Too much luster???

[operavopera]

I have noticed some pearls that are so lustrous that they look fake, but these were shown to me by 2 jewelers that I trust. The first were Tahitians that were so silvery and green, but I didn't see any core color. The second was a strand of FW pearls that looked like beams of light. I would have guessed that both were fake because they looked too shiny and glassy. Could this be because they were AAA quality and I'm only used to A/AA? Honestly, I didn't like them that much. Is this a matter of taste or maybe I just need to cultivate my preferences?

[Valeria101]

Can't know what you have seen, but the description would fit treated pearls quite well. Sometimes whatever-they-do-to-make-pearls-shine is quite overdone and looks terribly fake.

Where does one go to see perfect pearls these days?


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[jshepherd]

It is literally impossible to say without a comparative reference. The pearls are certainly polished and the freshwater are bleached, but they may be coated as well. Then again, they may just be of fine quality like you said. Tahitian pearls can have a sharp reflection and strong luster with no treatment other than washing and polishing. Top quality freshwater pearls do have a strong, reflective inner glow. If you are used to a more chalky freshwater pearl appearance, a top grade freshwater strand would certainly look fake.

[Ragnorak]

I have noticed some pearls that are so lustrous that they look fake, but these were shown to me by 2 jewelers that I trust. The first were Tahitians that were so silvery and green, but I didn't see any core color.

I'd hazard a guess and say that they were cultured in FP. There's a lot of product with the colours (or lack there of) that you've mentioned.

Honestly, I didn't like them that much. Is this a matter of taste or maybe I just need to cultivate my preferences?

It comes down to personal preference. If they are round / semi-round with good skins and the price seems reasonable to you, there'd be no reason to not buy them.

Though I've never found black pearls that are silver or lighter green in colour to be very attractive.

[operavopera]

Well, I went to 3 different places today to further my pearl education, particularly on FW, as I am least familiar with them. First I went to an auction, which was fun, but way too extravagant, i.e. 15mm Tahitian strands. Then I went to a well known California chain that advertises a lot on the radio. I asked to see some AAA FW pearls and the salesperson said that he'd been in the business for many years and never heard of ANY kind of rating for pearls. He didn't even seem to know the difference between the quality of their own pearls. I was shocked at how cheap the FW was (about $100 for 18" strand, probably 6-7mm), but then the quality was not good. Even my mediocre pearls are much nicer. I felt sorry for the salesperson because he tried hard to find me something that I would like and he thought I was a good prospect. Then I went to a pearl jewelrystore in a mall and the prices were higher, but still nothing stood out. I still want to see some AAA FWP's so I can see if this glassy quality is normal!

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Opera,

The glassy quality exists but is exceedingly rare. However, Mary's glass (a gypsum compound) can be precipitated on pearls and polished to a brilliant shine. It tastes base and faintly salty. I don't think the jewelers are going to let you lick the pearls, though.

Zeide

[operavopera]

I will go back to that jeweler and ask about those pearls again and why they're so glassy looking. Maybe my eyes are not accustomed to it. My pearls have the more satin luster.

[Ragnorak]

With regards to your previous post, I can't believe some of the stuff I've seen offered up for sale.

I was away from home a few months ago and came across a booth inside an inner city mall that was selling assorted jewellery. I couldn't believe the prices that had been place on some low quality black pearls.

They ranged in size from about 12 to 16mm but I wouldn't have even offered a quarter of their tagged prices. Though it would have been interesting to see if skinning them would have turned up some real gems.

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Ragnarök,

Peeling the pearls would have made things a lot worse because that would probably take the nacre thickness well below the 0.8mm minimum. I have seen Tahitian pearls here in Fresno department stores that hat a color and surface texture a goat would be ashamed to drop and in upscale jewelers' stores I have seen black pearls that were overtreated to the point of looking like shell pearls. Those came with Mikimoto boxes.

Zeide

[Ragnorak]

Peeling the pearls would have made things a lot worse because that would probably take the nacre thickness well below the 0.8mm minimum.

In the vast majority of cases it's not worth the effort. But I was only saying that it would have been interesting to skin them to see.

For the most part, the items I did see would not have been worth the effort but one of the 16mm pearls did look like it may have yeilded a reasonable result. Of course the price they were asking would have made the risk to reward ratio all but negliable.

But on the odd occassion it is worth the effort. It's always a pleasure to pull / polish the detritus off a pearl and find something worth while underneath.

Though I don't think it rarely be worth skinning a pearl bought at retail prices, as I'm sure it would have been through enough hands for someone to have spotted the diamond in the rough (so to speak).

I have seen Tahitian pearls here in Fresno department stores that hat a color and surface texture a goat would be ashamed to drop and in upscale jewelers' stores I have seen black pearls that were overtreated to the point of looking like shell pearls.

In this regard you'd have a lot more experience that me, as I've never had much to do with the wholesale / retail side of things and I'm uncertain as to how much of the black / south seas pearl market consists of overtreated (ie. apart from polished) pearls.

[Caitlin]

If any of you ever see that quality in 12+mm size in a roundish freshwater pearl of any color- please get me a few kilos!

I have some with cracks in the skins and chips missing, but they are solid nacre, so those are just surface imperfections. To me, they just look like they have come up on the rough side of town. They are kind of scarred, battered pearls, so to speak- but they are gracious and dignified in spite of their blemishes and cracks.

Their size is so nice that I don't mind the rough skins- and they are cheap compared to a AA-AAA quality in that size- they are truly the pearls of lowly-beader-clubbers like me. They are cheap and afford me the possibility of playing with BIG pearls and gifting/selling BIG pearls to friends and relatives who could not afford fine large pearls of this size.
My picture on my info page when you click my name shows me wearing just a strand.

[Jesselai]

Sometimes ,the pearls have no any surface treatment are also beautiful.