[pearltime]

Our bioscientists went to work to see if we could help Mother Nature along a little. By extracting the seed pearl from young fresh oyster shells and speeding up the natural process by which the nacre coats the pearl, we are able to produce the breathtaking Australian Pacific Pearl. These golden pearls are extremely large in size—12mm—but they are much more consistent in shape than ordinary pearls that have to be extracted from 4-5 year old oysters that are dead. They are also less porous so you don’t have to worry about perfumes or cosmetics discoloring these pearls like you do with ordinary pearls. In a more ecologically friendly approach, the Australian Pacific pearl seed is extracted from fresh oyster shells and then organically microcoated with the same nacre that coats naturally grown pearls. Giant 12mm golden South Sea pearls can cost up to $50,000 for an 18" strand. Why even think about that when you can now wear an 18" strand of 12mm Australian Pacific pearls with a consistently round shape and a rare golden color for under $300.

http://www.nextten.com/store/jewelry...01&adpos=Email

[Zeide Erskine]

Those sound like the precipitate pearls (a type of imitation, fake, faux) that are very convincing in both tooth and x-ray tests. I have some as show-and-tell pieces.

Zeide

[The Pearl Outlet]

Just another type of faux (fake) pearl. They are costume jewelry with very little to no real value. Sounds like the formula to shell pearls to me.

[pearltime]

and they have the nerve to sell them for $300.00.

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Pearltime,

You must not have been to Saks Fifth Avenue or Neiman Marcus lately, they are selling Majorica's "organic" line for quite a bit more than that and even more yet at airports. Here in Fresno I saw Majoricas (the upscale "shell pearl" line) for around US$500.00 for 18" 10mm strands in the exotic colors. And Fresno prices are modest by California standards.

Zeide

[jshepherd]

They sure went through a lot of trouble to explain that they are selling fake pearls. I would love to meet their bioscientists that did so much work.
Just cheap Chinese shell pearls - a few steps up from plastic and a few down from Majorica in my book.

[Caitlin]

Majoricas sure corner the Mystique for faux pearls! They have numbered certificates and everything. I had a set and put them up on eBay for .99. They bid up to $155!!!! box and everything included, dated 1962.

I

[purepearls]

I would definitely have to say kudos to the marketers of Majorica pearls. Though they are fake pearls, many people think they are real because of the prices, the numbered certificates, etc. They were very smart and have made a great business out of selling fake pearls!

[Pearls_by_Angela_Carol]

Now this would be a perfect use of the term pearl plated bead...

[Caitlin]

Except the coating on Majoricas is made from fish scales. Fish-scale plated bead?

The one I had looked like pearlescent nail poilish -which is also made out of fish scales. It looked less like real pearls than the faux pearls do. it looked like a real Marjorica, though.

[purepearls]

We had an event in Dallas last week and I was amazed at how many ladies there thought that Majorica pearls were real pearls. They just couldn't believe it.

[Amy M]

I get customers all the time who bring their precious Majorcas in for re-stringing. Depressing how many have no idea that they are fake pearls. I was on a plane to NY on Continental and their inflight magazine had a string of "Tahitian Pearls" fro USd 150.- ( or something like that) I forgot to tear it out but it did not indicate anywhere that it was anything but Tahitian. It made me crazy. Is there any way to stop such blatant disregard for the truth?

[National Pearl]

"In a more ecologically friendly approach, the Australian Pacific pearl seed is extracted from fresh oyster shells and then organically microcoated with the same nacre that coats naturally grown pearls. "

These do not sound like the Majorica but more like those processes where the pearl is dipped in the "nacre-like" substance, building layer after layer much like candles are dipped in wax over and over until the desired size is obtained.

Very interesting.

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Andrew,

Majorica is selling these precipitate or "shell" pearls now, too. They charge hundreds of US$ for the 10mm range and for a 14mm strand of their "organic line" one can easily spend well into the four figures in boutiques and jeweler stores.

Zeide

[National Pearl]

Zeide,

Wow, that is amazing! Makes me wonder if I am in the wrong business