[jshepherd]

Just take a trip down there or if not possible, ask your supplier for photos or anything as previously mentioned. That should clear it up. They should have no problem providing some sort of proof. The article discussing pearl oyster and freshwater grafting training from 13 years ago just does not show anything. In the last 13 years there have been attempts to cultivate freshwater in different parts of the US and other countries. But nothing has ever come of it.

[pearlsofpalawan]

Thank you, J Shepherd, for the advice. I’ve learned so much from this thread alone.

We take great pride on our efforts, what we have attained and how many fellow Filipinos we have helped to augment their earnings as resellers for such a short time. The last thing we want is to be perceived as without scruples online. This I can assure you, in the event that we find out that our supplier is giving us pearls from China we will take our blogsite down and change our name to Pearls (not) of Palawan.

[Fai]

Hi Everybody this is my first time to post message in this forum my name is Fai and born in Jolo, Sulu, Philippines.You are all correct guys there is no FW farm in the Philippines. There is only SSP which produced from the MOP mostly and Natural Pear. All pearls in Greenhills, Quiapo are from China and FW. Sad to hear all these stories. Please consider the attached Photo of SSP from Tawi-Tawi, Southern Philippines this 18mm. You can IM me at alihfaisal if anybody need high resolution of this PHOTO. Thanks

[Caitlin]

Hi Fai
Glad to see you posting and we appreciate your knowledge of Filipino pearls.
You can post a photo that is up to 620 pixels wide and 400 high. I love to see a larger version of your pearls.....

[jshepherd]

Originally Posted by Fai

Hi Everybody this is my first time to post message in this forum my name is Fai and born in Jolo, Sulu, Philippines.You are all correct guys there is no FW farm in the Philippines. There is only SSP which produced from the MOP mostly and Natural Pear. All pearls in Greenhills, Quiapo are from China and FW. Sad to hear all these stories. Please consider the attached Photo of SSP from Tawi-Tawi, Southern Philippines this 18mm. You can IM me at alihfaisal if anybody need high resolution of this PHOTO. Thanks

It is unfortunate that so many sellers misrepresent their Chinese freshwater as local, Philippines-produced pearls. I think it is completely understandable that some of those who have been fooled by dishonest suppliers try to start a business. But I do not think it is ethical for them to continue with it, advertising the information that they now know to be false.

We are still awaiting your recap, Pearls of Palawan ...

[Fai]

Originally Posted by jshepherd

It is unfortunate that so many sellers misrepresent their Chinese freshwater as local, Philippines-produced pearls. I think it is completely understandable that some of those who have been fooled by dishonest suppliers try to start a business. But I do not think it is ethical for them to continue with it, advertising the information that they now know to be false.

We are still awaiting your recap, Pearls of Palawan ...

Hi Jeremy, you are absolutely right. It is like abalone farming in the Phlippines the Department of Science and Technology had send our scientist to Australlia to study the abalone farming method but up to this date only two farm exist in the Philippines one in ILO-ILO, Visayas region and the other one is in Saranggani Province, Mindanao. But sad to say this two farm still in experimenting the method they learned. Myself tried abalone farming two times but didnt succeed but still planning another try. So as what this people supplier claimed their is FWP farm in Philippines may be yes but same as abalone farming case still in the process of learning not harvesting.

Thanks,
Faisal Alih

[Fai]

Originally Posted by Caitlin

Hi Fai
Glad to see you posting and we appreciate your knowledge of Filipino pearls.
You can post a photo that is up to 620 pixels wide and 400 high. I love to see a larger version of your pearls.....

Hi, Caitlin consider this new picture more high resolution than my previous posting. Will send you more photo soon including wild pearl. The picture on my avatar is a centipede pearl it is already 11 years in my position personal collection.

Many thanks,

[pearlsofpalawan]

One of our partners went to Palawan to check the pearl farm yesterday but unfortunately, she was not allowed to go there as was told it was restricted. As such, and so as not to be tagged as unethical, we will no longer brand our products as Pearls of Palawan. We rest our case.

[PearlA]

I realize I'm rooting up an old thread, which I apologize for, (and I realize worse yet, it's a zeide thread, which I apologize even more profusely for), but could I ask a quick question?

Daughter received a pearl necklace and bracelet set tonight. I've read enough here over the last few months that I have no problem seeing they're off-round/potato, many are circled, dyed-black, freshwater pearls. Of no serious monetary value, I know, so believe me, I'm not asking or hoping for any wild estimates. These things are probably, like, a dollar a strand ... don't worry, there are absolutely no bubbles to burst or anything. My question has nothing to do with monetary value. They're loosely strung, and I intend to take them to our mom-pop jeweler to have them properly knotted and with gold clasps added.


What I need to ask rather, is something about where these freshwaters would be coming from. Although they're of extremely low monetary value, they are instantly of high sentimental value because it's her Philipino godfather who gave them to her. You have to understand ---- 1) daughter is Chinese (adopted from China), 2) her godfather is Philipino (and is extremely special to daughter as he traveled with my husband to China to bring her home), 3) it's very possible that daughter herself has some Philipino blood in her, based on some details of her appearance, her actual birth area in China, plus the fact that we did put on our adoption dossiere that the child would have a Philipino godfather to maintain a close Asian influence in her life. It's the kind of detail that could play a significant role in which child is matched with which new parents.

I say these things simply to explain why I couldn't care less how 'valuable' the pearls are. The fact that her godfather gave her these pearls, which he actually brought back from a trip to the Philippines --- that is where the high sentimental value lies.

My question is -- these are probably from China, even though they were purchased in the Phlilipines, is that correct? China and the Philippines are both very important countries in this household, as you can understand from what I said above, so please understand that I don't realy care which of the two countries these pearls may have been birthed inhave no attachment to them being 'birthed' in. But considering that these are also her first pearls, and who they come from, where they were purchased, and our daughter's heritage, I would like to have the best expert opinion possible, on what the history of the perals probably is.

I know the Philippines does farm golden south seas, but do they do freshwaters as well? Or would these more likely have been farmed and dyed in China, then exported and sold in the Philipines?

(No pictures, but I can show what they look like through this link:
http://www.pearlstrings.com/acatalog/watches.html
See the black freshwaters on the watch? Yeah, like those. Like I said, no illusions on what they are, don't worry. I just really, really, want to have a best guess of what to tell six-year-old daughter as to their probable Chinese/Philipino history.)

Thank you thank you.
--Pearl A.

[PearlA]

Ooops. I just realized this is in the south seas board. (Sigh at myself.) I know it makes more sense under "freshwater". Sorry. I did a search on Philippino and freshwater, and this was one of the threads that came up.

[Nerida]

Hi PearlA - your story is beautiful, and the pearls are probably a nice way to close a lovely circle - they are almost certainly Chinese freshwaters, and as you say, the value is in the sentiment, which from what you are saying, makes it seem like these are very valuable pearls indeed.

[pattye]

PearlA,

There is a well known area near or in Manila called Greenhills, where there are many pearl vendors, many selling Chinese freshwaters imported from China. So that is one likely source of her pearls. They surely will be enjoyed by your lovely daughter, thanks for sharing your wonderful story!

[waimeamomi]

I think this is a lovely story as well, and a wonderful treasure she has It sounds as if the pearls, like your daughter, traveled their own special and unknowable route to wind up exactly where they belong.

[PearlA]

Thanks for the help. Yes, Manilla is his home-city, so a pearl market there would be very possible. Thanks for the information ... I was guessing that Chinese pearls from a vendor in the Philippines was the most likely scenarios, but as you understand, I want my 'guess' to be as close to accurate as possible.

I'm still getting used to photobucket, so tell me if these links don't work correctly, but this was daughter and her godfather last night ...
http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/i...3/k-m-bd-1.jpg

And this is a closeup of the pearls (simply cut out of a really big pic of daughter ... no special 'macro' setting was used or anything) ...
http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/i...rom-m-to-k.jpg

We obviously did not use any of the special tricks I've read about here for photographing pearls, but you can at least see their basic qualities. The pic does make them look a little paler and 'browner' than in real life, but you can see their overall shape (off-round/potato, as I said), as well as the rings on some. I'm at least pleased that I believe I've read enough threads here to at least know what type they were.

[Caitlin]

The Philippines do not produce cultured fw pearls. All of them are from China, though there is no shortage of folks who sincerely believe they are Philippine in origin. After all, that is what so many of the merchants at Greenhills tell people.