[CortezPearls]

A HUGE THANK YOU GemGeek!!!

All these images will prove invaluable for my Aquaculture students...I have a Japanese Abalone Culture video, but your photos are better still!

[GemGeek]

Thanks! I hope everyone gets bitten by the abalone pearl bug.

[john675]

Thank you for putting together the pictures and commentary. I'm new here and love seeing the "behind the scenes" work that goes into the pearls. Awesome post!
John

[CortezPearls]

John is right...many could share a "Behind the Scenes on...." like GemGeek and Jeremy (with his great videos) have done. I know I could do one on Cortez Pearls, Josh could do one on Tahitian Blacks...nice idea!!

[drea]

Gem Geek,
thanks for taking the time to post all of your beautiful photos from your trip! Your pictures are fantastic, as well as all of your input too!! Much appreciated!!

[GemGeek]

Thanks Drea I'm now in Eyris pearl withdrawal. I'll have to content myself with my photographs. When you consider the colors of the Paua shell, it's no wonder the Eyris Blue pearls are so beautiful.




Cheers,
Blaire

[GemGeek]

I was hoping to post some video here, too, but nothing I filmed had anything to do with pearls (that I'm allowed to share).

So, I'll post the weirdest thing we saw on the trip. Leslie and I were walking on the opposite side of the street, looking for a Japanese restaurant we had seen from the bus. I couldn't help but notice the sign in the window that said "Picasso Bathroom Cafe". I made a note to walk back on the other side.

There were people inside eating (eww!), so I went around to the other window and here is what I saw:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feiqFvN5nv0

And I took this picture from Kakapo2's Christchurch page... http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel...rent-BR-1.html


What do you think of that?

[nlerner]

Originally Posted by purepearls

There is something so intriguing about the rainbow of colors.

Yes. They are beautiful.
I read GemGeek's excellent posting on Eyris with great interest.
Still, while pretty, there is too much artifice in their preparation for my tastes, that I'm going to pass on Eyris and keep aiming for the more natural types.

[GemGeek]

Not a lot going on here today, so I'm posting some extra photos. I was trying to find the photo of the fifteen thousand dollar "Luscious" pearl. For all I know, I could have "Google Earth" or just unnamed, but pretty pearls. It was raining in NZ, so the lighting wasn't the best.

This is just a cute heart-shaped Eyris mabe pearl...


And this one might be Luscious, or not...? It looks like it has a bit more texture than I remember. With Luscious, every change in angle meant a shift in color...


And this one was as smooth as silk - you're seeing reflections, not bumps.


As it happens, it is raining here today, so a few more pearls = a good thing.

[Ingykiz]

All of those pearls look "Luscious" to me. How is the value of each determined? Surface, color hue, size? Just curious.

[GemGeek]

Value goes up with better surface quality and color. They have a very good grading system, but I just had to pack the book away for the house restoration. You might enjoy looking at the gallery at their website -- lots of lovely examples to dream on!
http://www.bluepearls.com/

[Nicole]

I love Eyris Blue Pearls! Or, at least I love looking at pictures of them-- I've never actually seen any in person. It just occurred to me that I'm not sure how "Eyris" is pronounced. In my mind, I guess I've been pronouncing it like "iris," but I'm not sure that's right. In case I ever have to say it out loud in front of an actual human person, how is it actually pronounced?

Nicole

[jshepherd]

It is pronounced like iris, the colored part of the eye. Eyris is actually named after the iris.

[lisamla]

Thanks for all the great pictures and information. My husband and I are going on vacation to New Zealand in May. I just checked The Blue Pearl website and there is a retailer right near my hotel in Christchurch. I am putting it on my list to things to do. Thanks again for the post.

[GemGeek]

Lisamla, I'm betting that the store near your hotel is the one where I purchased my ring. It remains one of my very favorites and is my most-worn ring. It has held up very well -- I'm tough on rings, so that's saying a lot!

Have a wonderful vacation and be sure to post some photos for us.