Is this a Tahitian?

[waimeamomi]

My husband brought this home last night. Someone donated it to his school's silent auction, and they want me to set it. My first response in light last night was negative, but that there was also something strange about the pearl. The donor said it was a Tahitian baroque. The shape is very freeform, and it also feels very light to me. In the cloudy light this morning, the pearl color was much less mottled, and very vibrantly blue.
It is about 10mm by 12mm. I started thinking no bead in it, but there is a place at the bottom that seems to has very little nacre color and could be the bead. Anyway, I'm hesitant to drill it, and looking for some opinions. Here is a pic to get you started, but you can go to this site
http://web.me.com/sgspeed/Site_2/My_...My_Albums.html

to see larger and more pics of it.
Just curious as to the PG thoughts.

Also loving my new digital SLR!! The macro's great, now that I figured out that it wasn't focusing because I was looking through the viewfinder with my reading glasses on. I'm no Natalie.

[Kevin Canning]

tough to say, I'm thinking its not a tahitian but that's just my gut. The shape would be uncommon if it was a tahitian then again it doesn't scream dyed freshwater either.

Any info on where it came from? Nice shots and pretty color though.

[pearlescence]

Baroque tahitians and south sea still have a roundness and usually an axis of symmetry, with a rotational form. this looks much more freshwater in shape.
The odd spot is indeed odd
As Kevin says, very pretty colours and lustre
Could it be a Cortez? (I'm suggesting that because of the blue but then Cortez blue is more grey..)
I'm going to say freshwater, based mostly on the shape...but it could be a bead nuked one (hence the weird spot)

[waimeamomi]

I'm pretty positive it is not freshwater. It really doesn't look dyed at all, in fact I'd say not and I've never seen that kind of blue on a freshwater, maybe someone else has? The surface has a quality like the blue South Sea pearls I've seen like looking through water, and I've been seeing some very strange shapes coming from Indonesia. Something about the mottled colors remind me of the Akoya baroques that were from Vietnam, and the colors look like abalone. Could it be non-nuked (I'm afraid to say natural)? My husband is trying to get some info on where she got it.
I just posted some more pics that show the other more mottled side of the pearl.
http://web.me.com/sgspeed/Site_2/My_...My_Albums.html

and here's the PG version of one of the pics -

[waimeamomi]

Could this be a Kasumi pearl?

[GemGeek]

Congratulations on the new camera! Wow, what a colorful pearl. Nice Haliotis iris colors. Whatever it is, there must be a big gas bubble for it to be so light, so drill carefully, if at all. Thanks for sharing.

[jshepherd]

I agree with Blaire. It could definitely be an abalone. It doesn't look like a Tahitian pearl at all.

[waimeamomi]

It does look a lot like the pearls in this picture -

http://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/nat...html#post14682

Do abalone pearls get that big in that shape?

I wish I had more background on it and will share if I get it. I don't want to put my name with it and have the info be incorrect. Gas bubble, hmm. Is that like a stinky pearl, or will something else happen if I drill it?

[GemGeek]

You can tell if it's a Sea of Cortez pearl by looking at it in ultraviolet light. Do you have a party blacklite? They glow red. The pearls, that is!

[GemGeek]

Stinky? Maybe, but not always. You'll be drilling, when suddenly the pearl will give way as you hit the air bubble. This can lead to unintentional drill-throughs.

[waimeamomi]

Thanks for the info, Blaire! I'll try the black light, but husband just said that the pearl was given to the woman while in Japan by a friend who said it was a Tahitian. Kasumi?
I'm seeing some of this in it

[pearlescence]

Doesn't look like any of the kasumi I've seen

[Kevin Canning]

ya I'd rule out Kasumi also, doesn't look like any we've seen. Jeremy and Blaire may have it right, at least the colors look like Abalone now that they mention it. That would be a very nice abalone pearl if it is in the 10-12mm range.

[pearlescence]

Yes, I could go with abalone ...esp if you allow that the photo might be a bit dark (what colour is the background?)

[pearldreamer]

Well I am posting as a very "non-expert"....but my first thought due to the colors was that it could be abalone, but then again, is that common for abalone to take on a more "rounder/baroque" shape? I thought they were a little more "funky" shaped. Sorry for lack of pearl terminology... LOL! I am secretly hoping that it is Abalone though!!