you for your compliment, yes two loose blisters are natural as well.Unfortunately I'm not Kiwi, I'm Japanese living in Japan though Paua pearls are from New Zealand and I'd love to share how beautiful natural paua pearls with you guys.

Best regards,
hopepaua

[smetzler]

Originally Posted by hopepaua

I'm Japanese living in Japan though Paua pearls are from New Zealand and I'd love to share how beautiful natural paua pearls with you guys.

Hopepaua, as an admirer both of Japan and of H. Iris/paua shells, welcome! Eyris Mabés have introduced many to the wonders of the colors of this shell, and the shell itself is at least as spectacular as the mabés. And freeform natural paua pearls are among the greatest remaining natural treasures in today's pearl world.

We look forward to hearing more about your acquisitions and experiences!

[Caitlin]

Hi HopePaua
I think what you are doing is wonderful. Keep it up.

I am going to move this thread from "Natural Pearls" to "The Other Pearls" which includes Abalone.