GemGeek

Second in a series by Antique Jewelry Collector Paul Royse. See the first one here.

Antique Pearl Jewelry that YOU could own - The 1700's
By Paul Royse

The Age of Discovery, launched by Columbus discovering America, and Vasco da Gama opening the route to India, rapidly led to the development and expansion of global trade.

Pearls soon began to reach Europe in quantity from the Sea of Cort?s (off California) and the coasts around India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Many of the greatest of...

Dazzling pearl jewelry is a hallmark of the Jewelmer pearl company and this gemstone-encrusted bracelet seen at the Couture show in Las Vegas was no exception.



Happy Dreams, Pearl Lovers!

www.jewelmer.com

Provoked Baroque, a term coined by Doug Fiske, aptly describes the newest type of Tahitian pearls. It is now possible to skip the long wait for large pearls that grow in later grafts, while keeping the color and luster that typify earlier, smaller pearls.


Many of these pearls exhibit folds that make one think of the chocolate candies "Raisinettes", but these treats have baroque shell nuclei inside.



The technique was published in "The Australian Gemmologist", First Quarter 2013 by...

Welcome!

Pearls have long been a subject of fascination ? beautiful gems produced by living organisms, with or without the help of human intervention. In the early 20th century, cultivation of pearls brought regal beauty to the masses. More recently, improvements in techniques, advances in cross-breeding, and fervent experimentation have redefined our expectations of what a pearl should look like, and even be.

The Pearl-Guide.com forum has been the home of lively discussion on every...

All perfectly spherical. All luminous. All highly lustrous.



Two are Hanadama-grade akoya cultured pearl strands, and one is a solid-nacre freshwater cultured pearl strand. Surprised? The time has come for the best of freshwater cultured pearls to be recognized as reaching the same level as saltwater cultured pearls. Prices are rising in response to the vast improvement in freshwater quality, and freshwater pearls have something that saltwater pearls don't - endless variety.



Bright...

Antique Jewelry Collector Paul Royse will be contributing a series of articles on learning about and acquiring antique pearl jewelry. This introduction is the first installment.

Antique Pearl Jewelry that YOU Could Own
Paul Royse

Introduction

Pearls are unique among the precious gemstones. They arrive from nature already perfectly formed, and display their amazing beauty without the need for any further faceting, polishing, or preparation.

The natural beauty and perfection of pearls led...