Calling pearl pros - Strange baroque SSP

[KarinK]

Adeline, how will you keep up your standard of amazing finds when your project is done?

- Karin

[R&B]

Gidday everyone

We get a fair bit of the gray but i've not seen the oil slik like the one on the right.

With South Sea's, the greyer they get the lower the grade. That's a farmers view from a commercial reality.

They are beautiful in their own right however. I don't think the colour will fade but as already suggested, be ready for the PONG when you drill.

Some of our shell have a very light but gorgeous rainbowey look. I've not captured it in our pearls at this point though.

Well done Sven if you are getting it.

How about some pic's of your earrings when finished Adeline?

[Amrita]

What a uniquely beautiful luster on those two pearls, Adeline! Amazing!

[Adeline Leigh]

Thanks Amrita, Perlinda and Karin. I am now convinced these are the real deal. Thanks to all the PG seniors and experts who chimed in with their opinions.

Rusty, as my newest shots do show, what you said, "the greyer they get, the lower the quality" is sadly true. The flaws, welts and nacre irregularities are on full display together with the intriguing blue-grey colour and rainbow orient. My pearls are nothing like the flawless ones Sven has shown. He (Augustus-Collection) has first dibs on the very best

Just for the sake of comparison, I took my 'cellulite' pearls for a photography session with others (south sea, baroque tahitians, natural abalones and blue mabes) in my collection. My verdict - they really are blue-grey and seem to be derived from the same material as the B-grade mabes (obtained in Jakarta, Indonesia). And from what I remember from my conversation with the supplier, he said they were from the Pteria Penguin species.

As for setting them, I will, in time. I keep busting my budget collecting more and more pearls instead of setting them into jewellery. You guys know how it is

[Agustus-Collection]

I am loving the handful of Paua's, Adeline!

Regarding the Mabe's yes that is correct they are cultured in the Penguin Wind Oyster ( Pteria pengiun ) and they way the blue mabes are treated is a Indonesian developed process, the implanted nucleus is painted with a special ink which will slowly release the color during the cultivation process inside the live oyster, which will enhance the undertones of the color seen on the surface. The color penetrates into the nacre and gives a rather natural appearance in comparison to any other treatment (chemical dyes which are sometimes used to color mabe look always very artificial).

All that, assuming if you are purchased them in Jakarta, they are probably from the same farm in Sumbawa.

Regarding the baroque's as i said before and Rusty is correct, besides that we are probably the most 'picky ones' when it comes to selecting pearls, the blue babies are very difficult and from many kilos we usually not take more than a handful home, which may includes one or two of the very dark bluish ones.

[Adeline Leigh]

Salamat pagi.

I love my baby wild pearls too. Nothing quite compares with their colour and sharp lustre. From Antz on this forum. Hmm, I may post a pic on his thread right now just to let him know the latest batch arrived safe and sound.

And I just googled Sumbawa and Maluku; way off the tourism radar. I'm just happily imagining you circumventing the Java Sea, Banda Sea and oceans in search of the amazing pearls. I love your selection and have bought from you before; keep it up.

Oh I edited this post to also ask, I remember a few years back you reported a break-in in your Bali premises (think I was told it was Legian? Nusa Dua? as I was visiting and had asked about the possibility of a visit to your shopfront); was the culprit ever caught? Hope the 'damage' wasn't too great

[Caitlin]

Regarding the Mabe's yes that is correct they are cultured in the Penguin Wind Oyster ( Pteria pengiun ) and they way the blue mabes are treated is a Indonesian developed process, the implanted nucleus is painted with a special ink which will slowly release the color during the cultivation process inside the live oyster, which will enhance the undertones of the color seen on the surface. The color penetrates into the nacre and gives a rather natural appearance in comparison to any other treatment

Fascinating information about the dye process! I didn't know there was any commercial production of pteria penguin. Do you think China would try, or is using the same techniques in freshwaters?

[Caitlin]

I bid on one of the last batch of abalone antz put up. Someone got it for .50 over my highest bid, so all I did was drive the price up.....sorry, if one of you got it....

[R&B]

Gidday Caitlin

There's plenty of Pteria Penguin production going on.

James Cook Uni in Townsville is involved with Spat production experiments in North Queensland as a business assistance package in the south Pacific with Australian Foreign Affairs.

Bron's getting right into it here as well as we collect quite a few wild spat off our baskets. Pteria Penguin will not overtake our South Sea Pearl production, but Bron's quite enjoying it as a sideline.

I recall a thread in the Guide not to long back that showed a Chairman Mao Mabe from Pteria Penguin by a chinese mob.

[Adeline Leigh]

Fascinating information about the dye process! I didn't know there was any commercial production of pteria penguin. Do you think China would try, or is using the same techniques in freshwaters?

Interesting both you and Sven mentioned the process. I went back to my email to dig out some old correspondence with the supplier that my domestic helper had to help 'translate' as the syntax was a little awkward; the information I received is similar:

Traditional mabe colors (4 colors) created in pteria penguin shells: white, pink, blue, gold plus black coffee (dyed)
Nowadays they have what is called new generation mabe with more than 30 colors available. It is created by adding colors when they first implant the nucleus against the oyster shell. So usually the result of new generation mabe colors are traditional color plus another hues mixture on top of it.

E.g. Maroon red luster--> it is actually traditional blue mabe pearl plus additional red color added on the nucleus, that's how it gets the maroon red hues and the pearl itself looks like purple color.

Now as for the abalone style new generation mabe, it is actually traditional blue mabe pearl plus additional green, purple and pink colors added on the nucleus. Their purpose is to create mabe pearls with amazing colors like abalone shell. However the result turns to be different on each batch depending on comparison of the added colors measure and the growth process of the pearl itself.

[R&B]

That's interesting Adeline but we will never add dye to any of our pearls or mabe.

As soon as you add dye, you've joined the chinese revolution.

All power to those that like it dyed, we feel the true beauty of a pearl is it's natural state.

[Adeline Leigh]

Rusty, Bronwyn and all the other SP farmers here on PG, you go on doing the fabulous work that you do, and if it should please the Asian producers to do so otherwise and experiment, that's their call.

[KarinK]

That's interesting Adeline but we will never add dye to any of our pearls or mabe.

As soon as you add dye, you've joined the chinese revolution.

All power to those that like it dyed, we feel the true beauty of a pearl is it's natural state.

Couldn't agree more. Very suprising that mabe would be dyed. I'm glad I'm warned. I'm a puritan

- Karin

[Caitlin]

Indeed, R&B, it is great that you comment on these things! A lot of Chinese cultured freshwaters need help, serious help, in a way the sea pearls, don't.

If they must be bright orange or green to find a forever home, so be it. They always have tons more pearls in China, waiting to be adopted! tons and tons and tons.....

[Adeline Leigh]

And a pearl lover like me will never snub the cheap CFWP as they too are intrinsically beautiful. I somehow find the 'bastardized' abalone mabes intriguging. But of course the SSPs, tahitians and SoC's are in a league of their own; just like the wild natural pearls.

I love them all.