Fresh water bead nucleated pearls from China?

[sera72]

Hi there,

I would like to know the pastal shade colors of fresh water pearls which are apparently bead nucleated in China.

Does it comes in intense purplish hues?? I suspect treatment mainly due to the intensity of the color and uniformity. But supplier insist that its the new method they use to create these pearls which comes in ranges from 11 mm reaching upto 15 mm and there is no color treatment involved!!!

I am totally lost here... did I miss out on any important research which is ongoing?? How is it possible to creat a perfectly round bead nucleated fresh water pearl with great intensity!! in this case purple!!

When I view through the drill hole the bead nucleus rather dark layer (ring) ranging from greyish to deep yellowish. This confuses me more as the pearls on hand is intense purplish hue. What kind of treatment can they perform for these? Irradiation? Heat?

Also brings me to the question on how do we know if its fresh water bead nucleated or salt water bead nucleated? I cant find any relavant reference to this!

Kindly help!

Thank you!
cheers!
Sera

[pattye]

Sera,

Well, pretty amazing aren't they??!! Sounds like you have some beauties! The Chinese have been secretive about their methods used to produced these. Jeremy and a few of our members here visited a farm in China where they are grown. They have only been available for a couple of years. There is some other info here on the forum.

The colors are the same as those of true freshwater Kasumi pearls from Lake Kasumi ga Ura of Japan, which are in very limited production now. Quite an amazing range of completely natural colors from white, pinks, lavenders, to deep coppers and purples, usually with wrinkled surface and intense overtones and metallic sheen. Are your pearls smooth or wrinkled?

Some of the white "Chinese Kasumi" pearls look very similar to baroque South Sea Pearls, but otherwise you would know they were freshwater by the colors. Oh, and the price.

Can you put up a photo of your pearls?

[pattye]

Here's a discussion started last year: http://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/sho...chinese+kasumi

Lots of info and photos here!

[sera72]

Thanks for for the info. Are these the Edison pearls which is much talked about on the forum? So basically these cultured pearls are totally natural color even high saturated pinks and purples? ?? The ones I got on hand is 11-15 mm almost Round beads with thick nacre and the intensity of the purple with metalic looking sheen is amazing!!

I shall try to take a good picture if my photo skills are upto it..and upload it here. I am still not sure if it belongs to the Edison pearl category or not as I was not aware of it, but really really surprised of the outcome!

I just cant help thinking there is some sort of color enhancement here!

Sera,

Well, pretty amazing aren't they??!! Sounds like you have some beauties! The Chinese have been secretive about their methods used to produced these. Jeremy and a few of our members here visited a farm in China where they are grown. They have only been available for a couple of years. There is some other info here on the forum.

The colors are the same as those of true freshwater Kasumi pearls from Lake Kasumi ga Ura of Japan, which are in very limited production now. Quite an amazing range of completely natural colors from white, pinks, lavenders, to deep coppers and purples, usually with wrinkled surface and intense overtones and metallic sheen. Are your pearls smooth or wrinkled?

Some of the white "Chinese Kasumi" pearls look very similar to baroque South Sea Pearls, but otherwise you would know they were freshwater by the colors. Oh, and the price.

Can you put up a photo of your pearls?

[sera72]

and the pearls are very smooth not wrinkled .... with very few blemishes

[Katbran]

Ohhhh.. now I definitely want to see them!! I assumed you were talking about the Chinese wrinkly pearls as they can be pretty big with intense colours.

[jshepherd]

Here are a few -

http://mlkshk.com/p/5MYC

[pattye]

Do we know if the Chinese Kasumi-like and Edison Pearls are coming out of the same mussel in China?

[jshepherd]

I would assume they are, but Grace has been tight-lipped about this project for years. During our interviews for the new GIA course he told us that if we asked too many questions about it he would ask us to leave (the chairman of Grace).

[Katbran]

I know that Cathybear had some very large purple nuc'd pearls that were very round. On her site she said she was suspicious and bashed one to find that the nacre was very very thin...so she offered them for cost with the warning that they shouldn't be worn much.

[sera72]

This is pearl strand with intense pink saturation which I mentioned with round to near round 15mm pearls... supposed to be fresh water??

[Caitlin]

Unbelievable!!! I don't mean that, If those are actually pearls, I believe it. What beautiful matching!!!! I love the color. What is the story on them? Could they be early edition Edison pearls? I love that color; I have not seen it before.

[Amrita]

Breathtaking! Love the color, the matching.....they are so...perfect. I am truly amazed.

[pattye]

Sera,

Are those on Cathy's site?

[Isabelle35]

Wow! i'm also blown away. Pretty unusual color... Pretty in pink!