[Caitlin]

http://www.islandpearls.net/article2.htm
This article is several years old, but stll very educational.

American pearls are under-appreciated and overly competitive amongst themselves. I am not sure the one in CA is even operating any more. If any one can give an update, it would be appreciated.

[jshepherd]

Paul Cross is now in La Jolla and they are kicking off an icon pearl company. The freshwater pearls I posted a picture of a couple of months ago were from his production:

What might these be?

[Caitlin]

Thanks for the update.

I really wanted to visit him in Marysville, because that is where my GT,GT grandparents first settled when they came to CA and I have never visited up there.

Does he have any news or presence on the internet?

[jshepherd]

He and Michael Crowe are really working to get the icon pearl business off the ground currently. They are also doing a lot of work with nucleus vapor encapsulation and other things. We are working with them on trials of the nucleus as Xuwen Pearl Paradise Ltd., as well as icon production and possibly marketing.

[mikehrz]

What is an icon pearl? Apologies if this has been asked before, but I couldn't find any such post.

[jshepherd]

At the bottom of this page:
http://www.islandpearls.net/index.htm

[Caitlin]

These are cool. Weren't the most ancient Chinese cultured pearls, the buddhas, icon pearls as well?

[mikehrz]

That's where I saw it before! Knew I had heard of it, but couldn't remember where. How's the response been?

[Pearls_by_Angela_Carol]

Originally Posted by jshepherd

At the bottom of this page:
http://www.islandpearls.net/index.htm

Now that is interesting The Nike pearl products really interest me - crossing the bridge from athletics to fashion...