The Story of my Bahraini Pearls

[Kaywal]

Your family history is so interesting Caitlin. One of the many reasons I love this forum. Thanks for posting such valuable information. Oh, and by the way, I bought some thread and some practice beads. I've never beaded before, but yours and other's posts have got me started on that as well--a hobby is born! I have so much to learn-very exciting!

[Caitlin]

Hi Kelsey

I am so delighted you are going to try out beading/stringing! Be sure to post about your experience.

Any questions, ask them here-- I mean in a new thead over at the LBC forum.

[Amrita]

Wow, what a wonderful thread - and I have no idea why I missed this one before. Thanks for sharing your family history, Caitlin - truly fascinating! Keep up your good work of getting to the bottom of things to uncover the truth for all of us on this forum....thanks so much!

[Caitlin]

Hi Amrita,

I' so glad to see you posting again!

This thread just drifted back into history-until someone bumped it. When I wrote that almost 4 years ago-who would have known I'd still be here today.

[Monty Hall]

Wow, Caitlin!!!

What a wonderful family history. What became of the model dhow?

I am truly thrilled with having found this forum, and have already learned so much here.

Three cheers for Pearl-Guide!!!
CarolK

[La Contessa]

Caitlin,
Wow! I saw your name and looked into the post. I'm so glad I did.
There seems to be a book in there somewhere, have you considered that? I remember reading "Drinkers of the Wind" as a young girl and thought how exciting it would be to travel to those far off lands.
I can only imagine how wonderful your memories are with such an interesting and adventurous family background.
I hope you can return some day and get the "big pearl"...

[La Contessa]

BTW - how do you tell that one of the pearls are from Qatari? They all look so similar to me.
Thank you.

[Miriam Reed]

Caitlin,
What an interesting family history. Your Grandfather's interest in pearls and knowledge of them undoubtedly set you on the course that has made you such a great source of information to everyone here on the forum. Your background and knowledge makes you valuable to all of us. Thanks for sharing with us.

[Caitlin]

Here is a photo . Look inside the center pearl's hole. The orange color may be from gold in the water. It might have been Z who said that. I'd love it if someone knows why the center one is so different.

[pattye]

Interesting, and the whole pearl has a more golden cream color, compared to the outside pearls. Almost like there are layers of that color under the outer layers of nacre. Wonder if a good lab xray would show anything?

[Monty Hall]

Here is a photo . Look inside the center pearl's hole. The orange color may be from gold in the water. It might have been Z who said that. I'd love it if someone knows why the center one is so different.

Can pearls absorb pigment or dyes from the cords on which they are strung? Could the orange drill hole have resulted from a saffron-dyed cord that bled after having gotten wet with vinegar or something acidic?

(Long-shot guess....)

CarolK

[Monty Hall]

BTW - how do you tell that one of the pearls are from Qatari? They all look so similar to me.
Thank you.

Actually, that's a really good question. When I first read Caitlin's caption, "3rd from right looks Qatari", I thought to myself, "Wow. Sounds like something James Bond would say."

CarolK

[barbie biggs]

James Bond likes pearls? That makes me like him better. I thought he just liked girls.

I kinda liked Pierce Brosnan in the role.

[Caitlin]

What became of the model dhow?

It went to my uncle. He turned the island back to the
al Kalifa ( the Sheikh of Bahrain) family because he didn't want to move there.

resulted from a saffron-dyed cord

I think my grandpa may have put it together from pearls gathered from around the Persian Gulf from several sources. It went straight onto a graduated necklace and eventually went to my mom. In the 10-20 years he ran the dhow, he only gathered enough top quality rounds for three necklaces. The son, (my uncle) got the 8-9mm same size pearl choker (by far the most valuable), a longer graduated strand went to my aunt. I gave my sister 1/2 half the pearls from mom's strand. Sadly she never developed any feeling for what she had and gave them away to friends and family, most of whom never did understand they were real, wild gathered pearls!

Does anyone remember "Theater (or Ballet) Shoes"? Posey had a coral necklace

I made a necklace for my sister's oldest daughter, when she was around 4 with 10 of the round coral, 1 seed pearl, repeated until it was adult choker size, about 14-15". I don't know what happened to that one either. But the one I made for Kether, my elder daughter, was given to the youngest (Zoe) and she still wears it.

[lisa c]

Another thread bump, Caitlin's Grandfather's pearl dhow, and articles about