[National Pearl]

I understand that traditionally it is frowned upon to use any type of coatings on pearls to enhance luster, smooth out surface imperfections etc. However, since my previous background deals with a variety of extremely thin, stain and wear resistant coating technologies, how do the experts/customers on this forum feel about introducing specialized coatings for pearls that would hold the following characteristics:

- Ultra thin, just a few nanometers, virtually immeasurable. would not enhance or degrade the physical characteristics of the pearl at all.
- Stain/liquid resistant (liquids bead up and fall off: Picture spilling salad dressing on your pearls and having it run off without remaining residue)
- Easy-clean performance: Any residue of foreign substances wipe off with ease

If such a coating did not at all alter the value characteristics of the pearl (ie: luster, surface smoothness etc.) but added protective characteristics, could such a treatment be accepted and utilized within the industry?

Ofcourse, it would be offered as a value-added option and fully disclosed so that customers knew what they were getting. It would be an optional "pearl-guard" coating that could be purchased for a small premium.

I am interested to hear everyone's opinions. This question is for our experts and potential customers. How would you feel about this kind of post-treatment?

Thank you,

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi,

I would not be interested but it sounds like something that the akoya industry would sorely need.

Zeide

[Caitlin]

What is it? Some kind of silicone? It would encase the pearls in an
impenetrable coating of some kind?

I am most curious how it would change the pearl to have a coating like this. Change the pearls "interactions" with the air, say.

For that matter, I wonder how pearls like to be locked up in a little plastic tube for a long time. Would this kind of coating be similar in effect?

[jshepherd]

A company once contacted me a few years back talking of this exact sort of thing. At the time I told them I was not interested, and I did not think it would help the industry.
There is a new Japanese technology out as well, that protects the luster (but does not improve), and I think is similar to this. I will try to find the link again. But if I recall, it is only in Japanese.

[National Pearl]

The coating I am considering is completely untested on pearls. It was developed for other appications but based on the physical characteristics of this coating I think it may be a good fit. I am currently working with a Taiwanese company on different applications for this coating and I would like to start experimenting on pearls to see what kind of results we can achieve.

This may prove completely fruitless, but I think it is worth the effort to investigate. If it shows any promise, I would be happy to share the results and process samples for anyone that is interested so a broader group can evaluate its performance and any possible negative effects on the pearls could be pointed out.

One question I have for you all is, although we know for certain that extended exposure to heat is bad for pearl nacre, is there a known temperature threshhold for pearls if exposed to heat for a short period of time, like 5 minutes? In this coating process, there is a short, but elevated curing temperature for this product. anywhere ranging from 160 degree F to over 200F depending on the application and desired performance. Ofcourse, for coating pearls, we may be able to tweak the process so that the temperature is lower and for a shorter duration. But it would be good to know what are heat threshhold is.

Caitlin, concerning the composition of the coating, it is completely "green" and does contain some silica based materials as part of the coating, but also contains cross-linkable elements as well.

Jeremy. If you could post that Japanese article I would be interested to read it and see if there are any similarities.

Thanks for the feedback so far!

[purepearls]

And what happens when the coating starts to wear off? I would bet that the coating would start to peel as well over time. I don't see why you would want to coat your pearls with anything. That would definitely take away from pearl because then most of it would be fabricated by man.

[jshepherd]

I am doing a search through my email archives to find the link to the company in Japan that has a coating technology that they intended to market to pearl dealers. I am not certain if this ever really took off.

I do recall from the article, however, that the coating was not to increase the luster, but to protect it from fading. I guess that this coating, combined with the temporary enhancement of a heat treatment, would create a longer lasting luster.

The issue that I have with this is the fact that it is not a treatment. It is a coating. You would have to disclose this to customers, and it would destroy sales. We are trying to get away from treatments and return to quality - straight from the oyster.

The company that contacted me years ago about another coating was a US based company (if I recall). It was only to be a couple of microns thick, but it was completely untested, so we had no idea of the possible results.

There is another coating that has had great results (as I have heard, but not yet seen). It is a coating of the nucleus. Basically turning low-grade (with lines) into highest grade. Check Islandpearls.net.

[jshepherd]

Found it!

It is the PS process invented by Kouichi Nishimura who was in the coral business. It is also done with heat and has something to do with ion exchange.

Apparently it has not really taken off, it is an expensive endeavor, and one that has probably been met with a muted response from the industry.

www.hakuraku.co.jp

[jshepherd]

Just found this as well. It will give you a basic English explanation.

http://www.akoya-pearl.com/framepage1.htm

[National Pearl]

"And what happens when the coating starts to wear off? I would bet that the coating would start to peel as well over time. I don't see why you would want to coat your pearls with anything. That would definitely take away from pearl because then most of it would be fabricated by man."

Amanda,

I do not know yet if we want ot try coating any pearls for exactly the reason you state. Its quite possible that many customers will not want ANY type of post-treatment since it takes away from the perception of a "natural" cultured pearl. But what we are exploring is if there is a certain market of customers who after paying good money for nice pearls, may want a protective layer that helps preserve their investment. The type of coating we are considering is EXTREMELY thin, almost unmeasurable by normal devices, and is the most durable coating of its kind based on the patent research I have done. It absolutely will not peel or flake off like many products will. That being said, my gut feel is that I am not confident there will be a market for this type of coating, but I think I am going to go ahead and test the coating more for this application and test the market to see what kind of response we get.

[National Pearl]

"Apparently it has not really taken off, it is an expensive endeavor, and one that has probably been met with a muted response from the industry."

Thanks for finding that Jeremy. it was very helpful to see what else it out there and what the response has been. I suspect the muted response is due in part to the concerns that Amanda expressed, and the perception of a dislike for something that is "man-made". Which is so fascinating since all the Akoya we deal in are absolutely "man-made" in almost every way. The fact that cultured Akoya have been so widely accepted is just another tribute to the marketing genius of Mikimoto so many years ago. It would take a similar marketing genius to gain wide acceptance of any significant post-treatments that would be perceived to alter the surface of pearls.

Do you know any?

[purepearls]

You can do anything you put your mind to! Majorica certainly did I especially like the new marketing campaign by Perles de Tahiti for Tahitian pearls for younger men - Tahitian Pearl Princes. That's genius!

[National Pearl]

"Tahitian Pearl Princes. That's genius!"

That is genius and it fits perfectly with something I saw last night. My wife watches one of the reality shows "so you think you can dance" and she pointed out to me last night that one of the young male judges was wearing very large, red died pearls with a huge red pearl enhancer medalion. My first response was to laugh, because the idea of a man wearing a pearl necklace had never entered my mind, but as I looked him over, I realized that the design wasn't feminine looking at all and suited him well. I wouldn't say it looked masculine, but it was actually quite attractive.

[pearltime]

I saw those bright red pearls tonight. I couldn't tell what they were. They were huge and the strand looked like it was about 22inches.

To tell the truth I couldn't see that mainstream I would not expect that on a man unless he was a film star,professional athelete,19 or living in Rio, maybe Jamaica . But.... What do I know..

[preswine]

Originally Posted by National Pearl

I am interested to hear everyone's opinions. This question is for our experts and potential customers. How would you feel about this kind of post-treatment?

I am in the process of putting together a natural pearl engagement ring. One fear I have is that perhaps pearl is too soft for an engagement ring and will become damaged over time.

As a potential customer I would, therefore, seriously consider a durability treatment if it were a mature and well-tested technology. For me, such a treatement would not falsify the pearl anymore than keeping the pearl in a jewelry box or glass display case, or setting it in a protective claw would. As long as the pearl inside the skin remains unaffected I would simply view it as a casing rather than a treatement.

However, I don't know if I would be interested in such a treatement for a traditional pearl necklace, as durability isn't as much of an issue in this case.