nucleated freshwater pearls

[pmorna742]

I was browsing Care Ehret's Ebay store, and noticed she had sold some freshwater pearls which were nucleated. I didn't realise there were such pearls. Is it rare to find nucleated freshwaters then? Any info would be good.

Thanks in advance,

Morna (Scotland)

 

[pattye]

Hi Morna,

I would say they are pretty new, they are usually sold under "flameball" or "fireball" and the natural colors are amazing on them. If you love large baroques, you will love them! At least I sure do! They have been discussed a couple of places on this forum, you might try a forum search under those words to see what comes up. Also if you click on "In the News" column on the left you will find the article Jeremy Shepherd and Doug Fiske wrote about them. I feel the price on them in general makes them very affordable, though not what I would call cheap, compared to the same size in baroque South Sea, although the available colors are different. Photo and necklace by Carolyn Ehret



Sizes 12-17 wide by 18-28 long, and now mine! Just received yesterday, absolutely breathtaking!

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

 

[SpaceNeedle]

TPO is currently offering huge multicolor 10-12mm nucleated "Fireball" freshwater pearl necklace as part of their Christmas sale.

http://www.thepearloutlet.com/servlet/ProductView?commodityID=28798&command=cp&supplierID=490

 

[olmander]

Last week I bought two different strands, both freshwater baroque. Both with amazing colours.

Here is one from Schoeffel, with a peculiar triangle shape of pearls (each pearl is 15-17 mm long and is quite flat).

Another one is a 108 cm long beauty with 11-12 mm roundish pearls, some of which have a flat side, some not but altogether it is one big festive firework . The luster is just great!

Is this what is called nucleated FW pearls? Is it the same as 'fireballs'? Can anybody explain me if these are relatives of keshi pearls?

Olga

 

[Ingykiz]

Wow, Pattye what a beautiful necklace. I really like the colors, are they really that intense? You have a great collection of pearls. I am still contemplating a strand from Care and with each Care pearl you post , I get closer to buying! ( Santa has a long list this year)

 

[GemGeek]

Fireballs are the nickname for bead-nucleated freshwater pearls that have "tails", kind of like a comet.

 

[pattye]

Hi Olga,

In your top photo I would describe the pearls as a "drop shape" coin pearl. They are nucleated with a flat tear-drop shape+tissue. The second photo look like basic tissue-nucleated baroque freshwater pearls. Both have lovely color! Enjoy!

The fireballs are nucleated with a round shape+tissue, resulting in at least part of the pearl showing a very round shape, and a nacre "tail" (All you pearl experts please correct me if this isn't right, thanks!)

Thanks for the compliment, yes, my pearls do have a lot of colors.

In the column in blue printing on the left on the Home page, is a great explanation of Keshi pearls, a really excellent concise article.

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

 

[GemGeek]

Hi Olga,

In your top photo I would describe the pearls as a "drop shape" coin pearl. They are nucleated with a flat tear-drop shape+tissue. The second photo look like basic tissue-nucleated baroque freshwater pearls. Both have lovely color! Enjoy!

The fireballs are nucleated with a round shape+tissue, resulting in at least part of the pearl showing a very round shape, and a nacre "tail" (All you pearl experts please correct me if this isn't right, thanks!)

Thanks for the compliment, yes, my pearls do have a lot of colors.

In the column in blue printing on the left on the Home page, is a great explanation of Keshi pearls, a really excellent concise article.

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

Exactly! The teardrop shapes are "coin" pearls. Although they come in diverse shapes - coins, diamonds, hearts, stars, etc, they are classed as coin pearls.

 

[pernula]

I read the article in "In the News" section of Pearl-Guide by Jeremy Shepherd and Doug Fiske again, aren't fireballs likely the result of using endangered giant clam shells as beads? Is there new information on that?

Thanks,
Pernula

 

[Slraep]

Hi Pernula,

If the fireballs are big, they have a good chance of being nucleated with the Giant Clam, Tridacna Gigas, which is a protected species almost everywhere around the world except Chinese waters. I wouldn't touch big fireballs and I don't know why people offer them for sale. I love pearls as much as anyone on this forum but there are limits to what I will buy. It is erroneous to think that this marine creature is in distress everywhere else but still okay in waters around China, just because the Chinese say so.

Slraep

 

[pattye]

Hi Pernula, Slraep and all,

I knew this would be a controversial piece when I posted the photo, however felt it was beautiful and unusual and deserved to be shown.

I consider myself more of a collector of unusual pearls than anything else. I asked myself --"Would not buying these make a statement against the use of the giant clam nuclei?" The answer was No.

There is certainly a chance that the nuclei are from the tridacna gigas. It appears even from the photo that the nacre is thick and does appear in person to be very thick. Probably at least 2-3mm on each side of the pearl, and the "tail" in places measures over 6mm thick. I wish I could report on the actual size of the nucleus.

I will talk to Carolyn Ehret (since I got them from her) and others in Tucson about their feelings about these pearls, and what they know about the nucleating process. I know Carolyn feels strongly about the ecology practices surrounding pearl production, and I will be curious to find out what she knows. I will report back sometime in February.

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time